The UCAV's zoomed and zipped around the squadron, like a swarm of angered hornets. Finally getting a look at one, they looked not unlike slightly smaller [url=http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20140126201040/aircraft/images/b/b3/Bird_of_prey_01.jpg]Birds of Prey,[/url] but pilotless and with longer, forward-swept wings. None seemed to have any missiles, and they primarily attacked with rapid-fire cannon, diving towards the Excalibur aircraft in pairs, one flying aggressively and attempting to force the targeted aircraft into the path of the second attackers' cannons.

Once the technique was noticed, it was - almost - understandable, and noticable. 
Ariella, punching through the middle of the furball and lashing into one of the craft with a burst from her cannon, found herself in a momentary 'clear spot', away from the action. 
Taking a breath and assessing the situation, she slid her visor up and glanced around - and blinked as she saw one of the drones, flying solo and with red-striped wings away from the others. Almost immediately, the robot aircraft pulled a mind-boggling manoeuvre in mid-air. The diminutive yet futuristic aircraft hauled into a turn that would liquify a flesh-and-blood pilot, bringing it's nose around toward her delta-winged jet as she rolled into a wing-over and dived for the cover of her allies.
A radar-warning sounded on Ariella's aircraft, and moments later there was a blinding flash. 
The Israeli couldn't help herself; blinded and feeling as though the left side of her face and body were right atop an open fire, she screamed over the open channel, preparing to warn the others and instead her pain going out to them. 
Reflexively trying to escape the sensation, she pulled the Kfir hard into a left banking turn. The plane responded well at first, before a wrenching scream of tortured metal rang through the airframe, and numerous warning sirens sounded damage to the aircraft. 
Heartbeats later, almost as soon as it had begun, the - literally - blistering pain died away, but stars still swam in front of her eyes. Blinking rapidly, she managed to make an assessment: the Kfir was on its' last legs, and barely airborne. She might, if she was able to disengage now and take no further damage, make it away from the operational area and back to the vicinity of the [i]Nimue,[/i] if she was lucky. 
"This is Excalibur one," she called over the radio in a hoarse and rasping voice, finally breaking through the jamming for a few heartbeats. "I've taken serious damage from an unknown weapon. I am breaking to disengage. All Excalibur aircraft, break and exit the area, disengage and RTB!"

Miyoshi's shots gave them an opening: The cannonfire from the MiG-25 hit home, and one of the UCAV's was shredded and flipped end over end before exploding. The momentary disruption had some kind of effect. The remaining aircraft regrouped, almost like a flock of birds - and then, Jackson's missile, heralding his approach and arrival, hit home on another, thinning the flock further and evening the numbers as he and Jason arrived on the scene. The jamming abated somewhat, though the circling craft broke into groups again and began to dive toward the Excalibur squadron a third time, even as Ariella popped chaff and flares, and headed for the deck, throttle wide-open.