"The target made a sudden turn. Immediately change your heading to 85, range 130, speed Mach 2. Jettison the auxiliary fuel tanks!"
Upon receiving the order, the two fighters immediately dropped their auxiliary fuel tanks and pushed down the joystick for a sharp turn.
When conducting missions, fighters increase their range by carrying auxiliary fuel tanks, and normally consume the fuel inside these tanks first.
In urgent situations that require enhanced maneuverability, they would discard the auxiliary tanks to lighten the load and reduce air resistance, making the fighter more agile.
However...
No matter how agile or how much afterburner is used, they cannot reach high speeds instantly.
The two third-generation light air defense fighters have a high-altitude speed of up to Mach 2.2.
