Chicago • Bradly Bradshaw

10

"Good morning, the uranium enrichment plant that is your target will be operational erarlier than expected." Admiral Bates told the aviators. "Raw uranium will be delivered to the plant in 10 days' time. As a result your mission has been moved up one week."

"In order to avoid contaminating the target valley with radiation." Admiral Bates continued.

The entire class was even more nervous now, they had even less time to learn how to fly this mission.

"Sir, no one here has successfully flown a low-level course." Katherine said, sitting in the back once again.

"Nevertheless, you've been ordered to move on." Admiral Bates told Katherine.

Captian Mitchell (maverick) walked up to the front of the class, even he was worried about how they were going to do this mission, but he had a plan. Hopefully it would work.

"We have one week left to focus on phase two. It's the most difficult stage of the mission. It's a pop-up strike with a steep dive, requiring nothing less than two consecutive miracles." Maverick was taking no jokes today, "two pairs of F-18s will fly in a welded wing formation. Precise coordination of these aircrafts are essential to the success of the mission and your survival."

A few in the room cleared their throats, Katherine sat up straight and took in every word.

"The plant rests between two mountains, on final approach you'll invert directly into a steep dive this helps you stay under the radar of the enemy SAMs, this is the only possible attack angle." Maverick explained.

"The target is an impact point less than three meters wide." A few people gasped, that's nearly impossible.

"The two-seat aircraft will paint the target with a lasers bull's-eye. The first pair will breach the reactor by dropping a laser-guided bomb on an exposed ventilation hatch. This will help the second pair. That's miracle number one." Maverick said, there was a demonstration on the board that everyone watched.

"The second team delivers the kill shot, and they will destroy the target." Maverick continued, "That's miracle number 2."

"If anyone misses the target, the mission is a failure." Maverick said sharply.

"Egress is a steep high-G climb out to avoid hitting the mountain. 9 G's minimum." Maverick looked around at the worried faces.

Katherine noticed people bouncing their legs, while others tapped their fingers. This was gonna be very difficult to master.

"But the stress limit of the F-18s airframe is 7.5" Katherine told her dad.

"That's the accepted limit, to survive you need to pull beyond that, even if it means bending your airframe." Maverick replied.

Katherine licked her lips, to be honest she was excited but also anxious, loads of things could go wrong.

"You'll weigh close to 2,000 pounds, your skull will crush your spine. Your lungs will implode like an elephants is sitting on your chest. You will fight with everything in you not to black out." Maverick explained the risks.

Maverick pointed to the to planes flying up the steep mountain, "This is where you'll be at your most vulnerable, it's called coffin corner. Assuming you avoid hitting the mountain, you'll climb straight into enemy radar while loosing all of your airspeed. Within seconds you'll be fired upon by the SAMS."