ASAHI NO NISHISEI - Rising Sun Goes West (1)

Landing on Miket Tirith 2

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February 1, 03:00

Amphibious Assault Ship Shimabara Well Dock, Sea 70 km east of Miket Tirith

The landing force, led by the Ground Self-Defense Force's Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade, awaited the time to embark inside the three amphibious assault ships and two landing ships. The troops are equipped with Type 20 amphibious vehicles, which are in their full-scale deployment in this world, AAV7s, which was used in the Altian War, as well as the LCACs. In addition, transport helicopters and V-22 Ospreys sitting cramped on the decks of each ship were ready for takeoff.

"With such a wide gap between our forces and theirs, and a land battle..."

"Landing on land with hundreds of thousands of troops waiting for you?"

"It's simply scary..."

Before the landing operation, each soldier expressed their uneasiness. Most of them had participated in landing operations during the Altian War, but at that time, just after the Battle of Iloa Sea, most of the enemy forces had been destroyed, so the number of enemy troops swarming around the landing site was not as huge as it was then.

"Aren't we going to bomb the enemy to crush them? Don't be anxious. Thinking about unnecessary things will hinder the mission."

The unit commander warned the soldiers who spoke of their uneasiness. However, he himself felt his heart beating faster as he faced his first real battle in a long time.

. . .

Flagship Amagi Flight Deck

From the hangar directly below deck, shipboard fighters loaded on deckside elevators were emerging one after another. It was dark outside because it was just before dawn, and all the SDF pilots sitting in the cockpit were wearing night-vision equipment. The first F-35C fighter jet, guided by its maintenance crew, made its way onto the runway. Each fighter was loaded with as many unguided bombs as would not interfere with takeoff.

"All ready!"

A maintenance crewman, confirming that the front wheels were set on the shuttle of the steam catapult, hurriedly left the side of the fighters to inform them that they were ready for launch. The catapult operator, confirming this, pushed in the launch switch.

"Takeoff!"

Immediately after, the F-35C, given an initial speed at a level that would have damaged an ordinary fighter, took two to three seconds to reach the flight deck and took off. The second F-35C, which was preparing to launch from the other catapult, followed in the wake of the first one. The third and fourth F-35Cs were then quickly guided to the catapult where the two had finished takeoff, and they too took off from the Amagi in the same manner. Soon after the 33 F-35C fighters finish taking off, two E-2D Hawkeye early warning planes were launched, completing the launch of all aircraft involved in the current operation. Similarly, from Akagi, F-35Cs of the 42nd Air Wing, an unfinished air unit, and USMC F/A-18Ds from 12th Marine Aircraft Group are launched, totaling 33 planes.

A total of 15 F-35B fighters belonging to the JMSDF, equipped with various short-range air-to-air missiles and gun pods, have completed takeoff from the three amphibious assault ships participating in this operation in order to respond to the enemy's air power, the dragon riders. The fighter group, consisting of 83 aircraft from five ships, turned west toward the territory of the Miket Knighthood. Their target is to bomb enemy forces that have formed a camp in the area surrounding Miket Tirith.

Thus, after about three months of preparation, the first phase of Operation Sunrise, the official name for the landing operation in the Miket Knighthood territory, finally went into effect.