Kahlia Akasha Jet Strike By Jimmy Boom Semtex

Kahlia Akasha Jet Strike

By Jimmy Boom Semtex

On a hidden beach on a small island in the Andaman group, in the Andaman Sea, a covert mission was being planned for the coming night time hours. A military strike was in the final stages of preparation. Under the coconut trees a single warplane was being prepped for battle. Fuel was pumped into her fuel tanks, electronic systems being checked and weapons being loaded to give her teeth.

   Two flight crew quietly changed into flight gear that included a flying suit with fireproof waterproof protection, a life vest for ejection over the ocean, lightweight Kevlar flying boots, flying helmets with digital display and helmet sight and other equipment, including pistols and ammo. When fully prepared each pilot checked the other’s equipment for errors or problems. Everything had to be correct; there would be no second chances on this deadly mission over an enemy country.

   One pilot was a European white male in his thirties with dark brown hair, delicate green eyes and a slight tan from his time on the uninhabited island. He was six foot tall and in ideal shape. His companion was a young lady, a decade younger and a foot shorter. She moved with the grace and elegance of a dancer or Martial Art expert. Her oriental origins gave her an exotic air. Together they made an odd combination and like the taller man, she wore a wedding band made from green crystal. Were they together in matters of the heart and not just as aircrew? Both gave little information away without a reciprocal price or agreement bordering on a blood contract, such was the nature of their game.

   Several bare skinned men of medium height hurried around the warplane parked under the trees. Empty wooden crates lay unwanted, the contents now hanging underneath the light blue coloured warplane. These weapons would be used over the next few hours on preselected targets and targets of opportunity. The leader of the men approached the tall western pilot and conversed in low tones of broken English. Both men walked over to the aircraft. The oriental, recruited from a neighbouring island, stood aside while the pilot checked his work. Only if satisfied would the pilot pay the local labour for their efforts. It had to be correct and then the lady pilot would double check. No errors could be allowed. He walked around the plane, his warplane, checking the weapons were firmly on their pylons with umbilical connections linking them to the aircraft in place and not loose. On eight under wing pylons, four either side, the bomb load was a mixed one for maximum destruction and death. Two short range Bright Star air to air missiles on the very outer missile pylons, backed up by two medium range Axe Head radar guided missiles for air combat, followed by two Medusa anti radar missiles to hit enemy radar systems and finally, on the inboard pylons two Saffron anti tank missiles that doubled as good attack weapons. A single belly mounted fuel tank gave us extended range to escape to Thailand after our target runs. Forward of the fuel tank was a twin barrel 23mm cannon with two hundred and fifty rounds of ammo, half for each barrel. A heavier 30mm gun could be carried but the added firepower was negated by extra weight.

   Faintly visible in the darkness Kahlia Akasha looked the same as before but on closer inspection she was a very different beast. Gone was the eight bladed prop and rear mounted turboprop engine of her sister. Replacing this was a single jet engine from a late model Mig 29 jet fighter, slightly modified for installation in the deadly warplane. A longer rear fuselage with engine exhaust and dorsal air intake catered for the new power plant. Performance figures were top secret but included a high altitude top speed of 1,700mph at a height of 65,000ft, a maximum climb rate of 80,000ft per minute and a combat ceiling of 75,000ft. In a zoom climb she had climbed up to 130,000ft, a new official world height record, adding to her speed and climb records established the previous summer. Now she was doing what she was built to do, go to war. She had been updated in a second more deadly version and now she was being readied for battle. A mission to strike terror and fear into the Burmese military and test out their new weapon systems against hers. Kahlia Akasha number two would win, this was a foregone conclusion. It was good to prove the simulations right. In future she would carry a new set of advanced weapons including a small laser weapon replacing her cannon and new missiles and guided bombs. Currently she was armed with the same reliable weapons of her prop driven sister, along with the same Topaz radar with added air to air modes for air superiority duties, making full use of her superior performance. Her speed was almost triple that of her sister and her climb rate was ten times more. The airframe was strengthened at critical places like the wing root, fuselage, tail plane and weapon pylons. Wing skins were increased in thickness and the wing spar was tripled in strength for the higher acceleration forces. A new heat resistant canopy for high-speed flight replaced the previous cockpit one. It was gold plated to stop radar waves penetrating the cockpit to lower the radar signature to almost zero. Stealth design was still of huge importance for Kahlia Akasha model two and light blue matt stealth paint replaced the previous matt black for better visual camouflage in the Pacific region.

   Another tanned oriental man monitored a laptop computer connected to the flight systems. The pilot finished his checks and quietly chatted away to the technician flicking through the menu on the computer, triple checking everything. Taking his eyes off the screen, he looked over and saw his wife scrutinising the missiles and aircraft. Excellent, she would double-check his checks. No problems were found so it was nearly time to mount up but not before a small thank you ceremony and payment to their ground crew whose help had been invaluable and speeded things up.