Team Bravo - Operation Black Mirage - Part II

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.

Location: Karkov Forest, Northern Korzhan Federation (Fictional).

Objective: Deploy FPV drones via Motherships to strike Camp Verin’s critical assets, disrupting enemy operations and command capabilities.

From Ethan’s perspective

We sat in the dim light of our underground bunker, miles of earth and rock above us, the only sounds were the faint hum of equipment and the low rumble of our ventilation system. This wasn’t our typical mission setup, but it was one of the safest ways to execute what was about to be a high-stakes operation. Roughly 250 kilometers away, a critical target lay waiting: Camp Verin, an enemy base hosting a dangerous combination of Korzhan and foreign forces. Our intel was solid, thanks to the ISR mission we’d run a few nights ago. Now, it was time to strike.

The plan was as tactical as it was unconventional. Jax and Connor were seated at the far end of the bunker, hands on the controls of two large fixed-wing drones we’d nicknamed the “Motherships.” Each Mothership carried a payload of four small FPV drones—essentially kamikaze drones equipped with small but powerful explosive charges.

The Logic of the Mission

Ordinarily, FPV drones are limited by range. At 250 kilometers, we were far beyond that, but by using Mothership drones as aerial carriers, we were about to extend their strike capabilities by tenfold. The Motherships would fly to within 5 kilometers of Camp Verin, maintaining a high altitude to avoid detection until they were within range. Once there, the Motherships would release the FPVs, and Sophia and I would take over, piloting the small, agile drones to our designated targets.

“Everyone ready?” I asked, looking around the bunker. The air was thick with anticipation. Missions like this didn’t allow room for error.

“Ready and waiting,” Jax said, his voice steady as he tapped commands into the flight console for his Mothership. The drone on his screen—a sleek, black fixed-wing craft—powered up, lifting off with a silent efficiency that I knew he appreciated. Connor’s drone followed shortly after, and the two Motherships cut through the early dawn skies, disappearing from view.

Mission Setup in the Bunker

The bunker itself was both cramped and surprisingly high-tech, with banks of consoles, monitors, and tactical displays lining the walls. We had communications equipment, digital maps, and video feeds from the Motherships as they made their journey toward the target area. Our system fed directly into the live ISR network, allowing us to monitor both Motherships in real time, as well as anything the drones detected within the 5-kilometer radius of the camp.

Sophia sat beside me, ready to take control of her FPVs. Her gaze was fixed on the screen, her fingers hovering over the controls as the kilometers ticked down on her display. We were getting close.

“Alright,” Jax reported. “We’re at fifty kilometers out. Altitude looks good. Adjusting to keep clear of any radar sweeps.”

The countdown continued, and I felt the familiar tension settle in. Our mission was precision-focused. Each FPV drone would target a high-value asset in the camp—generators, key vehicles, command tents. The Motherships, meanwhile, would orbit overhead, keeping communications alive between us and the FPVs as they moved in for the kill.

Final Approach

At 5 kilometers out, Jax’s voice came over the comms. “We’re in range. Ethan, Sophia, take it away.”

With that, I gripped the controls for my first FPV drone, and my feed switched to the FPV’s onboard camera. The view was tight, almost like a tunnel, as I navigated through the drone’s first few moments of free flight. I could see the camp below, nestled among rocks and trees—a sprawling mix of structures, armored vehicles, and clusters of enemy soldiers.

“Launching FPV One,” I said, focusing on a generator cluster near the western edge of the camp. The small drone was quick, darting through the air with a precision that would’ve been impossible for a larger, more conventional UAV. I guided it toward the target, feeling a sense of calm focus settle over me.

Sophia’s voice came through, steady as ever. “FPV Two in the air. Targeting the northern comms tower.”

Together, we moved in sync, the FPVs operating like extensions of ourselves as we closed in. The Motherships orbited at a high altitude, maintaining the link and ensuring we wouldn’t lose control.

“Visual on the generator,” I whispered, edging the drone closer. The lights of the camp flickered as patrols moved about below, but they had no idea what was coming. My drone hovered over the generator cluster, and with a final command, I set it into a dive.

The feed cut out as the FPV made contact, but a split-second later, the screen erupted in a flash of light as the explosives detonated.

“Generator down,” I reported, already switching to my second FPV. “Moving to the next target.”

The Kamikaze Run

Sophia was just as focused. Her first FPV had disabled the comms tower, throwing the camp’s communication systems into disarray. Now she was steering her second drone toward a fuel depot on the eastern side of the camp, her gaze never leaving the screen.

“Fuel depot in range,” she murmured, lining up the shot. “FPV Three going in.”

Another explosion rocked the camp, visible on the Mothership’s high-altitude camera feed. Fires sprang up as fuel spilled, igniting across the depot. The camp was in chaos now, soldiers scrambling as explosions tore through key infrastructure. The power was down, communications were disrupted, and vital supplies were burning.

I deployed my second FPV, guiding it toward a command tent where several high-ranking officers were likely gathered. The drone sped forward, and I set it on a collision course, the small camera zeroing in on the tent’s target point.

“Command tent neutralized,” I confirmed as the drone made impact, adding another plume of smoke to the chaos below.

Controlled Extraction

With the primary targets hit, I glanced over at Jax and Connor. “Mission complete. Extract the Motherships.”

Jax nodded, his fingers flying over the controls as he pulled his Mothership out of orbit, setting it on a return course. Connor followed suit, and the two drones ascended, heading back toward our position hundreds of kilometers away. The Motherships were programmed to maintain high-altitude flight, keeping clear of any anti-air systems in the area.

“Mission successful,” Connor said with a hint of satisfaction as the first Mothership cleared enemy airspace. “That should keep them busy for a while.”

On the screens before us, Camp Verin was in ruins. Key assets had been neutralized, critical supplies destroyed, and the command structure thrown into chaos. The once-bustling camp was now a scene of disarray, with smoke rising from every corner.

Conclusion and Reflection

As the Motherships returned, we powered down our systems, the bunker returning to its previous, quiet state. The mission had been a success—no traces, no compromise, just precise execution. Our ISR intel had paid off, and by using the Motherships to extend the range of the FPVs, we’d delivered a devastating strike from a distance they never expected.

This was what Team Bravo was built for: precise, surgical strikes that minimized risk and maximized impact. Sitting in the darkness of the bunker, I knew this was only one battle in a long, ongoing conflict. But for now, the scales had tipped in our favor.