The rise of a great power: starting with military industry

Guifei Group.

H-10 strategic bomber final assembly workshop.

Liu Tao came here, accompanied by Yang Wei and Chen Weimin.

This H-10 strategic bomber is different from the normal H-10 strategic bomber in that it is equipped with a laser cannon on each of the left and right wing pylons.

Apart from that, the interior is actually quite different.

Because this H-10 strategic bomber is not actually a real H-10 strategic bomber, but is named Laser-10.

Yes, this is not a strategic bomber, nor is it designed to carry out bombing missions. Instead, it is an airborne laser platform. The H-10 strategic bomber is used as an airborne laser platform, specifically for strategic missions such as laser anti-missile, laser anti-satellite, and laser air defense.

Laser-10 does not carry any missiles or bombs. It has a total of four laser cannons under its wings and two laser cannons on each fuselage.

The entire aircraft is equipped with a total of 6 laser cannons. Among these laser cannons, the 4 laser cannons under the wings are responsible for intercepting missiles and aircraft, while the two laser cannons on the fuselage are responsible for anti-satellite and intercepting intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Inside, there is not fuel oil, but a nuclear reactor!

Yes, this is a nuclear-powered aircraft.

Nuclear-powered aircraft are actually nothing new.

The idea of ​​nuclear-powered aircraft is a long-standing one. In fact, as early as the 1950s and 1960s during the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union had already turned this idea into reality. However, it was not widely used because of problems such as protection and weight.

The most famous is the US Air Force X-6 project. According to the original idea of ​​the US Air Force and the US Atomic Energy Commission, the X-6 is based on the B-36 bomber and is equipped with a General Electric P-1 nuclear reactor. The heat energy generated will drive four General Electric J47 turbojet engines to provide flight power for the X-6.

Of course, the Soviet Union also transformed the Tu-95 'Bear' large bomber into a nuclear-powered aircraft, the Tu-95LAL.

Because the United States and the Soviet Union were unable to solve the problems of protection and weight, and because both countries possessed intercontinental ballistic missiles, nuclear-powered aircraft seemed redundant, so they abandoned the nuclear-powered aircraft testing project.

However, Liu Tao changed his mind and decided not to use nuclear-powered aircraft to carry nuclear weapons, but to use it to carry laser cannons.

The weight of a laser cannon is much lighter than nuclear weapons, bombs, and missiles. In addition, it does not need to carry fuel, and the space can be transformed into a nuclear reactor.

The entire aircraft, including its engines, is powered by electricity generated by a nuclear reactor.

The aero engine is the latest developed electric aero engine.

Originally, the most suitable nuclear reactor is to use controlled nuclear fusion, rather than the current nuclear fission, because if controlled nuclear fusion is used, the size and weight of the reactor can be further reduced, and it will be safer.

But for now, as a transitional product, Laser-10 is barely sufficient.

Because the aircraft uses a nuclear fission reactor, in order to be on the safe side, the test was not conducted at the Guizhou Aircraft Group, but at a deserted military airport in the Western Region Province.

Laser-10 will not be produced in large numbers. Instead, it will be used as an experiment for new weapons. At most, 5 to 10 aircraft will be produced to test and verify new technologies, as well as to supplement anti-missile, anti-satellite, and anti-aircraft capabilities.

Yang Wei looked at Laser-10 with some disbelief in his eyes.

In the past, nuclear-powered aircraft only existed in legends, and the United States and the Soviet Union gave up on them long ago.

But China actually launched a nuclear-powered aircraft project.

Even in the field of new generation fighter jets, all the arguments and positioning originally submitted were overturned.

In the next generation fighter project, Liu Tao's definition is: integrated air and space fighter, hypersonic speed (Mach 10), high information automation, laser + missile, and controlled nuclear fusion. Yes, Liu Tao's definition of the next generation fighter is no longer a traditional fighter, nor a fourth-generation fighter, but an integrated air and space fighter.

The power is no longer the traditional aviation engine or the traditional fuel power, but the controlled nuclear fusion and electric aviation engine.

Yang Wei personally went to find Liu Tao and tried to persuade him.

After all, in Yang Wei's opinion, this is simply unbelievable.

Is this still a fighter?
These are all space shuttles!

It is a combination of a fighter jet and a space shuttle!
The core here is controlled nuclear fusion.

Even though Yang Wei is not in the field of controlled nuclear fusion, he knows that controlled nuclear fusion faces many technical challenges that are not so easy to solve. Even with an optimistic estimate, it will take until around 2050 to realize controlled nuclear fusion technology.

However, Liu Tao assured him that China would be able to achieve controlled nuclear fusion in about 20 years.

In fact, in Liu Tao's opinion, there is no need to rush to launch the new generation of fighter jets.

Because the J-20 fighter will still be the world's most advanced fighter in the next 20 or even 30 years, which is enough.

He raised the standards for the new generation of fighter jets simply to avoid waste.

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In fact, when controlled nuclear fusion is achieved, China's aerospace industry will be the first to usher in a leapfrog development. At that time, manned spacecraft will turn into space shuttles, or more precisely, dual-use military and civilian aerospace planes, or it would be more appropriate to use aerospace fighters.

By then, whether it is manned landing on the moon or even manned landing on Mars, it will not be a problem.

Like Laser-10, it is actually just an experimental demonstration of some new weapons and new equipment, and a supplement to the national strategic defense system and theater defense system.

"Teacher, can we really achieve controlled nuclear fusion in the next 20 years?" Yang Wei still found it unbelievable.

Liu Tao smiled and said, "Let's not talk about the big guys like the Laser-10. Do you think it's feasible to transform the J-11 fighter into a nuclear-powered aircraft and change it to a tactical laser weapon?"

Yang Wei gave a wry smile.

It is possible, of course it is possible!
Although the J-11 fighter is a heavy fighter, it is a little brother compared to the H-10 strategic bomber. It does not need a too large nuclear reactor or such a large aircraft engine.

He seemed to foresee that in the future the sky would belong to nuclear-powered aircraft.

All of today's aircraft may become obsolete in 30 or 40 years.

The entire aircraft field will usher in a disruptive revolution.

The future warfare model will undergo disruptive changes, and these changes will far exceed the impact of the Gulf War.

"We cannot be trapped by fixed thinking. We must have the courage to jump out of these boxes and dare to imagine!" Liu Tao smiled faintly, "Science and technology are constantly improving and are not static. We Chinese should not only focus on the earth, but also on the entire starry sky."

"If China only focuses on the earth, it would seem too small!" Liu Tao said with a confident look.

After nearly three decades of hard work, China has actually caught up with the United States.

The original dream of catching up with Britain and the United States can almost be said to have been realized.

But after achieving the goal, will China just stand still and be satisfied?
If that were the case, China would lose its motivation to move forward. (End of this chapter)