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When the EP-3 made its emergency landing at Sokolovka yesterday, the entire base went on high alert. Every combat-ready fighter had been fueled, armed, and prepped for immediate launch. Now, with the air raid siren blaring, it was clear that time had come.
Andre slammed the canopy shut and gestured to the ground crew. They checked the lock, pulled away the ladder, and signaled the tug to roll his MiG-25 out of the hangar.
Out on the runway, two MiG-25s were already lined up. Andre's headset crackled to life with Commander Kozhedub's voice:
"All units, scramble! Prepare to intercept!"
Sokolovka's long-range radar system had just detected multiple enemy aircraft taking off from the Japanese archipelago—twenty fighters inbound, already past the central line of the Sea of Japan and moving fast. They weren't hiding it. The response had to be just as decisive.
The 513th Aviation Regiment had 24 MiG-25s on paper. With some in for maintenance, only 18 were operational. That still meant nearly the entire regiment was launching—something that hadn't happened since the base was established.
This wasn't just another Cold War bluff. These kinds of encounters could turn real, fast. And Moscow had made its expectations clear: a solid performance today could earn the unit top honors. Kozhedub himself might even earn a transfer—possibly to the capital.
MiG-25s ignited down the line, twin engines roaring as afterburners flared. One after another, they screamed down the runway and lifted into the sky. The base had turned into a hornet's nest.
But Sokolovka wasn't the only card in the Soviet deck. The entire Primorsky region was armed for this kind of confrontation. South of them, Vladivostok and Nakhodka housed elite regiments flying MiG-23s, ready to reinforce if needed.
In the Soviet command structure, there was a clear distinction between the Air Force and the Air Defense Force. The Air Force was built for projection—striking deep into enemy territory, neutralizing naval and ground threats, supporting invasions, and maintaining air superiority. The Air Defense Force, by contrast, existed solely to defend Soviet airspace. Born from the scars of World War II, and hardened by the threat of American nuclear bombers, it had its own interceptors, radars, missile systems, and doctrine.
The MiG-25 was very much a child of the Air Defense Force. It wasn't a dogfighter—it was a high-speed interceptor, designed to detect and destroy incoming threats before they could touch Soviet soil.
Now, that doctrine was being put to the test.
Andre tightened the straps on his high-altitude suit and slipped on his flight helmet, enclosing his head like a diver before a descent. With gloved hands, he flipped the switches to start the twin R-15BD-300 engines behind him. They growled to life, roaring louder as they ramped toward launch. These monsters were massive—so large, ground crew could almost climb into the exhaust nozzles. But the thrust—over 112 kN per engine with afterburner—could push the jet to Mach 3, a rare feat in any era.
He released the brakes and taxied onto the strip. Glancing to the side, he realized he was leading. Belenko wasn't flying.
His wingman's aircraft was still grounded for repairs. It would be at least a week before it was airworthy again. Andre pushed aside the unease that name brought. Not now. Focus on the mission.
"Sokolovka, 032 requesting clearance for takeoff," Andre radioed.
"Cleared. Follow Second Squadron to Sector 14, over the sea."
"Copy." Andre replied, calm as ever.
He lit the afterburners. The MiG surged forward with raw force, blasting down the tarmac and clawing at the sky. He kept the nose low at first. The MiG-25 wasn't light—it weighed in at 36 tons when fully fueled. Unlike future air superiority fighters like the Su-27 or J-11 that could leap into steep vertical climbs, the MiG-25 needed to build speed gradually. No flashy moves. Just brutal acceleration.
Even so, its ground roll was short. Andre eased the stick back. The nose lifted, then the main gear. The aircraft soared up, flames trailing from the twin exhausts.
He climbed quickly, following the contrails of the squadron ahead.
The new MiG-25PD variant responded well. With upgraded engines and aerodynamic tweaks, its climb rate had improved. Though he had launched last, Andre caught up fast, sliding neatly into formation just behind the Second Squadron.
Now the whole regiment was airborne—every MiG available launched and vectoring toward the threat. High above the Sea of Japan, a Cold War skirmish was about to unfold in real time.
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