Team Bravo - Operation Iron Sky ft. Anduril

What is Battlefield Bytes: Team Bravo? 

This series highlights the exciting exploits of Team Bravo. Each issue delves into hypothetical scenarios that showcase Team Bravo's advanced use of AI, autonomous systems, and unmanned vehicles, bringing you closer to the cutting edge of combat technology.

Mission Briefing

The briefing room buzzed with tension as Anduril’s Lattice system projected a detailed 3D map of the Tien Shan Mountains. Every patrol route, thermal signature, and defense system surrounding the missile facility appeared as data points on the screen. The stakes were as high as they come: a hypersonic missile launch was imminent, and Bravo Team had less than an hour to neutralize the threat.

Ethan Chen, the team leader, scanned the map with a cold, focused intensity. “The Ghost drone is providing us constant overwatch. ISR data shows we have a clean entry, but this facility is well-guarded—automated, AI-controlled defenses, roving drones, and radiofrequency sensors. We breach, disable the missile, and exfil before they even realize we were there.”

Sophia Martinez, the team’s Intel Analyst, reviewed data feeds from the Lattice system, her fingers deftly adjusting the map. “Their perimeter’s tight. AI-controlled patrols, automated gun turrets, and drone swarms. We can spoof their sensors for a while, but once they adapt, they’ll come at us hard.”

Connor O'Reilly, the medic and engineer, checked the EMP device that would disable the complex’s defenses. “We’ve got a 10-minute window after the EMP goes off. Once their systems reboot, it’s going to be chaos.”

Jackson “Jax” Thompson, the weapons expert, prepped the Anvil drones and checked his portable jamming device. “When their drones show up, I’ll jam them. If it gets too heavy, we’ll deploy the Anvils. And I’ll set up a Sentry tower at our drop-off point in case anything comes snooping.”

Ethan looked over his team. “We’ve trained for this. Move fast, stay sharp. Failure isn’t an option.”

Insertion

The helicopter roared through the icy winds as it approached the drop-off point, a few miles from the facility. The storm provided cover, but also increased the risk of enemy detection. The Ghost drone hovered silently above, its optical sensors and radar scanning the area, feeding real-time data to both Team Bravo and the exfiltration team through Lattice.

“Touchdown in two minutes,” the pilot’s voice crackled through their headsets. Ethan signaled to the team. “Jax, set the Sentry Tower as soon as we hit the ground. We can’t risk any enemy drones tracking us.”

The helicopter landed, its rear ramp lowering onto the snow. The team moved swiftly, each member hitting the ground and fanning out. As the helicopter ascended into the night, Jax quickly deployed a portable version of the Sentry Tower, activating its sensors to detect enemy ISR drones in the vicinity of the drop-off/pick-up point.

The Sentry Tower hummed to life, scanning the airspace in a wide radius. “Tower’s up. If anything flies near here, we’ll know,” Jax confirmed. The system fed directly into Lattice, linking with the Ghost drone still hovering overhead, providing a full picture of the battlefield.

With that, the team began their trek through the mountainous terrain. They moved silently for hours, battling the snow and wind. The Ghost drone stayed overhead, feeding them live imagery of enemy patrols and automated turrets, giving them a chance to adjust their course and avoid detection.

Approach

After nearly 2 hours, the missile facility loomed ahead, barely visible in the storm. Sophia’s wrist display, synced with Lattice, showed patrol drones circling the facility like clockwork. "We’re 500 meters out. Patrol drones ahead. The Ghost drone’s radar sensors have detected minimal activity on the east side of the perimeter. That's our entry."

The team crouched low, moving quietly through the snow. Jax glanced at the Sentry Tower feed, still monitoring their drop-off point. “Still clear. But I’ve got a feeling this storm isn’t going to hide us forever.”

As they reached the facility's perimeter, Connor set up the EMP device to disable the external defenses. "Ten minutes to disable the missile and get out," he reminded them. His fingers worked quickly, syncing the device to the automated systems identified by Lattice.

“EMP set,” Connor confirmed. The pulse went out with a low hum, and the lights around the facility flickered, indicating the defenses were temporarily down.

Assault

Inside the facility, the team moved swiftly through the dim corridors, lit only by flickering emergency lights. The silence was broken by the hum of nearby systems rebooting. Every corner felt like it could harbor hidden enemies, ready to pounce.

Suddenly, Sophia's display lit up with warnings from Lattice. "Enemy drones, closing in from the west!"

Without hesitation, Jax deployed his jamming device, targeting the incoming drones. The air crackled with electronic interference, and the enemy drones sputtered out, crashing to the ground. “Drones down,” Jax reported, his voice calm but focused. “Let’s move.”

They reached the missile chamber, where the towering warhead sat prepped for launch. Connor worked quickly, attaching EMP charges to the guidance systems while Ethan hacked into the missile’s control panel through Lattice, initiating a fuel overload.

“Two minutes until critical failure,” Ethan said through clenched teeth. “Let’s move. Now.”

Extraction

As Team Bravo exited the facility, alarms blared. The storm continued to rage, but the Ghost drone overhead detected the first wave of enemy drones, using its radar to cut through the snow and pick up movement.

“Enemy drones closing in!” Sophia called out, her eyes fixed on the HUD. The drones were fast, their AI-driven flight paths adjusting to the team’s location.

Jax acted immediately, deploying the Anvil drones. The Anvils shot into the stormy sky, zeroing in on the approaching UAVs. Within moments, the Anvils intercepted the swarm, colliding midair with the enemy drones. The resulting explosions lit up the snow-covered mountains, sending debris raining down.

“All enemy drones neutralized,” Jax confirmed. The team didn’t hesitate. “Let’s move!”

They sprinted through the snow, heading toward the extraction point where their helicopter was waiting. The storm provided cover, and for a moment, it seemed like they had escaped. But as they neared the helicopter, the Ghost drone picked up a final threat on its radar—a single kamikaze drone, fast and deadly, hurtling toward them.

“Kamikaze drone inbound!” Ethan shouted, the alert flashing across their HUDs.

Jax didn’t waste a second. “Deploying Roadrunner!”

The Roadrunner drone launched from its portable platform, streaking through the sky at breakneck speed. It locked onto the kamikaze drone within seconds. The impact was violent and precise—two high-speed objects colliding in a brilliant explosion overhead. The threat was gone.

“Roadrunner got it. We’re clear,” Jax said, his breath visible in the cold air.

The team boarded the helicopter, the rotors already cutting through the storm. As they lifted off, the facility behind them erupted into a massive fireball, the explosion sending shockwaves across the mountain. The mission was complete, but the lingering sense of how close they came to disaster hung heavy in the air as the helicopter ascended into the night.

Aftermath

Back at base, the team sat in silence, still processing the events. The debrief was short and to the point, but the gravity of how close they had come lingered in the air.

Ethan stood up, breaking the silence. “We neutralized a critical threat today. The world will never know how close we came to disaster.”

Sophia leaned back, her fingers still trembling slightly. “Next time, they’ll be faster. But we had the edge. The Ghost drone gave us the intel we needed, and the Anvils did their job.”

Connor nodded. “Roadrunners was key in neutralizing the swarm. Without it, we wouldn’t have made it.”

Jax smirked. “Let’s just hope we don’t have to shoot down any more kamikaze drones anytime soon.”

The mission had been a success, but the tension didn’t dissipate. The sense that their enemy was learning—getting stronger—hung over them like the storm they had just escaped.