76: The aircraft carrier has not yet been developed, and you are building the fifth generation ship

Chapter 76: You Haven't Even Finished the aircraft carrier, and You're Already Building a Fifth-Generation Carrier-Based Aircraft? LLNL Laboratory's Promotion Rules!

One plan after another rapidly unfolded in his mind.

'I'll still go ask Lucy about the situation tomorrow,' Lu Ze thought to himself.

He, as a graduate student, had less than two years before he would graduate and return to Da Xia. Since he no longer had any worries, the most urgent task at hand was to quickly raise the LLNL Laboratory's level to access more high-level technological items.

The higher his employee level, the more he could access 'Fat Man' and 'Little Boy' type foods that Neon loved to eat.

If he could even reach A-level employee clearance, wouldn't he be able to access the ford-class aircraft carrier that Eagle-chan was currently developing?

If he could bring back the complete set of technology and a physical aircraft carrier, Lu Ze couldn't even imagine how wonderful that scene would be.

In Northern Province, Da Xia, an urgent internal meeting was being held at the 601 Research Institute.

"Why is there another meeting all of a sudden? What happened?"

"I still have to continue ground testing over there, isn't this just a waste of time?"

"Why isn't Jiang Dingqian here? He called the meeting, so why isn't he here himself?"

"And the level of this meeting isn't low... they're not even allowing any communication devices?"

Discussions broke out in the conference room among several middle-aged people, mostly in their forties and fifties.

They were all leaders of various research groups and had been notified by Jiang Dingqian early in the morning to attend a secret meeting.

It was a critical moment in the development of the J-15 carrier-based aircraft, so it was no wonder they weren't happy about being called over suddenly.

Just as they were complaining,

Jiang Dingqian strode in, holding a stack of documents and an encrypted USB drive. He had flown back overnight from the Xia Academy of Sciences with the materials.

"Alright, the meeting begins now. Everyone, check if you have any electronic devices on you."

After confirming, he immediately activated the strongest level of signal shielding and interference.

"Jiang Dingqian, what happened?" an old man who looked close to sixty asked with a puzzled expression.

As the head of the fuselage and aerodynamic layout, he had the best relationship with Jiang Dingqian.

Not only him, but this was also everyone's confusion at the moment.

This level of secrecy was unprecedentedly high in recent years. What kind of meeting required such an extent of precautions?

Gazing at everyone, Jiang Dingqian announced a piece of news: "Everyone, our J-15 project might be canceled and put on hold!"

Cancel the J-15 project?

"What exactly happened? Why is the J-15 project suddenly being canceled?"

"Our J-15 is almost ready for its maiden flight. They're canceling it now? What does the higher-ups want to do?"

"In just one more year at most, this project will be successfully developed! Jiang Dingqian, we absolutely cannot agree this time!"

Suddenly, the entire conference room erupted like a boiling pot.

It was important to know that the entire J-15 carrier-based aircraft project had been under development for several years, and it was about to enter the final prototype verification and maiden flight stage, just one step away from success.

How much effort had the entire 601 Research Institute put into it?

To shelve the project now, wasn't this a joke?

"Is it those rascals from the 611 Institute again, submitting some new plan to the higher-ups?" The older man from before thought of something.

Hearing this, a research group leader next to him couldn't sit still: "Damn it, I'm going to Sichuan to fight that BYD, Old Song!"

Their 601 Research Institute, their home base, only had this J-15 project left, and they want to snatch that too?

How could they snatch food from a tiger's mouth like this?

Looking at their agitated expressions, Jiang Dingqian said with a chuckle, "Did I say the carrier-based aircraft project was snatched by the 611 Institute?"

"Isn't it?" Everyone was puzzled.

"Shelving the J-15 project means our 601 Research Institute will develop an even better carrier-based aircraft," Jiang Dingqian suddenly revealed a smile.

"We are going to develop a fifth-generation carrier-based aircraft, the J-35 carrier-based aircraft! (FC-31)"

Upon hearing this,

Everyone present had expressions of bewilderment and disbelief, looking at Jiang Dingqian with a 'meaningful' look.

"Jiang Dingqian, you haven't been stimulated, have you?"

A somewhat rough middle-aged man twitched his mouth: "Our Varyag aircraft carrier hasn't even finished its refit, and you're already going to build the J-35? Isn't that thinking too far ahead?"

The aircraft carrier isn't even in service yet, and you want the carrier-based aircraft to jump straight to a fifth-generation one?

This is like wanting to take off from a standstill before you've even learned to run.

Jiang Dingqian retorted indignantly, "What? The 611 Institute can build the J-20, so we can't build the J-35?"

Someone next to him countered, "The J-20 is a heavy air superiority fighter. How can we compare? That thing can't even land on an aircraft carrier, can it?"

Jiang Dingqian glared at him: "Then with this technology, do you think we can build the J-35?"

Without waiting for their reply, he directly pressed the projector switch.

A title appeared on the screen.

[Titanium alloy frame and integrated wing-body manufacturing technology process...]

[Gallium arsenide component avionics technology...]

"Hiss... Gallium arsenide components? Which radar research institute came up with this?"

"Integrated iron alloy frame? Can our domestic 30,000-ton die forging press produce it?"

"This forging technology is pretty good. It should come in handy when the 80,000-ton die forging press from Erzhong is built."

"Jiang Dingqian, you want to build the J-35 with just these two technologies? Isn't it a bit early?"

Several research group leaders expressed their opinions on this.

They could build it, but only a small part of it.

To build a fifth-generation carrier-based aircraft, the required technology was far more than just this.

However,

"Then with this technology, can't we develop a fifth-generation carrier-based aircraft?"

After Jiang Dingqian finished speaking, the projector screen refreshed again.

[New type of ultra-large thrust engine technology!]

[Total thrust: 191KN, Military thrust without afterburner: 128KN]

[...]

Looking at the lines of data and detailed descriptions, the entire scene fell into a prolonged silence.

A storm surged in their hearts, like a huge surprise falling from the sky.

"Hiss... Where did this engine technology come from? Its performance is too outrageous, isn't it?"

"If there really is such engine technology, I feel that developing a fifth-generation carrier-based aircraft wouldn't be a problem..."

"Still not good. You forgot this is a carrier-based aircraft. How can the Varyag withstand the take-off and landing requirements of a fifth-generation aircraft?"

"You have a point..."

For a moment, the hope that many had just ignited dimmed again.

After all, this J-15 was ultimately an improvement based on the Su-33 and J-11. Who among them didn't hope to develop a fifth-generation carrier-based aircraft?

However, for a carrier-based aircraft, the primary consideration is not its own performance but whether it can be used on an aircraft carrier.

And even after modification, the current Varyag aircraft carrier's deck simply cannot withstand the take-off and landing requirements of such a fighter. Are you planning to return for maintenance every few months after using it?

Is that even an aircraft carrier?

However, this feeling of disappointment did not last long.

"Who said it couldn't be deployed on a ship?"

Jiang Dingqian glanced at everyone: "Couldn't we just develop a vertical take-off and landing version of the J-35?"

After he finished speaking, a brand new technology was displayed on the projector screen.

[New type of ultra-large thrust engine technology!]

[Maximum thrust: 182KN, Military thrust without afterburner: 120KN]

[Total hovering thrust: 180KN, Main engine hovering thrust: 83KN, Lift fan: 83KN, Roll control nozzle: 14.6KN]

Looking at this technology, everyone's eyes widened, and their heads buzzed as they sat in their chairs.

This aero-engine even had a vertical take-off and landing version? Wouldn't that mean even an amphibious assault ship could use it?

As for aircraft carriers, that would naturally be even less of a problem.

Jiang Dingqian would never joke with them using these technologies, so this meant?

It was real!

They naturally saw that this engine was clearly Eagle-chan's F135 engine, and the vertical take-off and landing version was the F-35B, while the carrier-based version was the F-35C.

But so what? Who would care about such a small detail as where the technology came from?

They were researchers, not intelligence personnel. As long as the technology was real, wasn't that enough?

"We're going to build the J-35!"

"This time it will definitely work, our 601 Research Institute is going to build a fifth-generation carrier-based aircraft!" Everyone said excitedly, their faces red.

Being surpassed by the 611 Institute they had nurtured, with others now developing the J-20 while they were still building a replica J-15, who could feel good about that?

This time, they absolutely had to build the J-35 to bring honor to the entire 601 Research Institute!

As for the J-15? Unfamiliar, they were really unfamiliar with it.

When it was deep night in Da Xia.

It was still ten in the morning in California, at the LLNL Laboratory.

Still in the lounge area of the main experimental building, the two 'Great Buddhas' sat motionless on the sofa.

"Lucy, don't you have a good appetite today?" Lu Ze asked with some concern.

He glanced at the food piled in front of Lucy: why were there only two Big Mac burgers, one serving of fries, and three egg tarts?

Something was off.

She was eating far too little. Was she sick? Her appetite was less than half of usual.

"The vacation is less than three weeks... it's really too short," Lucy slumped on the table, like a salted fish without dreams.

Listening to her complaints, Lu Ze finally understood.

She had learned about the LLNL Laboratory's vacation arrangements for graduate students, and Lucy was severely dissatisfied with the short vacation.

After all, compared to the two or three months of summer and winter vacations she had in college, this was practically no vacation at all, wasn't it?

Lu Ze couldn't help but laugh: "It's good that we even have a summer vacation. Most LLNL Laboratories don't give any vacation at all."

If a LLNL Laboratory and advisor didn't want an intern graduate student to have a vacation, then forget about summer vacation, you'd have to stay in the LLNL Laboratory for Christmas and New Year. This is a common rule in all universities worldwide.

"I wanted to go to Da Xia with you during the summer vacation, but this little bit of vacation isn't enough, is it?"

Lucy was a bit resentful: "Aren't pandas in Sichuan? Won't I even get to see them?"

She remembered that Lu Ze's hometown was over a thousand kilometers from Sichuan, and with all the flights and time zone changes, that alone would take several days.

Even if she could barely manage a trip to Sichuan, there wouldn't be enough time for other attractions. She was also very interested in the murals of the Mogao Grottoes.

She finally had a chance to travel to Da Xia with Lu Ze to explore cultural relics, only to be told that the vacation wasn't enough?

How could she eat under such circumstances!

"It's just for that..." Lu Ze's face darkened: "Who told you that pandas are only found in Sichuan?"

"Huh???"

"Our Northwest Province zoo also has a panda exhibit. There's plenty of time."

"Really? That's great! Remember to take me to Da Xia then." Lucy's eyes lit up.

As long as she could see pandas, she didn't care if it was in Sichuan or not.

It was important to know that when 'Mei Lan', the panda at the Atlanta Zoo, was born a few years ago, she was directly selected as Eagle-chan's 'Person of the Year' by Time Magazine in 2006. Tens of millions of people watched her birth online, and tickets for visits were booked a year in advance.

Even now, more than two years later, tickets are still hard to come by.

If Atlanta wasn't over four thousand kilometers from the Bay Area, Lucy herself would have been one of the frenzied ticket snatchers.

Just as she heard the good news and her appetite greatly increased, ready to eat a lot,

"Lucy, do you know the rules for promoting employee levels at the LLNL Laboratory?" Lu Ze looked at her, finally asking the question in his heart.

"LLNL Laboratory promotion rules?"

Lucy ate her ice cream, tilting her head thoughtfully: "If you want to go from D-level to C-level, it's very simple. Years of work, number of papers published, etc., can all allow you to be successfully promoted."

D-level only means becoming a regular employee, while C-level is similar to an intern researcher at the Da Xia Academy of Sciences, having initially entered a research position at the LLNL Laboratory.

"As for B-level, the requirements are the number of SCI Zone 1 and Zone 2 papers published, breakthroughs in scientific research, more than ten years of work at the LLNL Laboratory, and so on. As for promotion to A-level, it requires a joint review by the Department of Defense and the Department of Energy."

Generally speaking, the vast majority of researchers at the LLNL Laboratory will stop at B-level clearance. Reaching A-level employee is similar to a Da Xia's senior research fellow at the second or third level, while first-level researchers are generally held by academicians of both academies.

"For example, those few papers you published at DUKE University before are actually enough to promote you to C-level."

"I understand." Lu Ze nodded.

Promoting to C-level or B-level would not be too difficult for him. For him, a transmigrator from more than ten years in the future, it would be a piece of cake to churn out a few meaningless SCI Zone 2 papers, like he did before at DUKE University.

He could even, like the shameless South Korea and India in later generations, directly publish some papers that are difficult to distinguish between true and false. This is a very common problem in the scientific research community, with the proportion of fraudulent or fabricated papers in neuroscience exceeding 30%, and in the medical field, there are even Nobel laureates who won through fraud.

After figuring this out, he finally knew what to do in the future.

'Why not just publish some papers related to hydrogen energy vehicles?'

'Those grand, empty papers on space-based weapons also seem good. Wasn't this something Eagle-chan proposed before? It's about time they implemented it, right?' Lu Ze thought to himself.

If he accidentally led Eagle-chan down these roads of no return, then his painstaking efforts wouldn't have been in vain.

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