"Falcon Formation, Falcon Formation, please initiate search. You have reached the vicinity of Susangerd." The voice of the control tower came through the radio.
"Received. We will disperse our formation and conduct a low-altitude search." Hariri replied upon hearing the voice in his headset.
"Falcon Squadron, this is 01. As previously arranged, form a line abreast, decrease altitude, and prepare to search." Hariri called out to the other three helicopters over the radio.
"02, received."
"03, received."
"04, received."
The pilot of the trailing 04 helicopter, Shahid, was a young man barely twenty years old. He had graduated from Flight School and been assigned directly to a frontline combat unit. He usually loved excitement, so he was rather dismissive of this predictable search and rescue mission, replying languidly.
The four helicopters, separated by five kilometers each, flew forward side by side.
The two pilots and the two rescue personnel in the back continuously scanned the five-kilometer-wide search area. The helicopters flew very low, and the ground was stirred up by their rotors.
The helicopter formation was unaware that danger was rapidly approaching.
Speed is paramount in war. Experiments confirmed that while aerial cement drops could not make the marsh firm enough to resemble a highway, they could significantly reduce the marsh's muddiness. Cement absorbs large amounts of water as it sets, drying the ground sufficiently for the Chieftain Tank to pass.
Abol, who remained in Ahvaz, immediately made the decision: "Let's do it!"
Almost every available aircraft was deployed. All CH47s were mobilized for this artificial road-building project. They transported bulk cement from a cement factory in Ahvaz to the front where the armored division was stuck, lowering altitude and dropping it from the air.
The weather was clear and windless. This historic operation was extremely successful, and in just half a day, a passage dozens of kilometers long was forcibly created.
After waiting two hours for the cement to set, the armored division could advance.
Forward reconnaissance indicated that so far, the Southern Military Region of Iraq had not detected their operation. The armored division would drive straight in, crush an Iraqi armored brigade blocking their path before sunset, and within two days, they would push past Khuzestan and Hamid, striking directly into the enemy's rear to severely punish the hateful invaders.
By the time the enemy transferred troops from the front line to stop them, the dozen or so divisions that had been prepared would launch a counterattack on the Abadan front line.
This area had always been neglected by Iraq; this marshland was a natural barrier for the Iraqis. The armored troops of the Thirty-Fifth Brigade were likely fast asleep in their beds!
Imagining that they could immediately crush those vulnerable T62s, Rajavi could not contain his excitement. Seeing that the cement had set, he impatiently ordered the armored division to advance in combat formation.
Fuel and ammunition were stored here. Rajavi predicted they could return for resupply after the battle concluded.
Although this area was ignored by the Iraqis, the "construction" helicopters deliberately maintained a low altitude to prevent detection by Iraqi radar.
Alongside the CH-47s, several Cobra helicopters continuously patrolled the air to prevent unexpected incidents.
In this era, radar had not yet been installed on helicopters; helicopter patrols relied mainly on the pilots' eyes.
Shamsuddin's sharp eyes scanned the 180-degree airspace ahead, dividing it into 180 segments and scanning them one by one. This was a tactical maneuver taught by instructors during his training in the United States, making it more efficient and less likely to miss anything than casual observation.
Suddenly, his pupils dilated. He saw a black speck flying in the distance—it must be a helicopter.
Damn it, enemy aircraft at twelve o'clock! Shamsuddin immediately notified Rasoul over the radio.
Rasoul, acting quickly, immediately lowered the helicopter's altitude to just ten meters above the ground and rapidly turned to the nine o'clock direction.
Helicopters are relatively slow. Once engaged in combat in an area without complex terrain, it is hard to escape unscathed. In other words, once contact is made, it is a fight to the death. If he had a choice, Rasoul would rather immediately evade, as it was clear the enemy had not yet spotted him.
But he could not. Currently, they were the only armed helicopters capable of combat flight. If they chose to flee, the armored forces already advancing behind them would face devastating damage. Especially if the approaching aircraft was a Mi-24 Helicopter, which can carry up to 16 anti-tank missiles, their armored division would be utterly routed.
There was no alternative; they had to fight! Therefore, Rasoul chose to engage.
Engaging in combat also requires skill. Spotting the enemy first already gave them the initial advantage. What he needed to do was approach from the side and take out the enemy with the TOW Missile carried on their wing before they were detected.
Thus, he immediately lowered altitude and turned to the side, preparing to ambush the enemy.
He was flying almost skimming the ground; a strong crosswind might cause him to crash. But Rasoul was fearless. Having been trained by Americans, most of them possessed the same aggressive style as the US Military—an incomparable advantage over the Iraqi army, which was accustomed to the Soviet Army style of reporting everything to superiors.
Captain Mehad, the pilot of aircraft 03, was nearly forty years old but remained highly energetic. Although this was a search and rescue mission, he maintained high vigilance.
During the earlier formation flight, Mehad had flown slowly, and when he turned back to search again, he ended up on the far right of the formation.
However, flying toward the sun made him feel uncomfortable due to the dazzling glare. Although he had lowered the visor on his helmet, he still couldn't see clearly into the distance.
'I'll have to fly over this area again later,' thought the steady and experienced Captain Mehad.
He raised his head and glanced to the right.
Suddenly, his heart jumped, and the control stick in his hand involuntarily twitched, causing the massive fuselage to shudder.
When did a helicopter suddenly appear on the right?
Four rotor blades, small size, and stub wings. Damn it, it's an Iranian Cobra!
"Warning, enemy attack." Mehad immediately notified everyone in the formation over the radio.
Molsant, the weapons operator in front, also saw the suddenly appearing helicopter following Mehad's warning. The visitor meant trouble.
"03, a Cobra at nine o'clock," Molsant shouted.
Suddenly, he saw a plume of smoke erupting from beneath the enemy helicopter's stub wing: "Damn it, the enemy has fired a missile! Quick, tactical evasion!"
Rasoul was lucky because he had spotted the enemy aircraft first. In helicopter dogfights, whoever detects the opponent first gains the initiative, and for an unsuspecting Hind like the enemy, it was practically a sitting duck.
Rasoul flew low for a distance, getting closer and closer to the enemy. When he turned to the nine o'clock direction, the massive side of the enemy helicopter appeared before his eyes.
The Hind helicopter has a troop compartment at the rear, resulting in a large side profile and a higher chance of being hit. On its side was painted a gray falcon—was this the famous Falcon Flight Squadron? This squadron had destroyed a large number of Iranian tanks during the initial offensive, causing the Iranian defense line to be breached.
Now, it was time for them to taste what it was like to be hit by a missile.
"Shamsuddin, prepare a TOW Missile," Rasoul shouted.
"Yes, sir," Shamsuddin replied, in excellent spirits. The enemy was so careless; they hadn't been detected even when they were this close. This kill was practically handed to them.
At this time, helicopters did not have dedicated air-to-air missiles. The most powerful weapon available was the anti-tank missile, and using anti-tank missiles against enemy helicopters was a standard combat tactic trained by helicopter units.
The TOW Anti-Tank Missile is a second-generation heavy anti-tank missile weapon system, developed by Hughes Aircraft Company in the United States starting in 1962. It features tube launching, optical sighting, infrared automatic tracking, and wire guidance, with a range of four kilometers and 600 millimeters of armor penetration. It entered mass production and service in 1970 and was introduced to Iran along with the Cobra attack helicopters.
Shamsuddin was highly proficient in using this missile. A moment ago, he had already powered up the missile to preheat its infrared seeker.
Switching the sight to the missile, Shamsuddin placed the red circle in the scope over the enemy helicopter, aiming for the rotor hub assembly—the most vulnerable spot.
"Beep, beep, beep." The familiar three sounds came through his headset, and simultaneously, the red circle in the scope flashed. Shamsuddin unhesitatingly pressed the weapon launch switch.
From beneath the stub wing, a TOW Missile immediately spat fire, left its launch tube, and flew toward the Hind three kilometers away.