Sky-Shrouding Assault

Modern aerial combat + fictional military setting + military hardware + joint operations + great-power rivalry + fighter-versus-fighter battles In 2026, the world was almost exactly like ours, except for “carbon uranium.” This substance could provide astonishing amounts of energy, but it could also turn an entire airspace into a “blind zone,” where equipment failed, radars went dark, and missiles became useless. In such an area, beyond-visual-range combat quickly became impossible. Pilots might even jettison their medium-range missiles just to regain a little maneuverability. The 366th Fighter Wing of the Pacific Federation National Guard Air Force had just upgraded to the latest F-15E. Cade Cole and his back-seat weapons systems officer, Noah Hart, received a joint operations mission targeting a site inside Azaria. Ground special forces had already infiltrated, and the air formation was following the plan. It all looked like a routine strike. Until the carbon uranium beneath the target detonated. Orange-red contamination engulfed the target area. Temperatures rose, communications links went down, and radar systems failed across the region. Three Su-27s painted in Azarian markings stormed into the blind zone, but flew like veterans of the old Soviet Union. Everyone knew who they were up against, but no one could produce hard evidence. When missiles no longer matter, only one rule remains in the sky: close in, stay on his tail, and don’t be the first to die.