Chapter 552: Shining Light Ball

Stoner's question directly stopped Bonelli.

The latter immediately realized that he might have been misled by the other party's arrangement.

For naval operations in this era, before entering the final stage of close combat and shooting, the commanders of both sides are actually playing a 'guessing' game.

Although the naval fleets galloping on the ocean in ancient times actually had to play some games of "intrigue and deception", the area of ​​operations on the sea was only so large anyway. After the development of various human detection methods, for Ocean detection is also getting better and better.

At the end of the surface fleet era, the navies of all human forces were basically operating on the "open card".

Because as soon as the fleet is dispatched from the port, it will be discovered by the opponent and monitored throughout the entire process. It is basically difficult to achieve strategic deception.

This is the same for both parties.

Therefore, during that period, the battles between naval fleets became more and more pure and direct. After both fleets were dispatched, they found a calm sea area and started the duel openly.

However, after humans dug out the jump engine prototype from the Forerunner ruins and entered the age of cosmic navigation overnight, the detection methods that they were once proud of were able to cover the entire planet seemed so insignificant in the face of the infinite universe.

This also led to mankind establishing a space fleet and classifying it into the category of 'navy'.

This long-established military branch has once again returned to its former glory.

Various tactics and strategic deception methods have sprung up like mushrooms after a spring rain, and are constantly being developed by various fleet commanders.

One thing that is now recognized by naval history circles is that they were the first batch of famous space fleet commanders.

All are ‘old 6’.

"So the Atlas combat fleet wants us to misjudge that their fleet is so large, so that we can launch an attack rashly, and then let the lurking fleet give us a fatal blow?"

Major General Benelli slowly came back to his senses, and then saw Stoner on the other side nodding and saying:

"That's right, otherwise it would be impossible to explain the fact that the other party completely annihilated the Lubion system's garrison fleet."

Obviously, neither Benelli nor Stoner still realize at this moment how big a role a super flagship like 'Infinity' can play in the battle situation.

Their state and thinking direction at the moment, just as Amber and Randall expected, based on the fact that the Lubion system garrison fleet was completely annihilated, there was a serious misjudgment of the size of the Atlas combat fleet. .

This also caused the federal fleet to immediately give up the plan to directly break in and start the attack, and instead continued to carry out the previous 'high-speed raid' operation.

Since the previous strategic decisive battle with the Star Dragon Empire ended and the two sides began to contact and engage in armistice negotiations, the Federation Navy has become extremely valuable to its fleet.

Because during the "strategic decisive battle", the entire federal navy sank one-third of its warships, and less than half of the remaining warships were intact.

Therefore, fleets like the 17th and 18th fleets, which have been supplemented and relatively complete in terms of organization, have become a rare "new force" in the federal navy that can be dispatched quickly.

What is more contradictory is that the federal navy also attaches great importance to these "new forces" used to support the field and does not want them to be easily damaged in battle.

Marshal Trafalgar, before Bonelli and Stoner set off, repeatedly warned them to be cautious and cautious, and not to confront the Atlas fleet unless it was absolutely necessary.

Even if we must fight, we must wait until follow-up support is in place and the federal fleet has an absolute numerical advantage before taking action.

This is also the reason why the two commanders of the 17th and 18th fleets are so "throwing the enemy".

Because they also know that the main fleet of the Federation Navy can no longer afford to be squandered at will. In order to deter the Star Dragon Empire and the 'rebels' throughout the territory, the Federation Navy must ensure that it always has a certain scale.

That is to achieve the so-called ‘existence fleet’ effect.

If the two of them crippled or even killed the two main fleets due to a sudden attack in the Lubion system, in the worst case, the federation might fall into complete civil strife or even destroy the country.

Therefore, in order to prevent themselves from becoming 'eternal sinners' in future history textbooks, Bonelli and Stoner finally chose a more stable style of play.

The caution of the federal fleet made Randall and others on the other side feel relieved.

After confirming that the opponent showed no signs of changing formation or changing course, but continued to maintain the momentum of 'high-speed raid', Randall knew that the opponent was probably bluffed.

When the enemy fleet formed a formation, showing a posture of annihilating its own side, or a posture of high-speed raiding, Randall decisively chose the latter to deal with it.

Moreover, the fleet's dense formation under high-speed raiding also makes it easier for plasma torpedoes to hit~

Soon, after confirming that the federal fleet had not changed its mind, Randall issued new instructions again.

"The entire fleet pays attention to the flagship signal and prepares to activate the 'visible light band jammer'. Serena, when the federal fleet enters the practical detection range of optical and infrared, it is up to you to release the signal as soon as possible."

"Understood, Captain! Observation in progress!"

At this moment, the relative speed between the federal fleet and Atlas's 'decoy fleet' has reached 100 kilometers per second, which is similar to the relative speed of the real combat fleet where Randall is.

Therefore, the distance between the two sides is closing very quickly. After 25 minutes after the federal fleet entered the radar detection distance of 300,000 kilometers, it entered the practical observation distance of 150,000 kilometers for optical and infrared detection equipment.

At this distance, these devices can basically observe the target clearly, and combined with the images synthesized by the radar equipment, they can basically generate real-time monitoring images.

That is, after the federal fleet entered this distance and turned on visible light observation under the orders of Benelli and Stoner.

The picture that appeared in the eyes of all observation teams was that a huge 'light ball' appeared behind the fleet just discovered.

A large group of densely packed warships, even if the radar wave cancellation device was turned off, made it impossible for the radar to distinguish them.

Not to mention the flashes in the optical and infrared channels that were enough to blind the observation team, making the Atlas fleet a real "disco ball" hanging next to Rubion V.

Looking at the Atlas fleet buried in a large ball of white light in the picture sent back by the observation team, Benelli and Stoner suddenly felt that their brains were not enough.

They were not unfamiliar with this visible light band jammer, which was also equipped in the warships of the Federal Navy.

It's just that there are too few scenes where it can be used on weekdays.

After the fleet was deployed, the interference of this jammer on the enemy warships was not as great as the developers imagined, but instead guided the opponent to attack the target.

But with the blessing of the Atlas fleet's current "dense spherical formation", the visible light band jammer really made the fleet a "full-range, blinding light ball", and also made the Federal Fleet's attempt to observe through the optical channel completely fail.

In addition, the dense formation made it impossible for the radar to effectively judge the scale, which directly led to Benelli and Stoner only knowing that a new fleet had been discovered.

But we don't know how many ships this fleet has and what their specific configuration is.

"Damn it, if there is a mobile fortress, just shoot it! I wonder if they dare to set up this formation!" Major General Benelli excitedly hammered the armrest of the captain's seat, and his face was full of "happiness".

"Well said, but don't we have it?"

Major General Stoner also sighed, obviously he didn't expect this situation at all.

"Then the question is, what should we do next?"