Chapter 1302
A Gathering of Stars, Missiles Arrive: Li Aiguo's New Idea for Ship-to-Ship Missil
three days later.
As soon as Li Aiguo arrived at the No. 2 dock of Jiangnan Shipyard, he received news from the Navy.
"Old Zhao, you stay here and make arrangements, I'm going over there."
Because the security department had taken measures to keep the matter secret about the people sent to Dongyin Island causing trouble, Zhao Qingyang and the chief engineers of Institute 701 were unaware that the island had been targeted.
"Go on, there's only a little welding work left." Zhao Qingyang stood up from the slipway.
After saying that, he called out to Li Aiguo again: "Aiguo, it should be in a few days that the missiles and missile launchers will be delivered."
"understood."
Li Aiguo didn't turn around, he just waved his hand.
Upon arriving at the security department and pushing open the door to Section Chief Zhang's office, Li Aiguo immediately spotted a familiar figure.
"Captain Xiong Meng? The higher-ups sent you here!" Li Aiguo was pleasantly surprised.
Xiong Meng never expected that Li Aiguo would be in charge of the technical breakthroughs for the Type 65 frigate.
He paused for a moment, then strode over and firmly grasped Li Aiguo's hand.
"Patriotic brother, come here, let me introduce you. This is our leader, Wang."
Li Aiguo then noticed that several naval leaders were standing next to him.
One of the middle-aged men in uniform had stars on his shoulders, indicating that he was of a high rank.
Upon closer inspection, Li Aiguo felt that the man looked somewhat familiar.
Isn't this the top leader of the South Drive 2nd Branch?
This man actually commanded a fleet in naval battles and had a distinguished record of military exploits.
"Leader Wang, Li Aiguo reporting for duty!" Li Aiguo straightened his chest and snapped to attention with a military salute.
"Comrade Patriot, you're too kind. This time, thanks to you for capturing those two Dieters, we were able to detect the enemy's cover-up in advance."
Otherwise, if the enemy launches a surprise attack, the consequences would be unimaginable.
When Leader Wang received the report, he was also filled with lingering fear.
There are many ships over Dongyin Island; if they really send one over to cause trouble...
“However, patriotic comrades, you only received the information from Dieter; it doesn’t necessarily mean the enemy will attack,” a leader said.
Before Li Aiguo could reply, a voice came from outside.
"We have confirmed the reliability of the message."
The one who came in was Old Cat, who had rushed over and was covered in dust.
Upon seeing the old cat dressed in a gray Zhongshan suit, the leaders all stood up.
Regardless of Old Cat's rank, the people he represents are always awe-inspiring.
Without wasting any words, the old cat went straight to the table.
"After receiving the report from the Jiangnan Shipyard's confidential office, we verified the intelligence through special channels. There was indeed unusual activity on Dongyin Island."
The leaders wanted to ask further questions, but Lao Mao showed no intention of revealing anything.
The weather station on the island had suffered a devastating blow and was only rebuilt in the last two years, so it naturally needs to be kept strictly confidential.
Leader Wang nodded, making the final decision: "Now that the intelligence is confirmed, the next question is how to fight."
After he finished speaking, the office fell silent.
Dongyin Island is an important anchorage for the enemy, where small ships are permanently stationed and marines are deployed.
Based on intelligence gathered over the years, there are large combat units there, including destroyers, escort destroyers, and tank landing ships.
On the other hand, the two southern destroyers are still using old-fashioned warships, and they also have to guard against India, so they can't all be transferred over.
The only main force is the Yangtze River.
Xiong Meng looked at Li Aiguo and suddenly asked, "Comrade Aiguo, what do you think?"
Xiong Meng had once carried out a mission with Li Aiguo on the Yangtze River and knew that although Li Aiguo looked like a technician, he had a great understanding of naval warfare.
Amidst a sea of gazes, Li Aiguo stood up.
"Distinguished leaders, I am an outsider. But I have a simple principle about warfare: besides having a large army, the most important thing is the right time, the right place, and the right people."
"Now that we know the enemy's target in advance, that's our biggest advantage. Since they're planning to come, why don't we just set up an ambush?"
"An ambush?! Patriotic comrade, tell me, how exactly do you plan to set up an ambush?" Leader Wang became interested.
It's important to understand that fighting at sea is different from fighting on land.
There are only a few roads on land, and if you encounter a pass or a place you have to pass through, it's even easier to set up an ambush.
But what about at sea?
With flight paths everywhere, how can you accurately lure the enemy into an ambush zone?
Instead of answering directly, Li Aiguo asked in return, "Sir, what do you think their purpose is?"
Upon hearing this, the eyes of Leader Wang and the other leaders lit up instantly.
"They're after our shipyard, after our No. 2 dock!"
"Dongyin Island is 300 nautical miles from here. We need to attack the No. 2 dock of the shipyard."
The enemy must first reach the mouth of the Yangtze River, then Chongming Island, and finally Changxing Island.
“Mines are laid outside the Yangtze River estuary year-round. In order to launch a surprise attack, the enemy cannot go directly there, but will go around to the left.”
Amid the murmurs, Leader Wang walked to the map on the wall, pointed to it, and said...
“The enemy must have reached the north of Changxing Island. This is the best place to enter Dock No. 2.”
As expected of a veteran, Leader Wang deduced the enemy's movement trajectory in just a few words.
Li Aiguo nodded to himself as he listened. A commander of this caliber could discern the enemy's intentions with just a few clues.
"Now that the route is set, we need to discuss how to 'spread the net'."
"I suggest we mobilize Type 123 torpedo boats and Type 53A gunboats, break them up into smaller groups, and hide them behind the reeds and shallows," a leader proposed.
"And all the shore artillery positions on the island are now on first-level combat readiness!"
"Activate all radars to cover Wusongkou, Sheshan Island, and Chongming Island!"
"Observation posts outside the Yangtze River estuary have also been activated."
Li Aiguo listened with great interest; the navy's operational meeting seemed to be more decisive than that of the border corps.
Everyone had few concerns and just forged ahead.
On the open sea, taking a step back is like falling into an abyss; only by drawing your sword can you carve out a bloody path.
Li Aiguo looked at the dense markings on the map, but he was thinking about something else.
These alone are probably not enough.
We need to find a way to prepare a "surprise" for the enemy's big guys.
The operational meeting ended.
Leader Wang, along with Xiong Meng and others, immediately took swift and decisive action.
A vast, inescapable net has silently been cast across the entire Yangtze River estuary.
Squads of soldiers received urgent notices and rushed to the front lines.
Along the coastline, the camouflage netting was ripped off, and the 130mm, 120mm, 100mm, and 76mm caliber coastal guns raised their barrels, all the shells being pushed into the breech.
In the outermost area, the minelayers began their operation, laying trigger-activated moored mines at both the north and south entrances.
On the other side, the security department of Jiangnan Shipyard.
Li Aiguo had just made a long-distance call to the Qianmen Locomotive Depot's workshop when he turned around and followed Lao Mao into the underground detention room.
After interrogating Lao Tu again, Lao Mao finally figured out Lao Tu's identity.
Old Tu, codenamed Hansong, had participated in the Shipai training course personally presided over by "Comrade Jianfeng" before liberation.
Based on his qualifications and career trajectory back then, if it weren't for the liberation, he could easily be a stationmaster now, living a life of luxury.
Unfortunately, times have changed. Han Song finally graduated, and in the blink of an eye, his territory was gone. What a mess!
Fortunately, Comrade Jianfeng brought him to the island and helped him find employment sooner.
Han Song naturally wanted to help Comrade Jian Feng.
These past few years have been tough for Comrade Jianfeng, as he's been getting into trouble with Lanli every few days.
Especially as the weather forecasts from the weather station became more and more accurate, the rats they sent here all froze to death.
And those guys on those little islands, they can't even get salt, their lives are so hard.
Han Song volunteered to come here to find ways to procure and transport supplies, and he actually made a name for himself.
"That's all. Do with me as you please."
After giving his instructions, Han Song leaned back in his chair, adopting an attitude of "you can do whatever you want."
There really isn't a good way to deal with this kind of person, and Old Cat was at a loss for what to do.
Li Aiguo suddenly asked, "Hansong, I heard you have a wife and a daughter on the island?"
Han Song rolled his eyes and sneered, "What? You want to threaten me with my family?"
Save your breath. I know your rules very well. You won't let your family members suffer the consequences.
I know you wouldn't do something so despicable.
Li Aiguo was both amused and exasperated.
It seems that a good reputation can also have its downsides.
If Han Song had been caught by Xiao Benzi right now, he would definitely be anxious.
However, Li Aiguo's simple words were enough to make the originally calm Han Song restless.
“We certainly won’t take action, but how do you think those people on the island will treat your family once they find out you’ve been captured?”
Upon hearing this, Han Song's expression changed.
He realized that Li Aiguo had used the people from the island, instead of Comrade Jianfeng.
That's right, Comrade Jianfeng has a good relationship with him, so he probably won't lay a hand on his wife and daughter.
However, Comrade Jianfeng's enemies will definitely take the opportunity to launch an attack.
Ultimately, their only fate was to be sent to a military brothel, where they would suffer torment for the rest of their lives.
This kind of thing happens all the time on the island.
Han Song even personally sent one of Dieter's wives inside.
Thinking of the terrible scene at that time, and the fact that his wife and daughters were about to face a fate worse than death, Han Song could no longer sit still.
His whole body began to tremble uncontrollably, and a layer of cold sweat instantly appeared on his forehead.
"Can I have a cigarette?"
Li Aiguo took out a sunflower and put it in his mouth, then struck a match to light it for him.
After a long silence, he lowered his head dejectedly: "If I'm not mistaken, since you were able to find them..."
There's a way to get my family off the island... So, tell me, what do you want me to do?
"It's very simple, just keep carrying out your mission."
"Continue the mission?"
Han Song suddenly raised his head, his face changing drastically, "You...you want to..."
"That's right. Since they've come all this way to cause trouble, we should at least greet them warmly, right?"
Li Aiguo stood up and looked down at him from the height of a three-story building.
"Remember, you only get one chance. Send the signal and let them come."
Looking at the young man before him, Han Song felt as if he were facing an unfathomable demon.
The psychological defenses that I was so proud of were easily torn to shreds by the other party, who had me completely under their control and left me with no way to struggle.
"I...I promise you." Han Song deflated like a punctured balloon, slumping completely into the chair.
"very good!"
Li Aiguo straightened up and smiled.
Old Cat shook his head with a wry smile. He considered himself to be quite good at interrogation, but he always learned something from watching Li Aiguo conduct interrogations.
How does this guy's brain work?
The night was quiet.
Located in a telecommunications room on a small island.
The telegraph operator, wearing headphones, was listening intently.
"Well, has Han Song sent a telegram yet?" A group leader-looking man paced back and forth behind him.
"Not at the moment."
The communications officer asked疑惑地问道：“Team leader, Han Song's mission is special, and the checks over there are very strict. He often doesn't send back messages for ten days or half a month. Why is he in such a hurry now?”
"you do not know."
Before the words were even finished, a beeping sound came from the earphones.
The telegraph operator's expression changed, and he immediately put on his headset, his pencil flying across the paper as he jotted down notes.
A moment later, he handed the deciphered telegram to the team leader. The team leader glanced at it, his pupils suddenly contracted, and without saying a word, he turned and rushed out of the communications room, hurriedly knocking on the door of the director's office.
It was late at night, and the office was filled with smoke.
Comrade Jianfeng was deep in thought, staring at a nautical chart.
"Report! Han Song has sent back a top-secret message. He has confirmed that a new type of frigate, codenamed 'Type 65,' is under construction at the Jiangnan Shipyard!"
It is currently under construction.
Comrade Jianfeng received the telegram and became somewhat agitated.
"It seems that Langley's group's intelligence was really accurate."
If those bumpkins actually manage to build new warships, we'll be in deep trouble.
"So you agree to act with Langley?" the team leader asked, somewhat worried.
It's worth noting that previous collaborations with Langley all ended in failure.
"Do we even have a choice?" Jianfeng asked with a wry smile.
Their fleet is stationed here now. If we don't listen to them, we'll be driven out tomorrow.
"Sigh." The team leader sighed, not knowing what to say.
"Send a telegram to Dongyin Island immediately, ordering the special operations fleet to prepare for action. Tell Du Changsheng that if he can't handle that new warship this time, he shouldn't come back to see me."
"Yes!" The team leader turned to leave.
Jianfeng hesitated for a moment, then called out to him again.
"Let's report the situation to Commissioner Smith in Langley first and hear his opinion."
At this moment, inside a luxury hotel on the island.
Commissioner Smith, who was enjoying a wonderful night out, excitedly got dressed after receiving the call.
"Darling, where are you going so late?" A small, fair hand emerged from under the covers, the voice sweet and coquettish.
"My little beauty, I'm going to do something big that will get me promoted and make me rich."
Smith pulled a wad of US dollars from the drawer and threw it at the woman's face. "Now, get out of here right now."
Although the woman was somewhat reluctant, she immediately beamed when she saw the thick wad of US dollars. She quickly dressed and swayed as she left the room.
After the woman left, Mr. Smith closed the door, turned on the bugging device, and then took out the telegraph machine that was under the bed.
He was no longer the playboy he once was; he was now a professional secret agent.
L
The telegram was sent and the reply came quickly.
The content above is also very simple.
The Type 65 warships must be destroyed, and the shipyard must be sabotaged as much as possible. Smith, the supervisor's position awaits you!
Smith looked at the telegram and excitedly lit a cigar for himself.
This operation was kept extremely secret, and only the director and a few high-ranking officials knew about it.
If successful, he will become Langley's brightest star.
As for whether it would succeed? Smith never doubted it.
In his view, the special operations fleet on Dongyin Island was simply a matter of overwhelming force against those bumpkins' dilapidated ships.
"It seems I'm determined to get the supervisor position this time." Commissioner Smith put away the radio, opened the door, and walked out.
Outside the hotel, it was pitch black.
Recently, Li Aiguo has been living a leisurely life, and the construction of the Type 65 frigate is progressing smoothly.
Li Aiguo spends his days either playing on the beach with Chen Xueru in the evenings or staying in the workshop.
"Brother Aiguo, I've been feeling that something's off about the atmosphere here lately," Chen Xueru said, looking at the sea.
"What's wrong?"
"I can't quite explain it, but something just feels off. Maybe I'm overthinking it." Chen Xueru was quickly drawn to the shimmering sea.
This served as a reminder to Li Aiguo that the work of the weather station needed to be strengthened.
After all, it's still unclear whether people from the island have infiltrated the shipyard.
Just then, a sharp shout suddenly came from afar:
"Who's there? What are you doing there!"
Immediately afterwards, a strong beam of flashlight light shone over.
After recognizing Li Aiguo and Chen Xueru, the other party quickly turned the beam of light to the ground.
"I'm sorry, Chief Engineer Li! It's a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding!" The patrol team members ran over to greet him somewhat awkwardly.
They were on a routine patrol, which was especially important at night, patrolling in circles, when they happened to run into the two people.
“It’s alright, you guys continue your patrol. I’m going to chat with Comrade Chen Xueru for a bit,” Li Aiguo said.
"Well... you two continue chatting, we'll go take a look over there." The patrolman chuckled and tactfully led the group away.
Chen Xueru blushed. Did they think she was stupid?
People have already seen that our hands are clasped together!
"Thank goodness we didn't go to any secluded places to do anything shameful. If they had caught us red-handed, we would have been too ashamed to show our faces," Li Aiguo remarked.
"Pah, what nonsense are you talking about?" Chen Xueru blushed.
The next day, Li Aiguo was awakened by a rapid ringing of the telephone.
Li Aiguo was startled, thinking that ships from Dongyin Island had arrived.
I only found out after receiving the call that the missiles and missile launchers were to be delivered this morning.
Li Aiguo didn't dare to delay. He quickly wiped his face, got dressed, and rushed to Dock No. 2.
When they arrived at the dock, the power system and waterjet propulsion system were already installed. After the deck was welded on, the installation of the superstructure began.
Lately, Zhao Qingyang has been working day and night with the experts and technicians.
Furthermore, the fact that all the resources of the Shipbuilding Industry Bureau were focused on this aspect is what made the speed so fast.
Now the shell is on, and from a distance, the upper shell, with its steeply angled layout, looks very strange.
"This structure has been verified and can reduce radar echoes," Zhao Qingyang explained to Leader Wang of the South Destroyer 2nd Battalion.
Leader Wang frowned slightly as he looked at the strange-looking behemoth.
"How long will it take for these Type 65 corvettes to be ready for combat?"
"Combat? You're not kidding, are you? This speed is already fast enough. Even if it goes into the water, it will take at least a year to deliver."
That's true. For a frigate like this, it takes about 3-4 years from the start of construction to the formation of full combat capability.
After the power system, electrical system, radar, sonar, command system, and weapon system are installed, they still need to be tested.
In addition, the subsystems and equipment must be powered on and tested while the equipment is moored at the dock.
The sea trials will take at least 6 months.
Delivery can only be made last.
In those days, people didn't care about such things; they just focused on speed so that most of the structure could be completed in a short time.
Leader Wang realized he had been too hasty.
Seeing Li Aiguo approach, he greeted him with a smile.
Li Aiguo knew what Leader Wang was worried about.
It's not difficult to deal with those few dilapidated ships on Dongyin Island; the real challenge is how to keep them all out of the vast ocean and prevent them from sneaking back to their home base.
“Even if it’s not fully built, it can still serve a purpose,” Li Aiguo said.
Just as Leader Wang was about to ask more questions, the heavy rumble of a heavy truck suddenly came from afar.
"The missile is coming."
Li Aiguo climbed the scaffolding in a few steps and gazed into the distance.
Several transport vehicles covered with heavy tarpaulins slowly drove into the factory area. The outline of the launch boxes trailing behind the vehicles made even a man as used to big scenes excited.
The Shangyou-1 anti-ship missile is the most powerful anti-ship missile in China at this time.
Although China lags behind in air defense technology, it has always been strong in the field of anti-ship warfare.
Moreover, what was sent this time was only a prototype; mass production would be several years from now.
Li Aiguo was the first person, apart from the core R&D personnel, to see the actual product.
"You must be Chief Engineer Li? I'm Chen Gen from Factory 320 of the Third Ministry of Machinery Industry."
A middle-aged man in his forties with a lean face walked over quickly and extended his hand to Li Aiguo.
Chen Gen? Li Aiguo's eyes lit up immediately.
This person dedicated his life to the research and development of anti-ship missiles and made many contributions.
In particular, the upstream-1 project originally involved Russian experts. After the Russian experts withdrew, Chen Gen took up the mantle of Factory 320 and cooperated with the Fifth Academy to complete the research and development work.
"Comrade Chen Gen, I have long admired your name."
"Comrade Aiguo, I once heard Xiao Xu from the Fifth Hospital mention you, saying that you have been a great help to him."
"Xu from the Fifth Academy? Is that Xu Lanru? Where is that kid now?"
"This needs to be kept secret for now, but he asked me to tell you that he got married and asked me to get you a wedding gift."
As he spoke, Chen Gen actually took out a handful of candy from his pocket and distributed it to everyone present, and then handed a handful to Li Aiguo.
Good heavens, they've even sent candy to the shipyard; this was clearly premeditated.
Li Aiguo peeled a piece of candy and popped it into his mouth, savoring the sweetness: "Don't worry, I've already prepared the gift; I guarantee it will surprise him."
"Oh? Where is it?"
"You'll find out soon enough," Li Aiguo chuckled.
Chen Gen wasn't surprised to see Li Aiguo speaking in riddles.
Xu Lanru once told him that this chief engineer, who came from a train driver background, did things very strangely, but it was all confirmed in the end.
At this moment, Zhao Qingyang also arrived. After chatting for a few minutes, he and the group of experts began to inspect and design how to install the equipment.
Li Aiguo and Chen Gen squatted in the shade, chatting while looking at the blueprints.
"Our stiff-bristled brush has good performance, just like the Sea Killer that Italy is developing. However, there is one problem: its flight altitude is still not low enough."
With nothing to do, Li Aiguo naturally had to give Chen Gen some pointers.
Anyway, his secrecy level is high, so if anyone asks, just say you saw it in classified materials.
"Hey, how do you know this missile's nickname is 'Hard Brush'?" Chen Gen asked, puzzled. This nickname was given by the researchers and wasn't even written into the report.
Li Aiguo: "."
"Ahem, well... I was just looking at its shape, with its pointed head and tail fin, it looks more and more like a big brush," Li Aiguo said without batting an eye.
"We think it looks a lot like it too, hehe."
Chen Gen continued, "Yes, your concerns are not unfounded. The lower the flight altitude, the stronger the penetration capability. However, the technical experts from Factory 301 and the Fifth Academy have done their utmost to develop this missile."
Li Aiguo fell silent.
He knew Chen Gen wasn't exaggerating.
The development of the Shangyou-1 began in full swing as early as the late 1950s.
During those arduous years, countless missile researchers overcame numerous obstacles and devoted themselves wholeheartedly to their work.
The first challenge they encountered was liquid rocket engines, which meant starting from almost nothing.
In the autumn of 1961, the prototype of the Shangyou No. 1 engine was successfully developed, but the dedicated test stand had not yet been built.
In order not to delay the progress, they started the project using makeshift methods on the spot.
On the barren slope outside the Nanchang factory area, they pulled up weeds, dug pits, buried the missile head down in the soil, with the tail nozzle facing up, and then secured it to two trees with wire.
Despite the extremely limited conditions, they persevered and completed the hot-fire test, obtaining crucial data.
The test run had just ended, and before the toxic fumes had even dissipated, researchers rushed in to test parameters, disregarding the danger and vying for firsthand data.
There are countless similar research and development stories.
It is thanks to the contributions of these missile engineers that we possess advanced anti-ship missiles.
In this field, we are able to keep up with the competition.
“However, the diaphragm barometer is outdated. To achieve ultra-low-altitude skimming, we need to replace it with a high-precision radio altimeter,” Li Aiguo continued.
That's right, what Li Aiguo was referring to was the YJ-8's signature technology.
Although it's impossible to bring out the YJ-8 in this era, many of its technologies can still be learned from.
"A high-precision wireless altimeter? The Fifth Academy also has a similar idea. If they can actually develop this thing, the threat posed by the upstream-1 will be greatly enhanced."
Chen Gen said with a sigh, "However, I heard from Xiao Xu that the project has been slow to progress. It's too difficult to develop such high-tech things."
Li Aiguo nodded: "Yes, it is indeed not easy, but no matter how great the difficulties we encounter, our technical staff will rise to the challenge, right?"
“Yes, there is no difficulty that we cannot overcome.” Chen Gen nodded emphatically.
Just then, Zhao Qingyang's shout came from the slipway.
"Aiguo, come up and take a look. What do you think of this mounting rack design?"
(End of this chapter)