Team Bravo - Operation Desert Cloak ft. Shield AI

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

Location: Middle Eastern
Objective: Capture High-Value Target (HVT), a senior operative of a terror group, from a residential compound in a heavily populated area. The goal is to remain covert, avoid detection, and minimize collateral damage. Exfiltration is critical to avoid raising alarm in a high-traffic urban environment.

Insertion

The city streets were alive with the sounds of evening life—traffic jams, street vendors shouting, and pedestrians weaving through the crowded roads. The Raptor Tactical Truck carrying Team Bravo blended into the chaos seamlessly, disguised as a standard utility vehicle.

Inside the truck, Jax Thompson drove with calculated ease, his eyes constantly scanning for potential threats. Ethan Chen, Sophia Martinez, and Connor O’Reilly were all dressed in loose, local robes and scarves, their tactical gear hidden beneath their disguises. In the back of the truck, Martinez and O’Reilly lay flat, tucked in between equipment crates and blankets, while the folded V-BAT drone rested next to them.

As they approached their staging point a few miles from the target, Jax pulled into a narrow alleyway. Without wasting a moment, Martinez and O’Reilly silently deployed the V-BAT drone. The UAV lifted into the sky, disappearing into the night as it began feeding live intelligence on the target compound.

“V-BAT’s up,” Martinez whispered into the comms. “Clear view of the compound. All looks normal.”

Jax pulled the truck back onto the road, blending smoothly into the city’s traffic. “We’re moving. Everyone get ready.”

Approach

With the V-BAT providing overwatch, the Raptor Truck navigated the final stretch toward the target. The compound was just ahead—a typical three-story residential building, blending into the tightly packed cityscape.

Jax pulled the truck to a stop just outside the compound. The sun had fully set, and the streets were busy, perfect for remaining unnoticed. The team adjusted their disguises one last time before stepping out, looking every bit like a maintenance crew on a routine call.

Jax remained in the driver’s seat, monitoring both the V-BAT’s live feed and the immediate surroundings. His hand rested lightly on the hidden sidearm beneath his robe, ready for any sudden developments.

“Clear so far,” Jax murmured through his earpiece. “I’ll call it if something changes. You three, go get him.”

Chen, Martinez, and O'Reilly approached the compound gate, where two guards lazily glanced their way. The guards barely looked at the clipboard in Chen’s hands, uninterested in what seemed to be another mundane service call. “Go ahead,” one of the guards muttered, waving them through without a second thought.

They were in.

Assault

Once inside the compound, the team moved swiftly but cautiously. The compound’s interior was dimly lit, its narrow hallways quiet except for the distant murmur of a TV. Every step was deliberate, every movement calculated.

As they moved deeper into the building, Martinez discreetly launched the Nova 2 drone. The UAV slipped through an open window on the second floor, silently navigating the interior of the building. Martinez’s tablet came alive with the drone’s feed, showing a clear layout of the building’s rooms and hallways.

“Two guards outside the HVT’s door,” Martinez whispered, watching the real-time footage. “He’s in the back room, third floor. Civilians in a few other rooms, but none near us.”

Chen led the way up the stairs, the Nova 2’s feed guiding their every move. Connor O’Reilly stayed just behind, keeping a close eye on every doorway and shadow as they advanced. The tension in the air was palpable—the slightest noise, a wrong move, could blow their cover and turn the quiet building into a deathtrap.

The team reached the third floor, the HVT’s room just ahead. Chen’s heart raced, but his breathing remained steady. They had one shot at this, and it had to be flawless. Martinez whispered updates as the Nova 2 hovered near the door, confirming the guards' positions.

Chen gave the signal, and in a smooth, silent motion, he and O'Reilly neutralized the two guards. Their suppressed weapons made only the faintest hiss as the guards crumpled to the floor, unconscious before they even knew what hit them.

The door to the HVT’s room loomed ahead. Chen nodded to O’Reilly, who readied a breaching tool just in case, but to their relief, the door creaked open with a simple push. Inside, the HVT was seated at a small desk, his back to the door. His reaction time was too slow.

Chen moved first, lunging forward and pinning the target to the ground with a practiced motion. O'Reilly quickly followed, securing the HVT’s wrists with zip ties while placing a hood over his head to prevent him from seeing or struggling.

The HVT let out a muffled cry, but it was too late. Martinez, watching their backs from the hallway, gave a soft warning. “We’ve got movement on the second floor. Civilians. We need to move—now.”

Chen’s voice was low but firm. “Package secure. Let’s exfil.”

Extraction

The tension ratcheted up as Team Bravo began their exfiltration. Moving quickly but maintaining their cover, the team retraced their steps through the building. O'Reilly dragged the HVT along, his struggling muffled by the hood. Martinez guided them through the hallways, using the Nova 2 to ensure no civilians or guards stood in their path.

Every step felt heavy with risk—if anyone noticed them now, the mission could unravel. But the streets outside remained alive with the normal hum of city life, providing cover for their escape.

As they exited the compound, Jax had the truck idling, his eyes never leaving the V-BAT feed. “All clear out here,” he said quietly into the comms. “Get him in the truck.”

The team moved fast, loading the HVT into the back of the truck, hidden beneath the crates of equipment. Jax barely waited for them to close the doors before pulling away, smoothly merging back into the stream of traffic.

With the V-BAT drone still hovering above, Martinez monitored the live feed, ensuring no one was following them or showing any sign of suspicion. The drone’s sensors showed nothing but the usual evening bustle of the city.

As the truck wound through the busy streets, the tension began to ease. The mission was nearly complete. They had the HVT, no alarms had been raised, and they had slipped back into the city’s chaos unnoticed.

In the back of the truck, Chen finally allowed himself a deep breath. The mission wasn’t over until they reached the military base, but the hardest part was behind them.

Mission Success

At the military base on the outskirts of the city, the HVT was handed over to military intelligence for interrogation. 

Operation Desert Cloak had been a success. Infiltration, capture, and extraction had all been executed without a single hitch. The city, still alive with its usual rhythm, had no idea a dangerous operative had been plucked from its midst.