I asked for confirmation from the commander of the Ground Patrol, and Xren confirmed for him that they were being fired. - I got you, I said. I turned to the detector. Pre-testing of AGM-114. The AGM-114 pre-test is a cumbersome thirty-step procedure for activating and testing a missile before launch. The next test requires twenty verification actions. Inexperienced pilots, the whole procedure can take up to five minutes. Me and the operator of the means of detection scrambled through all the points of the map of checkpoints. A great way to distract while you expect to arrive at the target, but in the combat situation, when the lives of real people hang on the hair, the execution of the check card was even more “hemorrhoids”. When I was ready to open the fire, I reported it to shit. “You understand, give direction,” Hren commanded. He wanted us to brief him when we started the approach maneuver. I rolled and oriented the plane with my nose to the target. Lightning comes from the northeast, one minute. I had one minute to launch the rocket. - Lightning, I'll take the action. The "Action Permit" team only allowed me to simulate a missile launch. I had no right to use the weapons until the real gunner allowed the attack. We were flying with real missiles. And for the sake of safety, all the crew members had to make sure that during the simulated attack, we would not accidentally shoot the real one. - Copy that. I checked the approach course. The west wind carried the drone to the left. To compensate for the foot, I turned the aircraft about ten degrees to the right. “Thirty seconds, activate the laser,” I ordered. The Detection Operator clicked the tumbler, and on the screen here flashed the inscription "LCU is on". In order not to inadvertently harm anyone on the ground, we now used not a pointing laser, but a laser target designator or simply a “retriever”. This laser worked more like a flashlight and could not point missiles. - The light of the target, - said the operator. - Illumination of the target, - I handed to Xreny. - Thirty seconds. - You understand, - said Hren. With twenty seconds left, I adjusted the course again and made sure that all the tumblers were in the right position and focused on the targets. In ten seconds, I pressed the "Ready to Start" button. On the display lit up the inscription “Ready to launch the right rocket”. - On the count of three, two, one... I faked the tapping. On the training flights, we never pressed it.