The rise of a great power: starting with military industry

Chapter 612 Persian Gulf Escort Fleet (end of the month, asking for monthly tickets)

If there is one thing that is the most exciting in summer, it must be the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

The 1988 Seoul Olympic Games opened in Seoul, the capital of South Korea, from September 9 to October 17. As the world's largest sporting event, the influence of the Summer Olympics can be imagined, with a large number of viewers around the world every year.

South Korea has invested heavily in hosting the Olympic Games. Since 1981, South Korea has gathered outstanding talents from various relevant departments across the country, including industry and commerce, enterprises, construction, culture and education, art, and communication, and actively started various preparatory work. Despite the pressure of high external debt, the South Korean government allocated US$9 million to fund the preparations for the Olympic Games, 55% of which was used for hardware construction such as competition venues, Olympic Village, Press Village, and News Center, and 45% was used for software construction such as beautifying the city, building the Olympic Park, improving medical services, improving reception quality, and doing a good job in publicity and reporting.

In addition, including some indirect investments, the total investment in the Seoul Olympics reached US$30 billion.

In order to host this Olympic Games, Seoul built a total of 34 competition venues and various auxiliary training grounds.

It was also at this Olympic Games that table tennis was included in the competition, restoring the Wang-Liu competition event which had been discontinued for 64 years.

In this Olympics, the Soviet Union dominated the gold medal and medal tables, winning 55 gold medals, 31 bronze medals, and 46 bronze medals, a total of 132 medals. The second was East Germany (Democratic Germany), which won 37 gold medals, 35 silver medals, and 30 bronze medals, a total of 102 medals.

The United States ranked third in both the gold medal and medal lists, winning 36 gold medals, 31 silver medals, and 30 bronze medals, for a total of 94 medals.

Thanks to China's investment in sports in recent years, its Olympic performance has also made considerable progress, winning 20 gold medals, 16 silver medals, and 17 bronze medals, a total of 53 medals.

China has now established the Beijing Olympic Bid Committee in Beijing and held its first press conference to begin work on its bid for the 2000 Olympic Games.

Yes, China hopes to bid for the 2000 Olympic Games, thus opening a new era for China in this millennium.

China can't wait to host the Olympic Games to showcase the achievements made in recent years and the new look of China to the world.

While Liu Tao was reading the newspaper, time passed unknowingly and the plane landed at Chengdu Airport.

While Liu Tao was busy with Project No. 10, China formed the first escort fleet with the destroyer "Hong Kong", the frigate "Hong Kong Island" and the supply ship "Poyang Lake", and began to head to the Persian Gulf to start the world-renowned ocean escort.

As the "Iran-Iraq Ship Raid War" continued, one cargo tanker after another was sunk or damaged, which had affected the interests of non-belligerent countries. Several oil-producing countries in the Persian Gulf twice made requests for ship chartering and escort to the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - the United States, the Soviet Union, China, France and the United Kingdom.

Among them, the United States was the most active. It not only dispatched destroyers, frigates, and patrol ships to the Persian Gulf for escort, but also had an aircraft carrier formation cruising in the Arabian Sea.

However, Iran and Iraq did not give the Americans any face at all, and another Perry-class frigate was sunk during this period.

In addition to the United States, the Soviet Union also sent an escort fleet.

France and Britain also sent escort fleets to the Persian Gulf.

This time, the escort fleet formed by China is also about to set off.

The first escort formation includes the destroyer "Xiang Jiang", the frigate "Hong Kong Island", the supply ship "Poyang Lake", as well as eight Type 022 missile boats, four Type 022A torpedo boats and one Type 054 frigate.

It's just that there are some Arab faces on these missile boats, torpedo boats and frigates, but these are the missile boats, torpedo boats and frigates customized by Saudi Arabia, and are the first batch of warships delivered.

These Saudi naval officers and soldiers have received more than a year of training in China.

Originally, these warships would be delivered to Saudi Arabia around the Spring Festival, but because of the escalating war between Iran and Iraq, Saudi Arabia has been eager to own these warships and has urged Saudi Arabia several times, even at a higher price.

The escort fleet is about to set off, and these warships will also be there.

Zhao Guoping was wearing a military uniform and communicating with the Saudi official in charge. The head of the escort formation was naturally not Zhao Guoping, who was responsible for the delivery and docking of the warship.

During this period, the discussions were not only about the delivery of these warships, but also about the use of Saudi military ports for supplies.

The escort fleet's first long-distance voyage required not only the "Poyang Lake" supply ship but also a supply port.

The person in charge of this Saudi operation is no ordinary person, but a prince of the Saudi royal family, and a prince who holds real power.

There are many princes and princesses in the Saudi royal family, but only a few of them can stand out and gain real power.

In addition, Zhao Guoping met with Zhang Zhaozhong and others to discuss some things.

This is the first time that the Chinese Navy has sailed long distances for escort. The Navy and the higher authorities attach great importance to it, so they have formed such a powerful escort formation. Among the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, the escort formation is second only to the United States and the Soviet Union.

There is no need to say much about the 'Hong Kong' destroyer and the 'Hong Kong Island' frigate. The 'Poyang Lake' supply ship is a large supply ship that was put into service in 1979. It can carry 10550 tons of fuel, 1000 tons of light diesel, 200 tons of supply water, 200 tons of drinking water and 50 tons of refrigerated food at a time.

Along the way, the ship can be resupplied or docked at ports in Cambodia, Myanmar and Pakistan at any time.

Even the navigation system on board uses the Beidou Navigation System. As for communications, in addition to telegraph, there are also satellite phones.

Finally, when the time arrived at the auspicious hour, the destroyer "Hong Kong Island" and the frigate "Xiangjiang" sounded their horns and began to leave the port.

The soldiers on the warship waved and saluted to the people on the shore, while the people on the shore who were seeing them off saluted the soldiers one after another.

As China's first escort formation and the Chinese Navy's first ocean-going voyage, this is of great significance.

But everyone knows that there are huge risks involved.

Because along the route, China lacks experience and lacks ocean hydrological data, ocean geographical data and ocean meteorological data.

A century-old navy is not just about building warships, but more importantly, it is about the accumulation of various information.

A strong naval power is not only reflected in advanced warships and well-trained naval forces, but also in the accumulation of marine data.

Zhao Guoping watched the escort fleet leave, and his hand never dropped to salute. He only hoped that the escort fleet would have a smooth voyage and return safely.

Only when the escort formation disappeared from sight did Zhao Guoping put down his saluting hand.

At the same time, Zhang Zhaozhong, the head of the escort formation, was also standing on the deck.

He previously served as the captain of the frigate "Hong Kong Island". Later, he made military achievements and was promoted to captain of the destroyer "Hong Kong River". This time he serves as the head of the escort formation.

This escort fleet's long voyage is not only to provide escort in the Persian Gulf, but also to collect various information on the route and accumulate foundation for the Chinese Navy.

By the time they returned to China again, half a year had passed. They had to leave China for half a year!

(End of this chapter)