Japan Space-Time Strange Chronicles

5th Generation Fighter vs Biplane

This is the second chapter of this month.

This time it's not only about anti-ship attacks... I think you can see the research-intensive side of the Neutrine Empire.

- Kazuhiro Kasami

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March 15, 1741

Northwestern Francesca, Berliez

This place is this world's equivalent of Berlin, the capital of Germany in the old world. The Japanese government had built an airport here that could be used by private citizens. However, the aircraft parked here now are P-1 patrol planes that just a few days ago launched a saturation attack with anti-ship missiles on the port city of Athenia.

In order to facilitate communication among friendly countries, Japan has been constructing airports in various parts of the country where civilian aircraft can take off and land. The development of port facilities and airports was a high priority as was the development of infrastructure and transportation in friendly countries, with the order of priority from the top was Grand Lago Kingdom → Republic of Francesca → Divine Kingdom of Anubisius → Sindhvan Community → Spernino Kingdom → Italicia Kingdom.

This time, a number of anti-ship missiles were brought from the mainland to be mounted on the patrol planes. The ASM-1Cs were almost depleted in the last mission. However, the companies were happy because this would allow them to prepare for the mass production of the new ASM-2C missiles.

Captain Sumino, who was in command of the P-1 formation, let out a sigh when he saw the P-1 patrol planes lined up in front of him.

"Good grief, just as we can return and take a breather, now we're assigned to this place."

"It can't be helped. In order to reduce the enemy's ability to continue the war, we need to destroy all of the ports and harbors. Moreover, the place where we will be heading next..."

In their minds, the image of the destroyer Kaga, which has been given carrier capability, floated in the background.

"We need to bomb the enemy's large industrial centers with precision-guided bombing by F-3Bs and anti-ground missiles by P-1s. The P-1s will not only attack ships, but also attack ground targets."

"This is becoming more and more like the US military. It's the Air Force planes that are supposed to do that."

In fact, the US Air Force in the old world used a number of aircraft that excelled in ground attacks, such as the A-10 Thunderbolt II and F-16 Fighting Falcon, to assist ground forces in their attacks. In the JSDF, however, with the exception of the F-2 and F-3B/C, the only plane capable of precision air strikes is the P-1 patrol aircraft.

"Do you know that in a certain Japanese isekai novel that P-3Cs are modified to attack an enemy military base as strategic bombers loaded with many unguided bombs, because Japan in that novel lacks a high-performance bombing capability?"

"So, we're lucky that the P-1s can use the Maverick at least."

The P-1 was originally capable of carrying the AGM-65 Maverick, an anti-surface missile developed by the United States. Japan had manufactured the AGM-2, an anti-surface missile with a range of 25 kilometers based on the Maverick (the number '1' was manufactured for the Yanma anti-tank helicopter) and equipped it on the P-1. However, in participating in the attack on the northern port city, it was decided that guided missiles would be used due to the port city's proximity to residential areas.

Currently, the ATLA and the Ministry of Defense are developing the A-1 ground attack aircraft for supporting ground operations, and there are already three test planes completed to test various weapons. In this regard, from the viewpoint of integrated operations, it was requested at the time of development that the F-3 be able to use guided bombs, which were completed before the mass-produced ground-attack aircraft.