Operation Heat Wave entered its second phase, would the Sea Eagle and Dolphin flight, with NATO as allies, be successful?

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We were ordered to land in the Erbil Airport and take rest, especially as fresh NATO and NATO-aligned Free Arab Legion squadrons had arrived following the transport squadron, to take over the CAP above the city.

One simple thing that we saw on the airport. Rapid turnover. Fighters and drones refueled and rearmed mostly hot, we mostly on ground attack while Dolphin flight sported a more air-to-air focus before taking off again, still in the dead of night.

In fact Aris had said on the radio. "It appears that the challenge had to be put aside, for now."

"Understood" I replied as we assume formation, orbiting the city, just as the NATO AWACS piped us. "This is Matterhorn, be advised, the enemy is regrouping in nearby Kirkuk and are moving to retake Erbil. Peshmerga forces are establishing defensive position inside the city. Your job is to protect the city in general against the counterattack. You're clear to engage anything and everything hostile."

"SAM, evade!" Aris called us to broke formation as SAMs from the enemy vehicle column were launched towards us.

"Be advised you have access to UCAVs during this operation. Connect it to your system and use it as you see fit to destroy incoming enemy ground force."

Along with datalink system to communicate with the Airbus Barracuda-type drones, both us and the Air Force also used a special chip planted in our helmets, connected to our brains, wirelessly, without any surgery at all, to control the drones and to increase our situation awareness.

Basically our job is to communicate with the drones, which will take the bullet for us. I began to assign pairs of drones to patrol sectors which was mapped as routes for the enemy to enter the city, before the built-in AI inside the Barracudas took over the rest.

Contrary to popular belief of drone warfare in decades before, unmanned and manned platform worked together and complementing each other in this ground attack mission. For example we hunt down heavy armor while the drones went further into the enemy lines for a search and destroy against artillery positions including mobile ballistic missile launchers with mostly clusters, jamming enemy communication from the air, or looking for enemy command posts.

"Bombs away!" Two JDAM went out from my IF-34, aimed towards a platoon of Al-Hussein II tanks after a strafing run from two drones near me aiming for the mostly lighter vehicles especially it's air defense component.

"Good hit, those tank platoons are history" Snow reported.

"Sea Eagle 104 bombs away" Another UCC armoured platoon heading towards Erbil went up in flames as JDAMs hit them.

Along with us, I can see on the radar, two pairs of F-35Bs, and as we listen to their chatter they were also engaging the UCC counterattack from the other side of the city, both ground, and air role by mostly shooting down enemy drones. Together with friendly drones the STOVL version of the JSF were often used for armed recon and target designation. Operated by either the US Marines, Royal Navy, and the German Luftwaffe, in their latter case the jets were supplied during the European Civil War as military aid; extensively used it's forward deployment capability in order for support to be cycled faster.

"This is Sawz (Blue) 1-3, we are almost overrun by enemy tanks and Quds Legion infantry, we need air support immediately; be advised they had shot down a whole flight of drones, Coordinates sent, now..."

"Understood, coordinates received." Me and Arif banked hard left to head to the said beleaguered position of Peshmerga defending the city. Not long our IR sensors had detected the enemy formation, engaging the Kurds holding an apartment complex.

"Sawz, this is Sea Eagle 103 and 104, starting our run now!" I reported.

First, I dropped the JDAM into the lead convoy, then my wingman released his own into the rest, before passing the now battered UCC formation for another pass; expending our bombs in the process.

"Deploy flares" the voice command from mine was responded by the aircraft's computer, as two MANPADS were heading for my plane.

"Excellent job, Indonesians, all enemy has been eliminated, reinforcements to our position are approaching now along with medical aids for the wounded. Thank you for coming!"

"Sawz, you're welcome. Be advised we're out of bombs, returning to base."

"Hold a second, Sea Eagle 103, we're picking up a few contacts; it's hostile, repeat, hostile aircraft has been detected..."

The bandits, heading directly from northwest relative of the Kurdish position were soon identified by ground controller in Erbil and by AEW as MiG-35s.

"Sea Eagle 101, we've done rearming and is now airborne and ready to assist you. Hold the enemy in place until we arrive!" called Major Yanuar again.

"Where's the Dolphin flight?" I asked the controller, as I went close to radar missile range.

"They are engaging enemy mixed assault force of suicide car bombs mixed with technicals and a few armored vehicles with the drones which were still have their ordnance. However, I can redirect a pair of -35Bs for assistance, too in case more aircraft are coming."

"Understood"

"Target is in firing range, sir. Clear to fire?"

"Clear to fire, Fox three!" I fired the first salvo of two AIM-122s, followed by two more from Arif as well.

The enemy's AESA radar are doing what it can to disrupt the oncoming Buzzards; but two are destroyed; the rest retreated.

"Warning, we have low flying Su-25s heading directly to the airport from the south of the city. All aircraft nearby, intercept and destroy, as they had took out some of our drones!"

"Zweihand (Two Hand) 2-1 reporting that we're engaging the Frogfoots, but we can use some help here" called the lead of a pair of Luftwaffe F-35Bs.

"Roger, on our way" We then decided to expend the remaining Buzzards in our outer pods. A second barrage then ensued, along with the Germans also opened fire as well.

Su-25s have strong armor like its American counterpart; the now retired A-10, But the punishment inflicted to the formation by the NATO and allied aircraft circling the airport are way too much for it.

"All units, good job, you're clear to return to base and new squadrons will take over your shift. Over and out!"

As the sun rises, we landed and checked the plane before finally went airborne with air-to-air ordnances as we finally received our orders to head back to Sriwijaya.

"Dolphin flight, airborne." reported Maj. Muljono as his flight blast off through the bright sky of Erbil. Minutes later.

"Sea Eagle flight, you're all cleared to take off. Good luck out there and thank you for your part of this operation. See you later!" With the parting word the ATC cleared us to take off, and the four ship flight of ours lit up afterburners and left the airport, and banked right for a rendezvous with the Dolphin flight.

Under a watchful escort of American F-22C Raptors covering our pre-determined path, we head straight into the Persian Gulf before dropping altitude for a low-level flight undetected by UCC radar before tanking just near Oman, then turned south and flew straight 1.500 miles where our carrier is.

No losses, a very unexpected result for such tough operation in the heart of the enemy. However, as I went to my quarters I can feel that the next op will be more likely to increase our tally of wounded, and dead pilots.

To my surprise my hologram projector went up. It's from Bala, now a Captain, too and slotted for a promotion to Major despite he's the same age as me.

Me: Hello, what's up, buddy?

Bala: Just done another day training new boys and girls straight from the advanced training for the fleet! How about you?

Me: We just have a tough day operating from land, in Erbil, Kurdistan. We and NATO help the Kurds take it back and defend it from counterattacks.

Bala: Cool! Sure that the sky is basically a clusterfuck with NATO planes and drones.

Me: Exactly...

Bala: Glad to hear that all of you survive so far!

Yes. Bala is currently assigned to help in train new pilots in one of the Eastern Indonesia-based IF-34 training squadron, 477 NAS, based in Joint Base Biak, in Biak, Papua. The base itself have its primary task to protect the Biak Space Center.

Speaking of spaceflight he once told me that he might consider to volunteer as an astronaut after the war, and his consideration to Major is definitely related to his instructor duty.

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Short, but I hope you enjoy my take about naval aviators operating on land!