The rise of a great power: starting with military industry

Chapter 208 Combined Brigade? Training Base?

"This is a good suggestion. After we return to Beijing, we will coordinate with the transportation department." The leader said in a deep voice.

The transportation network needs to consider its military role from the very beginning. After all, the transportation of troops needs to go through the transportation network so that they can reach the battlefield as quickly as possible.

In the past, this aspect was inevitably neglected.

In the past, we focused more on the transportation of infantry and supplies.

Who could have thought of such a big thing as a heavy tank!

It is the Type 59 tank. In fact, there was no such urgency in terms of roads before, because the Type 59 tank is not heavy, it is just a medium tank.

The total weight of the Type 59 tank is only 34 tons!
But the Type 80 main battle tank is different, it is much heavier.

"Director Liu, you mentioned the computer revolution and informatization before. Can you tell us about this?" a leader asked.

"In terms of computers, the United States and the Soviet Union have made great progress. According to my last meeting with Mr. Henry Fok in Hong Kong, the United States has made great progress in personal computers." Liu Tao said: "In 1971, Intel's 4004 microprocessor was officially released. The 4004 contains more than 2000 transistors. This single chip has almost the same computing power as the world's first electronic computer ENIAC, which came out in 1954. In 1974, Intel designed a more powerful microprocessor - 8080. The 8080 microprocessor gave birth to a series of new application scenarios and also gave birth to personal computers."

"In January 1975, the Altair 1 manufactured by MITS was launched for $8800, which caused a huge sensation in the United States. Its launch not only triggered technological innovation, but also social change." Liu Tao explained, "In recent years, several personal computer manufacturers have emerged in the United States. The performance and computing power of personal computers are now very powerful. There are at least hundreds of thousands of personal computers in the United States."

"Our Panshan Machinery Factory has cooperated with Mr. Ho Ying-Tong to build a computer manufacturing plant in Pengcheng. It is expected to start production next month. The performance of the personal computers produced will reach the world's advanced level. It is foreseeable that personal computers will bring about great changes in the military field." Liu Tao's words were full of affirmation.

The leader asked in confusion: "Your Panshan Machinery Factory also develops computers? Can it reach the world's advanced level?"

The development of computers in China can be traced back to 1956. The "Twelve-Year Science and Technology Development Plan" formulated at that time listed computers as one of the key areas for developing science and technology, and China's first Institute of Computer Technology was planned to be built in 1957.

Later, with the help of Soviet experts, the Institute of Computing Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences developed China's first digital electronic computer, the 103, which was put into use in 1958. The computer had a fixed point of 32 binary bits and could process 2500 times per second.

In 1959, China's first large-scale digital electronic computer, the 104, was developed. This computer had a floating point of 40 binary bits and could process 1 times per second.

在1960年4月研制成功通用电子数字计算机107机，1964年研制了第一台自行设计的大型通用数字电子管计算机119机。

These were, of course, the first generation of vacuum tube computers.

Then it entered the development of the second generation of transistor computers. In 1965, the Institute of Computing Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences successfully developed China's first large-scale transistor computer, the 109B. In the following two years, the 109B was improved and the 109C was launched.

The leaders were not unfamiliar with these things, because this computer played an important role in the trial production of the two bombs and was hailed as the "meritorious machine."

Even the leaders knew that not long ago, the 32nd Institute of the Ministry of Electronics and the National University of Defense Technology had successfully developed the 655 and 151 machines respectively, with speeds of millions of times each.

"The Type 80 tank and the Type 80 self-propelled anti-aircraft gun have computers." Liu Tao nodded and said, "Establishing this computer manufacturing plant is actually the commercialization of the computer technology of the Type 80 tank and the Type 80 self-propelled anti-aircraft gun."

"Of course, the computing power of the personal computer to be launched will be similar to that of the export version, and there is still a big gap from the self-use version." Liu Tao said: "A small computer has a computing power of two million times." "Personal computers will definitely enter the military field and play a big role in the military field." Liu Tao is very sure of this.

Nowadays, the operating speed of personal computers can reach millions of times.

Upon hearing this, all the leaders couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.

The leaders asked some questions one by one, and Liu Tao answered them one by one.

"The investment cost of a combined battalion is so high, and the investment of a combined brigade is even higher. Even if it represents the future direction, will the price be too high? Is it too advanced to discuss this aspect now?" a leader asked.

Liu Tao's heart moved.

Then he smiled and said, "Leader, how about this? We can choose a place in the southwest as a training base, with the combined battalion and combined brigade as the blue army, and the other troops as the red army. They can take turns to go to the training base for training and compete."

But he remembered the famous Zhurihe Contract Tactical Training Base.

He happened to know something about the Zhurihe Contract Tactical Training Base, and knew that it would not be listed as a key project in the Ninth Five-Year Construction Plan until 1994, and that it would not be until 97 that this training ground belonging to the Capital Military Region's armored forces would be expanded into the army's largest and most technologically advanced contract tactical training base.

At that time, all the Red Army troops would shout "Liberate Zhurihe and capture Man Guangzhi alive", and then be beaten to a pulp.

In fact, Liu Tao didn't know that the United States established the world's most famous Fort Irwin National Training Center in southern California last year. It is the main base for the rotation training of the US Army's heavy divisions, brigades and battalion-level troops. Later, the US military built hundreds of various training bases, which can train more than 25 US troops every year.

"Blue Army?" The leader frowned slightly, looking puzzled.

Liu Tao was confused. What was going on? Was there no Blue Army in the army now?
Although he was puzzled, Liu Tao still explained, "The so-called Blue Army is a special force that simulates the combat target in the confrontational exercises and drills organized by the military. It is composed of the enemy's equipment, combat guidance, and tactical principles. It is also called the 'imaginary enemy force', 'opposition force', and 'shadow force'!"

"Using the combined battalion and combined brigade as the blue army to fight against other troops, in this process, we can not only train other troops, but also expose the problems of the combined battalion and combined brigade so that they can be improved," said Liu Tao.

After Liu Tao’s explanation, the leaders understood.

This is indeed a good idea. By conducting confrontation exercises between the two forces, we can discover problems and solve them in a targeted manner.

This is of great significance to the construction of both forces.

Liu Tao was already looking forward to the fact that after other troops were beaten badly by the combined battalions and combined brigades, they would train hard to improve their combat effectiveness and see if there would be any military legends at that time.

After all, in this kind of training base, the combined battalions and combined brigades themselves have the advantage of weapons and equipment, and then they have the advantage of being familiar with the terrain, making it difficult for other troops to win.

(End of this chapter)