Great warships

Chapter 1278: If it were us, we would use laser cannons!
When the news came out, the whole world was shocked.

In fact, the most powerful fleet was attacked by surprise! And the weapons used were not anti-ship missiles, but cluster bombs! This thing can actually fight against ships?
Many military experts were shocked, and many were so excited that they spitted, imagining the whole process in detail.

As for the people who were attacked, they were the ones who should have had a say, but no one wanted to talk about it. This was simply their nightmare, and they didn't want to repeat it again, even if it was just to think about it or talk about it.

East.

Zhang Zhong was very excited when he spoke.

"In the past, we all thought that cluster bombs could only be used against land targets, but this time, a certain country's navy suddenly encountered cluster bombs, which made us see the great use of this weapon in naval battles. As long as it is used properly, it can pose a huge threat to the giants at sea!"

"In terms of power, the power of a single submunition is very small, but if it falls on an aircraft carrier, especially on a fighter plane on the deck, it will cause a fire. Super battleships are never destroyed by the enemy, but die in their own hands. In the battleship era, the only way to sink a battleship was the explosion of ammunition. On an aircraft carrier, it turned into a terrible fire, a fire that was enough to devour everything!"

How to destroy an aircraft carrier? Just set a fire on the deck!

"Yes, this reminds me of the Pacific battlefield during World War II, the Battle of Midway. The destruction of the main aircraft carrier formation of the island nation was due to the large amount of ammunition piled on the deck." The military expert invited to the studio also talked about it: "At that time, the deck of the island nation's aircraft carrier was full of bombs..."

This historical data is meaningful and can explain the weaknesses of aircraft carriers.

The first wave of attacks did not go smoothly, so Vice Admiral Nagumo decided to continue bombing the island. He ordered the fighter planes that were originally equipped with torpedoes to remove the torpedoes and replace them with high-explosive bombs.

This operation was carried out in the hangar and was going OK. When the planes with bombs were sent to the deck and prepared to take off, they were attacked by American bombers and the presence of US Navy aircraft carriers was discovered. In order to attack the US aircraft carriers, Vice Admiral Nagumo changed the order and requested to load torpedoes.

The mechanics were so exhausted that they had no energy to carry the ammunition back and forth. So they could only put the unloaded bombs aside and re-attach the torpedoes.

Then they were bombed, and the bombs piled everywhere exploded directly on their own deck, with predictable consequences.

"This is an unsolvable problem. If we want to deploy quickly, we have to park some aircraft on the deck. Moreover, since the hangar capacity of the aircraft carrier is limited, many aircraft have to be parked in the open air on the deck. However, this brings danger. Once the deck is attacked, these aircraft can easily catch fire, causing irreparable consequences. How can this problem be solved?" Zhang Zhong raised a soul-searching question.

"If we want to solve this problem, we need to change the types of aircraft carried by aircraft carriers and use as many heavy oil engines as possible. This type of fuel is not easy to burn!" the expert continued.

"At present, we can see that aircraft carriers are undergoing a transformation. The aircraft they carry will be mainly drones, especially drones using heavy fuel engines. We now like to use electromagnetic catapults. Why is that? Of course, it is because the thrust of the electromagnetic catapult is continuously adjustable. It can launch fighter jets weighing 20 to 30 tons, as well as drones weighing two to three tons..."

As a result, this episode quickly went off topic, from cluster bomb attack fleets to the use of drones on aircraft carriers, because Zhang Zhong also knew that it would be enough to just take advantage of the popularity a little bit, without taking too much advantage of it.

Within the Navy, there were many rounds of discussion on this attack.

"Practice makes perfect. This time, we finally saw the role of cluster bombs in maritime combat. We also need to add cluster bombs to our navy's arsenal."

"This is a huge lesson. Our navy should pay more attention to air defense. If we really encounter an attack by cluster bombs, how should we defend ourselves?"

Some people focus on attack, while others focus on defense. After all, only by protecting yourself first can you better attack the enemy.

"We certainly need to intercept enemy fighters at 500 kilometers. So far, our opponents don't have stealth carrier-based aircraft, so...what do we have to worry about?"

Everyone looked at the person who was speaking, Mad Dog Drano, whose Chinese name was Xiang De. At this time, he spoke "we" very fluently.

"That's right, we don't have to worry for now. But not worrying now doesn't mean we won't worry in the future." Wang Wei said: "After all, even if they don't have it now, they will definitely have it in the future."

"Even if we have, we can still detect stealth aircraft."

Delano has always been optimistic. "Besides, I know them. They are always thinking about how to get money from Congress and how to put the money into their own pockets. Few of them care about naval equipment. Oh, I saw a news report recently. They purchased a small bag of screws and quoted a price of $90,000. But here, it only costs $1.60!"

At this point, Delano was very emotional: "The Navy has long been corrupt. Even if our Mingzhou Group's shipbuilding prices are higher, we will definitely have an advantage because theirs are higher. From the Navy's research on stealth carrier-based aircraft to now, I don't know how much money has gone into the pockets of certain people. Humph, it's not that I look down on them, they are already hopeless, the future of the world depends on us!"

Speaking of this, Delano was very proud.

"We already have three aircraft carriers, and we are continuing to build the fourth and fifth. We also have the most advanced carrier-based aircraft. We are far ahead of them in this field! Even if they use ten times the funds, they can't catch up with us."

"Xiang De, what you said makes sense, but what we are discussing now is how we should respond if a cluster bomb really explodes above our heads."

"Use the laser cannon."

Huanglou, Qin Tao faced the gazes of a group of leaders and simply said a few words.

"That's right, laser cannon!" After hearing Qin Tao's answer, all the leaders reacted instantly: "This is the best close-range defense weapon!"

The 1130 close-in weapon system has a fast rate of fire and strong firepower, but its ammunition supply is limited. The Hongqi- has a fast reaction time and a wide firing range, but it also has insufficient ammunition. If hundreds of bullets and ammunition fall from the sky, it seems that nothing can defend against it.

How to break?
The answer is laser weapons!
Compared with other weapons, the biggest advantage of laser weapons is that there is no limit on ammunition reserves!
Artillery depends on the number of shells, anti-aircraft missiles depend on the number of launch tubes, and laser weapons? Nothing matters! As long as there is electricity, laser weapons can be used without limit!

If the energy power is high enough, even the energy storage time can be saved, and continuous firing can be carried out. Not to mention hundreds of ammunition, even thousands of them are not a problem. No matter how many come, we can kill them all!
As long as the laser shines on the submunition, it can immediately detonate the submunition and then turn to aim at the next one!
Since the laser travels at the speed of light, there is no need for any lead time, which can greatly reduce the reaction time of the fire control system. These are all advantages!
"Our newest warships all have integrated power systems that provide megawatt-level energy, so they are fully capable of supplying laser weapons for continuous use. Our relevant departments have also developed this weapon, so we should equip them in large quantities in the future. Four should be installed on aircraft carriers, two on 10,000-ton destroyers, and one on other warships. It will also be a powerful weapon against drones in the future."

Compared with missiles and airplanes, drones will gradually become a more difficult weapon, and using lasers to deal with drones will be easy.

"That's right. Next, we need to update the weapons and equipment of our warships. We need to install a large number of laser weapons on board." Wu Shengli nodded: "This is related to the future of the navy!"

"In addition to laser weapons, our electromagnetic gun experiments have also been going smoothly. The next batch of 10,000-ton destroyers should be equipped with them."

A batch of seven 055 destroyers that started construction has been completed perfectly. After outfitting and sea trials, all of them have been delivered to the navy. The next batch of -ton destroyers has also gradually taken shape.

In terms of naval guns, they must be upgraded to electromagnetic guns. After years of development, electromagnetic guns have matured and should be installed. When the technology develops further and the size and weight are reduced, they can be installed on warships of several thousand tons.

"Yes, it's time to start construction of the navy's new batch of 10,000-ton destroyers." Wu Shengli said, "At present, the plan approved by the superiors is about 18,000 tons. The ship has a wide hull and ample space, which can meet the needs of ocean-going operations. The power system will also be upgraded to four 40-megawatt gas turbines."

This power is absolutely luxurious. Look at the British aircraft carrier, which has a displacement of 60,000 tons and is equipped with only two 40-megawatt gas turbines. Our own warships, which are less than 20,000 tons, are luxuriously equipped with four.

Of course, this is to ensure sufficient power supply. You know, the power consumption of the new 10,000-ton destroyer will increase further. Electromagnetic guns and laser cannons will require a gas turbine to provide power.

The previous 055 had four gas turbines, but they were GT25000. Now that the displacement has increased, it is normal to replace it with four.

"In fact, it's better to use nuclear power." Qin Tao said: "It has already developed to nearly 20,000 tons, so why not use nuclear power and unlimited endurance."

"Yes, nuclear power is good, but it's expensive. We want to build and put into service a large number of them, not just one or two."

The advantage of nuclear power is its long endurance, but the disadvantage is of course that it costs money!

What is generated inside a nuclear reactor is high temperature, high pressure or superheated steam, which requires various complex safety protection measures, all of which are extremely expensive. In addition, the purification of nuclear raw materials consumes a lot of electricity in the process. If the nuclear reactor needs to change fuel midway, it will incur additional expenses.

In comparison, the cost of four gas turbines is really not that much. Once these things are produced by Dongfang, they are very cheap.

Therefore, there are not many nuclear-powered warships in the world, and the Russians' original Kirov-class warships have also been converted into conventional power by Qin Tao.

"Okay, then we'll go with conventional power. By the way, how is our research on the SS cycle technology for gas turbines going?"

For gas turbines, the higher the efficiency, the better the fuel utilization.

In order to improve the efficiency of gas turbines, the Russians generally use a combined fuel-steam cycle. The temperature of the exhaust gas discharged from the gas turbine is still very high, so they simply use this exhaust gas to burn the boiler, generate steam, drive the steam turbine, and increase the output power.

It sounds like a recycling of dissipated energy, and the efficiency is relatively high. However, this design has a big disadvantage: it is complicated!
Space on a warship is extremely valuable. The biggest advantages of a gas turbine are its small size, light weight and high power. The Russians' approach has made these advantages disappear. A gas turbine has a boiler and a steam turbine, so this system is extremely complex!

Therefore, except for the Russians, other countries do not do this. They would rather waste energy than make the power system of the warship so complicated.

However, improving the efficiency of gas turbines is very attractive, and many countries are also conducting research. The British Rolls-Royce company has developed the ICR cycle and added an intercooler. However, China has developed a new technology: the SS cycle. The intercooler of this cycle can not only recover heat, but also spray water!
The purpose of water spraying is of course to increase the air intake. Tests have found that the efficiency of the gas turbine can be increased by 7%, and the exhaust emissions will be more environmentally friendly.

"Almost there. Not only has the efficiency increased, but the power has also increased. In our experiments, the maximum power can be increased by about 24%."

Qin Tao's eyes lit up, this meant that the 40-megawatt gas turbine would become a 50-megawatt one!

"Please complete your design as soon as possible and try to complete it within three months. Then we will start building one ship. After the sea trial, we will mass produce it, eight ships this time."

"it is good."

The meeting was originally about how the navy should deal with the threat of cluster bombs, but it soon turned into a 055 modification meeting, because this matter was not a big deal for the navy leaders. Since laser weapons can intercept them, there is no need to worry too much.

For the Navy, the next development is the most important.

However, after these things were discussed and Qin Tao was taken to the office by his father-in-law, the topic returned to the topic again.

"That guy is really a lunatic. He dares to do anything." Wu Shengli said, "Will your Mingzhou Group be implicated next?"

"Of course not." Qin Tao said, "If someone uses a kitchen knife to hack people on the street, do we need to go after the person who sold the kitchen knife? Our Mingzhou Group only manufactures equipment, and we sell equipment under the premise of complying with relevant international laws. What the customer does with our equipment is none of our business."

"Well, as long as you are prepared."

"Of course, they will definitely come to cause trouble. If they want to, they can. We don't care." Qin Tao said: "We have no cooperation with them. We are just on guard against this."

In the early stages of its development, the Minnesota Group did do business with the West, but now, their partners are mainly third world countries. They do not do business with Americans. They do not have any property in the United States, or even in the Western world.

When conducting international transactions, they still use their own currency payment system, and the funds are not under their control at all. What can they do?

With the development of Mingzhou Group, those guys have long regarded Mingzhou Group as a thorn in their side. After so many years, they can only grit their teeth. But is there no other way?
"What's more, as long as they identify the mastermind, we will follow suit and refuse to deliver equipment to the mastermind. We will also abide by international law."

In order to embezzle the money from the other party, Qin Tao dug a big hole for the colonel. However, no one would think that there was anything wrong with doing so. After all, the colonel had no friends in the world and had offended everyone.

Wu Shengli nodded: "Now that you have made such a statement, let's see who can still put the blame on you."

"They have no evidence. If they want to confirm it, it will take a certain amount of time, otherwise it will be groundless." Qin Tao is very confident.

After chatting with his father-in-law, Qin Tao walked home. Before he reached the family compound, someone ran up to him from behind.

"Boss Qin, Leader Wu wants you to go back."

"what's up?"

“They’re making a move.”

So fast?
When Qin Tao returned, he saw a person appear on the screen.

"At that time, I had just taken off when I found myself under attack. Cluster bombs fell from the sky. Our fleet..."

When he said this, the usually calm pilot's eyes turned red. "I had no way to save the fleet at that time, so I could only look for the murderer. I believed that the murderer must have flown from nearby, so I chased south at high speed and turned on the radar at the same time. Then, I saw the target flying to the country in the south. This action must have been planned by the colonel!"

"They are so shameless. Last time they started a war with a tube of laundry detergent, and this time they are using a human being? They want to catch the thief, the stolen goods, the adulterer, and the couple. Are they going to start a war based on the testimony of one person?"

"Yes, this is the benefit of being powerful." Wu Shengli said, "Whoever they say they are is who they are. Moreover, according to our intelligence, this is really not fake, it should be true."

"Can their airborne radar detect our J-31A?"

"According to the intelligence sent by the colonel, when they were towing the plane out, it scraped against the hangar door. Then, the colonel used soot from the bottom of a pot to repair the fallen stealth coating..."

Qin Tao was also helpless: "Alas, I originally thought he could live a little longer, but I didn't expect..."

"The British also agreed, saying they would deploy aircraft carriers and the latest Type 45 air defense ships."

"They are here to show their presence, but aren't they afraid?" Qin Tao shook his head: "Their two aircraft carriers are treasures, and they don't even have all the carrier-based aircraft. If something happens to these two aircraft carriers..."

"Yes, the colonel is now in his prime, fearless and even waiting for the British to come."

"Alas, it is important for people to know themselves." Qin Tao also shook his head with emotion: "With the previous experience of Shadamu, doesn't he know that he should be low-key? We need to contact Wana. The situation over there is about to become chaotic. It is a good opportunity for them to expand!"

(End of this chapter)