The rise of a great power: starting with military industry

Chapter 397 The next weapon and equipment development direction

The Anshan Iron and Steel Plant specializes in providing steel to the Dalian Shipyard.

When talking about Anshan Iron and Steel Plant, we have to talk about its predecessor, namely Anshan Iron and Steel and Showa Steel during the Japanese occupation period.

在1943年的时候，昭和制钢所年生产铁130万吨、钢84.3万吨、钢材49.5万吨。而在1935年-1945年，昭和制钢所及鞍山制铁累计生产生铁905.6万吨、钢547.4万吨、钢材327.8万吨。

In 1948, Anshan Iron and Steel Company was established. On July 7 of the following year, construction began on the ruins. Production was quickly resumed and large-scale technological transformation and infrastructure construction were carried out.

Anshan Iron and Steel Group was also the first large-scale steel joint venture and the earliest steel production base to be restored and rebuilt in New China. It is known as the "Cradle of China's Steel Industry" and the "Eldest Son of the Republic's Steel Industry."

Over the past thirty years, Anshan Iron and Steel has made tremendous contributions to the country's economic development.

Before, China was unable to produce high-strength steel sufficient to meet the needs of advanced warships.

Yield strength is an important indicator for measuring steel. Yield strength is the yield limit of metal materials when yielding occurs, that is, the stress that resists slight plastic deformation.

To explain it in simple terms, it is the strength of the material. For example, the yield limit of low carbon steel is 207 MPa. When the external pressure is greater than this value, the parts made of low carbon steel will produce permanent deformation. If the pressure is less than this value, the parts will return to their original shape after the external force is removed.

The greater the yield strength, the greater the material's ability to resist external forces and the higher its strength.

For ordinary civilian ships, marine steel of 200 to 300 MPa is sufficient, but warships must be stronger.

Back then, when China and the Polar Bear had a close relationship, the big brother exported specialized military ship steel. But after the relationship broke down, it was naturally impossible to export such military ship steel to China.

Faced with this difficulty, China had no choice but to grit its teeth and conduct its own research and development. First, it imitated the polar bear's marine steel and developed a batch of steels, such as 907/921.

However, these steels imitate the composition of polar bears and contain large amounts of nickel and chromium.

The Ural Mountains in the Soviet Union are rich in nickel and chromium ores, but there are fewer of them in China. Therefore, China needs to develop nickel-chromium-free or low-nickel-chromium steels.

In addition, the material formula is unknown, resulting in unsatisfactory performance of the imitated steel.

This dilemma was not broken until Liu Tao developed the Type 022 missile boat.

The yield strength of the steel used in the Type 022 missile boat reaches 500 MPa.

When the first Type 054 frigate was built, the yield strength of the steel used reached 590 MPa.

Similarly, the steel used in the construction of the Type 052 destroyer has a yield strength of 590 MPa.

Currently, the only two companies in the country that can produce these two types of steel are Shaoguan Iron and Steel Plant in Guangdong Province and Anshan Iron and Steel Plant in Liaoning Province.

In the dark night, Liu Tao was thinking as he watched the workers still working on the construction.

"Is it a nuclear submarine? Or a conventional submarine?" Liu Tao was thinking about the next weapon to be developed.

Now Panshan Group is gradually getting on the right track and does not require him to invest too much energy.

Although there are many other things to do, Liu Tao has always believed that only by having a strong national defense force can we deter the outside jackals and tigers from coveting us.

Otherwise, no matter how great the achievements in economic development are, it will only attract the covetousness of jackals, tigers and leopards.

地面上的武器，已经差不多够用了。水面上的武器装备，有022型导弹艇、022A型鱼雷艇、83型扫雷艇、84型扫雷艇、054型护卫舰、052型驱逐舰。

As for the air, in addition to the aircraft developed by China itself, the main aircraft purchased are fighter jets and helicopters from the United States. Liu Tao will repair the defects on the aircraft after they arrive and are delivered to China.

At least there is no shortage of air weapons and equipment at the moment.

So Liu Tao has been thinking about developing underwater submarines these days.

Underwater submarines, which pose a huge threat to surface ships, have been known as the "ghosts of the sea" since their birth.

The best example of the combat effectiveness of submarines is the wolf pack tactics used by the German Navy submarine force during World War II.

The wolf pack tactics can be said to have caused huge losses to the Allied forces and caused them a lot of trouble.

A tiger is afraid of a pack of wolves.

The bloodthirsty wolves make all the giants in nature tremble with fear. Under their repeated sieges, even the king of beasts cannot escape.

Likewise, submarines can use 'wolf pack tactics' to deliver deadly strikes on sea transport routes and hunt down surface warships.

Submarines come in many types and shapes, ranging from small civilian submersible probes that can be operated by one or two people for several hours, to large Soviet Typhoon-class nuclear submarines that can carry hundreds of people and remain submerged for 3-6 months.

In the world, submarines are classified into different categories according to size and power.

According to the size, it can be divided into large, medium, small and underwater automatic mechanical devices.

According to the power classification, it can be divided into conventional power and nuclear power.

What Liu Tao is considering is whether to choose conventional submarines or nuclear submarines as the next weapon to be developed.

Conventional submarines use diesel engines as their power source, and the batteries are charged while the engine is running. Since diesel engines require a lot of oxygen to work, they can only be charged when they are on the surface, semi-submerged, or in the snorkel state.

常规动力装置主要由柴油机、蓄电池和主电动机等构成。柴油机是常规潜艇水面航行的主要动力装置，可使潜艇水面航速达10-15节。主电动机是常规潜艇水下航行的主要动力装置，可使潜艇水下航速达15-20节；还装有经济电机，水下航速2-4节。

The underwater navigation of a submarine is limited by the battery power. It often needs to surface or stay at a certain depth underwater, use a diesel engine to navigate, and drive the main electric motor to charge the battery to replenish the power.

Conventional submarines are exposed when charging, so they are usually charged at night or in low-threat sea areas. In combat situations, they stay underwater during the day and surface to charge at night.

There are four main types of conventional submarine combat methods, namely position ambush, area hunting, guided interception and escort alert.

A nuclear submarine is a submarine that is powered by a nuclear reactor. The nuclear power plant is mainly composed of a nuclear reactor, a steam generator, a main circulation pump and a steam turbine.

According to their missions and weapons and equipment, nuclear submarines are divided into attack nuclear submarines, ballistic missile nuclear submarines, cruise missile nuclear submarines, and experimental nuclear submarines.

Attack nuclear submarines use torpedoes as their main weapon and are used to attack enemy surface ships and underwater submarines; ballistic missile submarines use ballistic missiles as their main weapon and are also equipped with self-defense torpedoes to attack strategic targets; cruise missile nuclear submarines use cruise missiles as their main weapon and are used to carry out campaign and tactical attacks; experimental nuclear submarines are used as platforms for special operations and instrument and equipment experiments.

It can be said that although conventional submarines and nuclear-powered submarines are both submarines, there is a huge difference between them.

(End of this chapter)