Spark

On the other hand, just as China was celebrating the launch of 055, the Zumwalt project in the NGSS shipyard in Mississippi was completely blown up.

Jay smashed all the furnishings in the office hysterically, and he scattered the technical documents in the drawers all over the place. If it weren't for the legal constraints, he would like to directly destroy this office—no, this building. The building burned down immediately.

The reason is very simple, the stimulation he received was really too great.

Just now, Congress made the decision to suspend the Zumwalt project indefinitely.

The budget has been fully suspended, all official technical personnel have been withdrawn, and all resource channels have been cut off, leaving only the "Zumwalt" that has been de facto unfinished, and a large number of staring workers at the NGSS shipyard.

Jay felt like he was really going crazy.

In fact, he had long been aware of the seriousness of the problem, but he did not expect that the situation would deteriorate to such an extent!

At the beginning, Congress only notified the suspension of the project and reorganized the discussion on the feasibility and technological advancement of the project.

Immediately afterwards, some resource channels began to freeze, and the official engineers who cooperated began to take vacations.

And when the outfitting work of the Huaxia 055 ship was completed step by step, and more and more parameter information was released, the Congress actually had a showdown!

They don't make it anymore!

Their reason is that after the birth of 055, that terrifying 10,000-ton giant ship has become the de facto overlord of the sea, and it doesn't make much sense to recreate Zumwalt at this time.

In terms of naval guns, the AGS advanced naval gun system has a shell of 1 million US dollars, and the range is only 150 kilometers at most.

The opponent's electromagnetic gun can easily reach the limit range of 400 kilometers. The shell is a big iron rod, and the cost can even exceed 100 US dollars.

So what if it's not allowed? With the early warning aircraft and advanced fire control radar, if you shoot 100 rounds, you can also cover up one round, right?

In terms of air defense, Zumwalt really can't do it under the opponent's trinity air defense system—after all, it has been discussed before. The lack of air defense capabilities in the entire airspace is the biggest technical drawback of Zumwalt.

On the anti-ship. DF-21 is on the ship, so what to talk about!

Therefore, in the eyes of many people, 055 is not a destroyer at all, it is a cruiser.

——

Even, it is a battleship of the 21st century.

That kind of firepower density, that kind of defense capability, that kind of tonnage.

That's right, the Huaxia people said that it only has more than 10,000 tons, but according to reliable information, this thing is more than 16,000 tons, close to 7,000 tons!

To be honest, in this case, if Jay was transferred to Congress, it is likely that he would also make the decision to abandon the project.

But the problem is that he is not!

He is an engineer of NGSS, and the indefinite suspension of the project means that the shipyard will face huge losses, and as a shareholder and key employee, his own interests will also be seriously damaged.

Although it can't be said that it hurts the muscles and bones, what makes him even more difficult to let go is that the project he has put a lot of effort into is actually being trampled on at will.

Come and go as soon as you call, as if you are not the top ship engineer in the world, but a waiter in a McDonald's drive through restaurant!

Such indifference made him extremely angry.

In particular, when he found the official responsible for issuing the order and asked them to reconsider their strategy and give him another chance to propose, the latter's expression shattered his dignity.

I have never seen that expression of contempt, disdain, and disgust since I was 13 years old.

The assistant on the side didn't dare to neglect, he was afraid that Jay would pick up the pistol that was thrown aside and rush out to kill people, so he hurried forward to protect the pistol.

Seeing his action, Jay was suddenly taken aback.

Then, like a machine that lost power, he slowly sat down on the office chair.

After a long time, he opened his mouth and said:

"I thought that even if we had already lost, at least we would lose well."

"This is like a race. Although we are destined not to win the championship, at least we will finish the race."

"But I didn't expect that we would abstain halfway through. Before this, such a thing has never happened in this country, right?"

"Yes, we have abandoned some projects, but it was because of the problems of the project itself, not because someone else made something better than us."

"I have a feeling that in this country we've lost that self-confidence that we need to survive."

"The upper class has changed from a tycoon to a businessman who cares about everything."

"The momentum of this country to move forward is constantly fading. If this continues, one day we will be completely left behind by them."

Hearing his words, the assistant chief sighed.

After thinking for a long time and organizing his words, he opened his mouth and said:

"Zumwalt's positioning has long determined that it is a life-or-death ship."

"It must occupy an absolute advantage in order to exert absolute power."

"And as long as it meets an opponent, its effect is actually not much better than that of the Burke class or even the Bravery class."

"Coupled with the fact that the counter-shore combat strategy has been shattered by Huaxia's No. 055 and ultra-long-range electromagnetic guns, it is not surprising that this project was abandoned."

"I know."

Jay nodded slightly, and continued:

"But I still feel...not reconciled."

"Look at the documents here. We use the most advanced laboratories in the world and receive the most lucrative salary in the world, but in the end, it is those who receive less than one-tenth of our salary, and even some The Chinese, who may not even be able to afford steak, built the most powerful warship in the world."

"Tell me, why is this?"

"I really want to take a look at them. I don't know if there is still a chance."

"There will be in the future."

The assistant answered.

Afterwards, he squatted down and began to pick up all kinds of utensils that Jay dropped on the ground.

And Jay gradually calmed down. He stared blankly at the assistant's back, and suddenly said:

"Not in the future."

"I'm going to Huaxia, I'm going to see how they do it."

The assistant stood up in astonishment, stared at Jay dumbfounded and asked:

"Going right now?"

"Yes, go now!"

"They won't let you see it."

"Of course not, but I don't want to see their ship, let alone their research room. I just want to see the people there!"

"I want to see how different they are from us!"

Jay's tone was unquestionable, and the assistant couldn't refute it.

So, that afternoon, Jay booked a flight to Huaxia.

The time is set in two months.

He didn't know that the decision he made was actually not a trivial matter.

Many years later, when he looks back at the past at a certain point, he may suddenly realize that it was from this year that the exchange of talents between China and the United States began to quietly reverse.

The news of the indefinite suspension of the Zumwalt project quickly spread throughout the world, and on the other side, the No. 001 project also entered the final sprint.

Like the 055, the No. 001 aircraft carrier adopted a modular construction plan on a large scale, and more than 70% of the equipment installation work was advanced before launching.

In other words, once the aircraft carrier is launched, only a small amount of equipment installation, electronic equipment, and software system debugging will be left for the outfitting work.

The service efficiency of the entire aircraft carrier will be greatly improved. Like the 055, it will take less than 18 months, and within six months after launching, the ship will be able to complete all outfitting and mooring tests, and officially start sea trials.

At the same time, the training of carrier-based aircraft has already begun. Under the leadership of various elite test pilots, dozens of pilots have passed the final assessment, and they are waiting for the carrier-based aircraft to take off and land immediately after the aircraft carrier is launched. experiment.

The carrier-based aircraft they used for training were the J-20 series, mainly the improved J-20C and J-20B. Of course, some landing and take-off experiments of the J-20A were also carried out in extreme cases.

In general, the "board performance" of the J-20 series fighters is extremely good.

Thanks to its abundant power, it is not difficult to take off with a ski jump. The only disadvantage is that the oversized model limits the number of carrier-based aircraft carried by the 001 aircraft carrier to a certain extent.

However, as a "training-level" aircraft carrier, how many aircraft it carries is not too important.

What's more, the J-20 is originally a fighter jet that looks at the world alone and seeks defeat. Why do you need so many?

Even if the 001 ship can only carry 20 J-20s, it can hoist the 90 carrier-based aircraft on the USS Washington to fight.

Generally speaking, the final sprint of the 001 project went very smoothly—just like the original 055.

In another month and a half, the people will be able to meet this great ship.

——

However, for some people, this is definitely not a good thing.

They don't want to sit back and watch the aircraft carrier form combat power in a short period of time, but due to the strict secrecy and review plan of this project, they have no chance to sabotage it.

They are constantly testing and looking for opportunities.

Unfortunately, our defense was just as strong.

This kind of intrigue has never stopped throughout the project cycle. Even if the project has progressed to the end, they are still looking for the last chance.

However, such opportunities may no longer exist.

Inside the Dalian Shipyard.

Sitting in a wheelchair, Mr. Liu said to Chen Nian beside him while inhaling oxygen:

"The 1130 close-in defense system has been installed, and the previous land tests showed very good results."

"The range is 5,000 meters, and the rate of fire is 11,000 rounds. With our latest fire control radar, the interception efficiency is very good."

"Within 5 kilometers, the success rate of interception can basically reach more than 95%."

"I'm talking about penetration targets above Mach 4. If it's that kind of slow anti-ship missile, the interception rate can almost reach 100%."

"Of course, this is actually the last line of defense. Whether anti-ship missiles can break through the 055's defense is still unknown."

Hearing this, Chen Nian smiled slightly, and said gently:

"Old Liu, don't worry, the anti-ship missile that can break through the 055 defense in this world has not yet been born."

"That can't be said so absolutely."

Elder Liu took a breath and continued:

"Lao Mei's foundation is still very strong. Maybe in a few months, they will not know where to pull out a hypersonic missile and install it on Ticonderoga."

"At that time, we still have to be prepared."

"Don't let this first aircraft carrier show timidity in front of them, otherwise, I won't feel at ease when I leave."

"Don't say bad words."

Chen Nian quickly interrupted.

In fact, judging from Mr. Liu's current state, he could sense that there was not much time left for this old man.

Originally, he thought that it would not be difficult for Mr. Liu to live a few more years under the careful care of Mr. Liu and now that he has the hope of an aircraft carrier again.

But many things in this world are indeed not transferred by manpower.

His body has entered the final stage of aging, and even if he is sitting, it is already difficult for him to speak. In a year or two, he may have to lie down.

Seeing Chen Nian's expression, Old Liu couldn't help but smile.

"What kind of depressing talk is that!"

"This is a law of nature. Everyone has to go. It is good luck to have someone here, to see the aircraft carrier launch, and maybe even see it enter service."

"The only hope I have now is to use some more energy at the last moment."

"Okay, let's not talk about this, let's continue talking about the aircraft carrier."

After all, Mr. Liu waved his hand unquestionably, signaling Chen Nian to continue pushing the wheelchair.

The two moved slowly on the edge of the dock, while Mr. Liu continued:

"In addition to 1130, Haihongqi 10E has also been deployed. You have already tested this thing, so I have nothing to say."

"Another point I want to tell you to pay attention to is that the comprehensive electrical system of the entire ship is not stable enough."

"You should be very clear that there is no natural zero-crossing point for the short-circuit current of the DC system, so it will be very difficult to break the medium-voltage DC circuit breaker in the medium-voltage DC grid structure."

"Xiao Ma is still trying to solve this problem. If you have an idea, you can help him."

"In addition, during the test, we found that the system has voltage instability, and there is currently no solution."

"Only one step at a time"

"You don't need to take it step by step."

Chen Nian subconsciously opened his mouth to answer.

"No step by step? What do you mean?"

Elder Liu looked at Chen Nian in surprise. The latter thought for a moment and replied:

"The problem you mentioned is a typical static stability problem in the DC power grid structure. It is not easy to solve it, but it is not impossible."

"I will communicate with Mr. Ma in the future, but the impact of this problem is not great, and it can be used for the time being, and small-scale optimization and debugging can be done after the outfitting process."

Hearing this, Elder Liu let out a long sigh of relief.

"Since you have a way, it would be great."

"I'm still worried that if you can't solve it, it will affect the combat effectiveness."

"The waves behind the Yangtze River push the waves ahead. I've said this badly, but every time I see you, I still want to say it again."

Mr. Liu's voice gradually lowered. He probably felt a little tired, so he didn't speak anymore, but let Chen Nian push him forward.

At this time, the setting sun on the sea had gradually set, and the crimson sunlight cast long shadows on the two of them.

Chen Nian didn't feel how glaring the sunlight was, but instead experienced a strange warmth.

After the road came to an end, Chen Nian turned the wheelchair and pushed Mr. Liu back the way he had come.

This time, he saw the shadows of the two of them.

And next to the shadows of the two of them was the huge and unparalleled shadow cast by the 001 ship.

It is like a mountain.

And this mountain is about to cast its shadow on the deep blue sea.