Chapter 1046 Anti-Stealth Ability
Originally, as the plane landed safely, a burst of cheers naturally erupted in the tower.
Except for some command posts who must stay at their posts, most people are ready to go downstairs to welcome the test flight team in triumph.
But with Wang Xiaomo’s resonant words, the originally noisy hall became quiet almost instantly -
The strongest in the world, bar none!
It can be summed up in just eight words, but it is enough for everyone to recall for a long time...
Even for half a lifetime.
In recent years, China has indeed made significant improvements in many fields.
But after all, the starting point is too low, and it will take a relatively long process to implement the technology into the project.
Therefore, although some achievements have reached the world's leading level, when it comes to products, even the top models such as the Turbofan 10, J-10 and J-11 can only be regarded as "reaching the world-leading level". world-leading level”.
It means being on par with others.
Admittedly, for China, which only finalized the mass production of the J-7E ten years ago, it is already a huge leap to share the title of "world leader" with others.
But after all, it is still not as simple and straightforward as it is today.
The saying "Comparing with others is meaningless, if you want to surpass the United States, surpass the United States!" The words are still ringing in my ears, and now they have been realized in advance in the aviation system.
Not only that, the data link and air command system developed under the leadership of Chang Haonan have also completely made up for the original shortcomings of the Air Police 2000 model...
If I have to say there is a pity, it is only because of the time limit, we cannot use the optically controlled phased array system that is currently being tested in full swing...
For this, we can only wait for the next generation of early warning aircraft. Say it again.
Opposite Wang Xiaomo, Qiao Chenqing, who came to inspect the first flight, was also shocked by the former's determination for a moment:
"The early warning aircraft with the strongest comprehensive performance..."
< br>He muttered it softly, then turned his head again and looked at the No. 2000-01 aircraft that had completed deceleration and was slowly driving towards the taxiway entrance on the runway.
It can be said that soldiers of Qiao Chenqing's generation have spent most of their lives thinking about how to defeat the strong with the weak.
In the years when the conditions were the most difficult, what was even considered was how to use the J-6 with only cannons to fight against third-generation aircraft.
Once upon a time, even "missileization" seemed to be a distant dream.
Now I suddenly got a piece of equipment that is stronger than all the imaginary enemies...
For a while, I even felt a little at a loss.
"I remember when the project was established, the effective detection range was 450km?"
With Qiao Chenqing's position, it is not suitable to act too pretentious at this time.
So I had to shift the topic to the technical level.
"That number... is actually not very important."
Wang Xiaomo explained as he walked out the door:
"You know, in actual combat, the target's relative height, orientation, RCS, movement trend... these will affect the detection effect of the radar, and our Air Police 2000 uses a phased array system, plus dual C-band and L-band The area array can basically deal with all different types of targets to the maximum extent."
"Even for stealth aircraft, because the focus of optimization is the X-band, it cannot deal with relatively low-frequency radars such as the L-band. "
This point can be said to be the key point that Qiao Chenqing is most concerned about.
At this time in 2003, the test flight of YF22 has entered the final stage.
As a model that was developed at the end of the Cold War, ATF has not been stained with many of the bad habits of procrastination in US military projects since the 1990s.
Anyone with a discerning eye can see that F22 will be officially mass-produced in two to three years at most.
At that time, the Chinese Air Force, which had just acquired the third-generation fighter jets for a few years, would once again be in a situation of generational difference with its opponents.
Although the purchase volume of F22 has been cut again and again, it has been reduced from the initial four-digit estimate to about 200 today.
But stealth aircraft, after all, still have a qualitative difference. The B2 shot down in the Balkans a few years ago may have symbolized the end of stealth aircraft in the eyes of outsiders.
But those who know the inside story will know how many extreme coincidences and new technologies are behind that result.
On the contrary, it proves the value of stealth aircraft.
So, when he heard Wang Xiaomo talk about anti-stealth, Qiao Chenqing almost couldn't walk immediately:
"That is to say, even if the American F22 is officially put into service, we still have a way Deal with it?”
This question is not easy to answer.
So much so that the former hesitated for a moment:
"Well...if we only rely on a single method, there will still be hidden dangers when facing stealth aircraft. At least the L-band detection accuracy is not enough, and due to the limitations of the physical size of the antenna, It is difficult to install it on a fighter jet. It is best to achieve composite reconnaissance with multiple platforms and multiple detection sources, which is exactly the area where data links can play a role..."
At this time, I walked beside but never said anything. Chang Haonan, who had spoken before, also added:
“And to take a step back, even if we can detect stealth aircraft with existing technology, stealth is only one of the many advantages of fourth-generation fighter jets... You You should have seen the all-round advantages of third-generation fighter jets when facing second-generation fighter jets. The principle is the same."
"Anti-stealth technology can only reduce the advantage, but in order to truly fight against the fourth-generation fighter jets. First-generation fighter jets, then we can only equip ourselves with fourth-generation fighter jets.”
"We are also equipped with fourth-generation aircraft..."
Qiao Chenqing put his hands behind his back and looked deeply to the horizon with his eyes, as if he was imagining that a fourth-generation fighter jet with the August 1st military emblem was flying there.
The reason why he, who was a political worker, was able to act as commander of the Air Force was largely due to the sudden deterioration of his predecessor Liu Yaoshun's physical condition.
Taking into account the age factor, it is likely that he will take a back seat in a few years.
Therefore, Qiao Chenqing felt that there was a high probability that he would not be able to see the day when China's fourth-generation aircraft entered service...
...
The successful first flight is just the beginning of a long testing phase.
As the saying goes, the first flight is difficult, and finalization is even more difficult.
Because the gap between the Air Police 2000 and the Air Police 200 is so large in terms of aerodynamic structure and airborne equipment, it is difficult to refer to the relevant experience in the development process of the latter.
A lot of things need to be started again.
The most special one is naturally the command system that Chang Haonan is responsible for developing.
This is also the most essential difference between the Air Police 200 and the Air Police 2000 -
The former just moved a radar to the sky. Specific combat command and decision-making still need to be issued by Ground command post or front-line fighter to complete.
The latter is a true Air Force combat center that integrates multiple functions such as reconnaissance, command, control, and communications.
There is also a huge difference in levels between the two.
In actual combat, the Air Police 200 only needs one officer at the level of major or lieutenant colonel to be responsible for uploading and distributing information.
However, Air Police 2000 may require a division-level commander to ensure that he has the highest authority in the entire airspace.
Therefore, while the Haofei Group carried out high-density test flights of the aircraft itself, the team led by Chang Haonan also completed the software design of the airborne command system as quickly as possible.
In terms of steps, there is not much difference between software projects and hardware projects.
It also needs to be divided into principle verification, technical verification, engineering verification... and so on.
The only difference may be that due to the reproducible nature of the code, there is no need for an additional production finalization.
The current command system is in the process of transition from principle verification to technical verification.
In order to realize this process as quickly as possible, Chang Haonan reduced the number of available nodes in the system from the maximum 200 in the finished software plan to 20 without changing the underlying logic of the software to speed up the development progress— —
Anyway, this round is just a technical verification and does not require a complete restoration of the actual situation.
20 goals are not enough.
Thanks to this simplification, the Air Police 2000 command system was installed on the prototype in the form of an Alpha test version only twenty days after the first flight.
This also means that this model is truly functionally complete.
Then the next step is to conduct airborne equipment level testing with combat aircraft...
(End of this chapter)