The Test began at 1400 hours.
Two F-35A Lightning IIs, the most sophisticated and – at a two hundred-million-dollar price tag – the most expensive aircraft in the US Air Force's arsenal. The two sixth generation fighter jets sped across the desert landscape. The test was simple – destroy an enemy airbase.
"That's it?" Ron asked.
"Pretty much," Chris answered, "Ready?"
"Let's go."
"Pop."
The two jets dived from their altitude of 2000 feet and headed to their target. It had 2-thousand-foot runways and five large hangars able to occupy a Antonov 223.
"Prepare missiles," Chris called. The jets were armed with two AGM-114 Hellfire II missiles on each wing and two in the weapons bay. Leveling off at one hundred feet, the targeting laser system 'painted' the targets. The USAF pilots fired the missiles which cruised at eight hundred miles an hour tore apart the runway and hangars.
"Bullseye!" Ron celebrated early.
"Nope. We've got some enemies on the way," Chris radioed. "Time to skedaddle." The F-35s accelerated to seven hundred eighty miles an hour. Then out of the clouds, directly in their path, the enemy arrived, like a late guest to the party.
They were three Sukhoi Su-57s, Russia's deadliest fighter on hand, and the Lighting's sworn enemy. After all, the Felons outclassed them almost in every single aspect.
The two US planes burst their ranks, disrupting their formation, and headed for the hills surrounding the now destroyed airbase. The Su-57s did a U-turn in perfect synchronization and gave chase. Ron saw one on his tail.
"Chris, one is onto me," Ron said. "Can we outrun them?"
"Not their missiles and guns. So, it's a dogfight," Chris responded.
"You read my mind."
Chris kicked his right rudder pedal and twisted his control stick to the right, his 20mm Gatling gun raining lead on the enemy. One Felon plummeted to the earth in flames. The remaining Felons fled the scene as Chris and Ron pursued them. Then Ron's missile warning sign blared.
"Boogie behind us," Ron called. "Break right."
Chris broke right, while Ron performed a Cobra maneuver, lifting his nose 90o, releasing flares that caused the SLI-300M missile to explode. A fourth hidden Su-57 passed underneath him, which was disintegrated in a ball of flames by an AIM-7 Sparrow by Chris. Ron tilted to his right and fired off two AIM-7s at the surviving jets.
One was a textbook hit, but the second missed. Ron had e Sukhoi in his sights and he pulled the trigger and pulled the trigger. The pilot did a splendid Khuvachev Bell maneuver and evaded the missile. He banked to the right, right into Chris' crosshairs.
"Down to guns," Chris said as he switched from missiles to guns. The 20-millimeter Gatling gun cam alive as it emptied bullet after bullet into the Russian jet fighter. After a few seconds, the aircraft disintegrated in a ball of flames.
"Splash 4," Chris said.
"Lieutenants Ryder and Webber," someone called on the radio.
"Good afternoon, General Atkinson," Chris said.
"Status report."
"Complete damage to the airbase, and interception of four Russian Su-57 Felons which were long-range patrol," Ron said.
"So General," Chris asked, "What did we score?"
"Patience, Lieutenant, patience," the General answered, "It will be pinned on the noticeboard next week. The test is over."
The high Definition 8K screens turned off and the cockpit opened. The computers of the two Martin five-million-dollar simulators turned off. And the two USAF Academy cadets walked out of the hangar into the sun.