Mercenary's War

Chapter 2428 - 2404: Normal Response

The long-planned scheme has turned into reality, what can Gao Yang do?Actually, there’s nothing he can do, nor does he need to do anything—just watch as things unfold and can only watch as things unfold.

Saudi Arabia opted for aerial strikes. No matter how formidable Satan is, he has no way to deal with aircraft in the sky. Saudi Arabia isn’t using helicopters flying at low or extremely low altitudes, but the elusive F-15E fighter bombers. Without radar, you can’t even see these planes, so what can Satan do?

To counter F-15s, one needs an advanced regional air defense system. Man-portable air defense missiles are useless; even if you have a complete set of surface-to-air missiles, they don’t make much difference. They can’t be said to pose no threat, but they can only serve as deterrence.

If Gao Yang had two sets of S-300 air defense missiles, he could strike down the F-15s above, but he doesn’t, so he can only wait idly.

However, aerial strikes alone cannot effectively deal with the Houthis Armed Forces; this can be confirmed without verification. America can use airstrikes to defeat Yugoslavia, but America cannot resolve Afghanistan’s Taliban through airstrikes. The reason is simple: the Taliban doesn’t present large targets worthy of airstrikes.

The situation of the Houthis Armed Forces is similar to the Taliban; Saudi Arabia uses guided bombs to strike Houthis, but it’s not that the power is too small—it’s excessively powerful. Houthis Armed Forces are all composed of small groups that gather and disperse, blending in with civilians. Unless Saudi Arabia is determined to bomb Yemen to the ground, they cannot inflict a fatal blow on the Houthis, not even a painful one.

And Saudi Arabia wouldn’t dare to indiscriminately bomb Yemen.

Saudi Arabia can use air superiority to cover the ground troops’ actions. Using armed helicopters and attack aircraft to strike Houthis is more meaningful than precision bombing with F-15s; thus, from the start, it was decided that Saudi Arabia must deploy ground troops to achieve their goals.

Since Saudi Arabia will eventually deploy ground troops, Gao Yang naturally doesn’t need to do anything—just wait for Saudi Arabia’s ground troops to act.

So when the airstrike occurs, Gao Yang continues with his activities. Since pondering over useless things is a waste of time, he naturally continues his shooting training.

The only difference is that the artillery must be carefully camouflaged. Now in Sana’a, there still are targets worthy of strikes, like the Presidential Palace, Zhengfu Building, and barracks occupied by the Houthis Armed Forces. These are all targets for Saudi attacks, but the Houthis will scatter before the second strike. Under such circumstances, Satan’s few self-propelled artillery must avoid becoming airstrike targets.

However, the air strike is a significant event. So after concluding the shooting training, Gao Yang didn’t make Cui Bo and the others run back but drove back to the camp. In a way, the air strike saved Cui Bo and Yuri from exhaustion, so at least they don’t have to be worn out.

After returning, there’s bound to be a discussion with Abdullah and Said. Saudi Arabia’s engagement in direct combat is a major event for the Houthis and for Iran. At this time, they will definitely try to have Russia assert its influence.

From any angle, Saudi Arabia is the most powerful nation in the Middle East. Firstly, Saudi Arabia is wealthy, secondly, it has support from America, thirdly, it possesses the Middle East’s finest military power, and lastly, it carries extensive influence in the Middle East, able to affect a significant number of ally nations.

Comparing Yemen’s national power to Saudi Arabia is akin to being crushed; the Houthis Armed Forces can only boast fearlessness out of poverty and desperation, but the leader of the Houthis, Abdullah, isn’t foolish. Although confronting Saudi Arabia is true, it doesn’t mean the Houthis aren’t afraid at all.

As for Iran, facing Saudi Arabia as a comprehensive opponent and one who holds the upper hand in all aspects, saying it’s not at all concerned would be deceiving.

Now, Hadi’s defeat is certain, and the Houthis have established an imperfect but relatively complete national system, with the formation of a Presidential Committee and National Transition Committee, pressuring Hadi confined in Aden, advancing to the outskirts of Aden City, and capturing Al-Anad Airbase in Aden. At this point, Saudi Arabia couldn’t hold back and had to enter the combat.

Saudi Arabia’s direct involvement was anticipated, but when that day truly arrives, it will still cause many to fear.

Upon returning to the camp, Salim was already waiting for a long time. He was ordered by Abdullah to invite Gao Yang to a meeting, only he couldn’t locate Gao Yang.

Salim was anxious, practically jumping up and down, but Gao Yang first sought Rebrov to ensure the artillery was well-camouflaged. After seeing Rebrov successfully camouflaged the artillery, he then followed Salim to meet Abdullah.

When Salim hurriedly led Gao Yang to meet Abdullah, Abdullah and Said had been discussing for quite a while.

"Peter Ram, Saudi Arabia launched an airstrike!"

Upon seeing Gao Yang, Abdullah immediately stated the obvious, and Gao Yang replied with a serious face, "I already know."

Said’s position is higher than Lavagani’s, but he handles interpersonal matters better. If Lavagani were present, he would definitely overshadow Abdullah, taking the lead before Abdullah speaks, but Said wouldn’t do that. He respects his role as a guest and demonstrates Abdullah’s position as the host in all matters.

Gazing at the equally serious Said, Abdullah urgently asked, "I want to know, how will you respond?"

Both Abdullah and Said focused on Gao Yang, seeking his answer or rather wanting to understand Russia’s stance. Unfortunately, how could Gao Yang make any promises on behalf of Russia?

But Abdullah and Said didn’t view it this way. Since the airstrike, Gao Yang hadn’t appeared; they believed he was contacting Russia. Major events are unfolding, Gao Yang certainly needs to understand how decisions are made domestically.

Gao Yang took a breath and said, "Can you first tell me the extent of losses?"

Abdullah said grimly, "We suffered severe losses in the airstrike, with three key figures killed today and another seriously injured. Our missile warehouse was also destroyed, but we can still withstand it!"

Said couldn’t help but ask, "How will your country respond?"

Gao Yang smiled wryly, "Well, this might not be our place to discuss, right?"

Said nodded, "Indeed, this isn’t something we can decide, but it’s still worth discussing. Peter Ram, I want to know what responses you might expect. Let’s just have a preliminary chat, having some idea is better than knowing nothing."

Gao Yang sighed, "Then I’ll speak up. Russia will respond soon, but only a routine response—nothing more."