80: Shocking! Are you serious? Daxia is going to build an aircraft carrier

Chapter 80: Shocked! Are You Serious? Is Da Xia Building an aircraft carrier?!

The 601 Research Institute is preparing to develop a fifth-generation carrier-based aircraft.

This unmasked news, naturally, spread to various research bases in Da Xia even before its official announcement.

Sichuan.

The 611 Institute, currently the arch-rival of the 601 Research Institute.

Song Qinyi, who was fully immersed in the J-20 development, didn't react much when he heard the news.

After all, how could he not know where the technical data for the J-35 came from, even if others didn't?

"Chief, what do you think?" his assistant beside him asked.

A fifth-generation fighter was one thing, but it was also a carrier-based aircraft. The 601 Research Institute had quietly unleashed a major move this time!

"It seems their 601 Research Institute wants to compete with us."

Song Qinyi sighed twice: "You all need to hurry; if your progress is surpassed by others, it will be a huge loss of face."

He could naturally see that leaking the J-35 development plan was not the intention of the 601 Research Institute.

But that didn't mean Jiang Dingqian wasn't thinking that way; he might be secretly harboring some bad ideas.

"Old Song, what are you worried about?"

Xu Qing, who was in charge of the engine project, still had some oil stains on him. After wiping his oil-covered hands with a towel, he glanced at Song Qinyi: "With our development progress, how could the 601 Research Institute possibly catch up?"

The J-20 was estimated to make its maiden flight in another month or two, while the J-35 project had just been initiated.

It was already several years behind in terms of time; if they were to be caught up, he, Xu Qing, would hug an engine and smash his head in right there.

"Old Xu, aren't you worried about someone snatching the J-20 order?"

The assistant began to tease him with a smile.

Previously, the Air Force had no choice, so the J-20 had to be purchased no matter what.

But once the J-35 was developed, they would have to compare goods carefully, as the Air Force's funds didn't just fall from the sky.

"What's there to be afraid of? Do you think our J-20's performance is poor?"

Xu Qing snorted, appearing unconcerned: "Besides, they are developing a medium multi-role carrier-based aircraft... it has no direct competitive relationship with our J-20."

A medium multi-role carrier-based aircraft could never be compared to a heavy air superiority fighter like the J-20 in terms of performance.

And without an air superiority fighter, where would you get absolute air superiority?

"Old Xu, don't underestimate others. The J-35 fighter has a wider range of applications."

Song Qinyi shook his head: "This is truly a 'multi-role' fighter."

He was very clear about the J-35's performance data; not only could the Air Force and Navy equip it, but even the Army could use a vertical take-off and landing version of the J-35.

By then, in terms of production and procurement volume, their J-20 might truly not be able to compete.

'I wonder what Eagle-land's reaction will be.'

He was now very curious about how Eagle-land would react when they saw this J-35; would they be scared out of their wits?

Eagle-land, look at this J-35, doesn't it resemble your yet-to-be-developed F-35?

The sun hung high, dazzlingly bright.

The midsummer heat of June had already enveloped all of Da Xia, and even the three northeastern provinces had turned on their air conditioners.

The Sichuan region was like a sauna in a furnace, with waves of heat blowing in, adding fuel to the fire of the city.

At this moment.

Zhang Wei, an old military enthusiast, didn't go online surfing at that shady internet cafe. Instead, he took advantage of the holiday to take his child back to the countryside with his wife.

It wasn't far from the 611 Institute, just one city away.

Holding his phone, he squatted on a pile of dirt, constantly refreshing information.

"Zhang Wei, have you finished washing the diapers I asked you to wash?" From inside the house, a high-pitched female voice came, her voice arriving before she did.

"Wife, didn't I tell you?"

Zhang Wei put down the clothes in his hand and sighed: "Outside, you should address me by my title."

He reluctantly turned around to look at his wife. Although her appearance was so bright and charming, others would probably only describe her beauty with the phrase 'a lady from a good family.'

When they first met, Zhang Wei actually thought so too, but it wasn't until after they got married that he understood the meaning of the saying, "Marry a Sichuan-Chongqing woman, enjoy a miserable life."

However, even though his wife was a bit fierce, she was still very reasonable in most situations.

"Got it, husband."

His wife replied, looking at his distracted state and the untouched clothes and diapers beside him.

"Sure enough, you didn't wash them again. Why do you care about 'military,' 'fighter jets, tanks' every day? That stuff isn't edible. With this much effort, you might as well help me mop the floor at home."

They had been married for so many years; how could she not know her husband's hobbies? He must have been busy looking at some military news just now, which is why he wouldn't even do housework.

"If I don't care about this military news—" Zhang Wei's eyes lit up: "Do you mean I can go fishing?"

He only had these two hobbies. If he wasn't allowed to care about military news, then he could only go fishing.

He hadn't fished in a long time, and the mention of it made him eager.

"Fishing?" His wife quickly shook her head: "Then you'd better continue browsing your military news. Don't even think about fishing!"

With that, she rushed back into the house; she had already heard the child crying.

If Zhang Wei stayed at home browsing military news, at most he would be distracted. But if she let him go fishing? Who knew how many days and nights he would fish for?

Chinese people always prefer a compromise.

"It seems fishing is out of the question," Zhang Wei sighed, planning to finish washing the clothes.

Just then, he suddenly felt his phone vibrating wildly in his pocket.

'Beep-boop-beep-boop' notification sounds kept ringing.

He took out his Nokia N72 phone and looked at the screen.

Sure enough, a QQ group chat named 'Da Xia Military Enthusiast Exchange ② Group' was constantly flashing with the latest messages.

"What are these people talking about again?" Zhang Wei felt a little strange. Although this group was usually very lively, it shouldn't be this lively, should it?

He pressed the directional keys a few times and clicked the number 5 on the keypad to enter the group chat. (Feature phone version of QQ, surely no one hasn't used it, right?)

Upon entering, he saw that the group was frantically forwarding a website link. He didn't even see what it was specifically; in a group of a thousand people, almost a hundred messages were scrolling by every second.

Opening the website with his phone browser, it was loading at an extremely slow pace.

Zhang Wei lit a cigarette, not in a hurry at all.

After all, in 2009, 3G mobile communication networks hadn't even become widespread, and most people were still using 2G networks. The internet speed was at most a dozen KB per second. Opening a website that was hundreds or even thousands of KB would naturally take a long time to load.

After loading for a while, the webpage slowly opened.

Suddenly, he saw an extremely alarming piece of news, prominently displayed on the homepage.

【Da Xia Aviation Industry Group and Da Xia 601 Flight Base Research Center jointly announce.】

【They will develop a new generation of fighter jets. It is revealed that this new type of fighter will possess supersonic cruising and stealth capabilities, ensuring the safety of our country's coastal airspace!】

At this moment, Zhang Wei finally understood why the people in the group were so excited; even his hands couldn't help but tremble violently.

A new generation of fighter jets?

And a fighter with supersonic cruising and stealth capabilities? Isn't this exactly what a fifth-generation aircraft possesses?

"No way, are we going to develop another new fifth-generation aircraft?" Zhang Wei muttered, somewhat unable to believe this reality.

The 611 Institute's fifth-generation aircraft had already shown initial results, and now your 601 Research Institute is also going to build a fifth-generation aircraft? Are you playing as a team here?

I knew something was fishy; a fifth-generation aircraft just fell from the sky!

And, more importantly.

He frowned: "Why does this fighter jet need to ensure the safety of our country's coastal airspace?"

This sentence always puzzled him.

If it were an ordinary fighter jet, Da Xia could simply say it would ensure the safety of the dome or defend the blue sky, so why specifically add 'coastal'?

Could it be...

"This new generation fighter jet to be developed is a fifth-generation carrier-based aircraft?" Zhang Wei's eyes widened.

Only this explanation made sense: this was not an ordinary fighter jet, but a carrier-based aircraft, which is why it needed to protect the safety of the ocean.

In the group.

"It even specifically mentions ensuring coastal safety; this clearly indicates it's a carrier-based aircraft."

"A fifth-generation fighter that's also a carrier-based aircraft?"

"A carrier-based aircraft doesn't need a take-off platform, does it? Does it take off and land from an island?"

"Aren't you stating the obvious? Carrier-based aircraft definitely take off and land on an aircraft carrier."

"Wait, an aircraft carrier?? You mean... could this be..."

Since an aircraft carrier is the means to carry carrier-based aircraft, then if Da Xia has a new generation of carrier-based aircraft, it must also have an aircraft carrier.

Thinking of this.

The thousand-person group, which had just seen hundreds of messages per second, suddenly fell silent. Their hearts pounded at an unprecedented speed.

This announcement clearly didn't mention any carrier-based aircraft, let alone any aircraft carrier.

But the speculation behind it was enough to spark wild imagination.

A bold idea emerged in their minds.

"Our Da Xia... is going to build an aircraft carrier?"

aircraft carrier; that single word was enough to excite them.

Not to mention that a new type of carrier-based aircraft was going to be developed, so how far away could the day of the aircraft carrier's realization be?

But how did Da Xia suddenly develop an aircraft carrier? They hadn't heard any rumors recently.

At this moment, almost everyone in the group thought of one thing simultaneously.

Da Xia did indeed possess an aircraft carrier, and it was purchased from abroad.

That was the Varyag aircraft carrier!

"Wasn't that unfinished Varyag aircraft carrier towed back from the Second Hairy country for modification?"

"I remember that aircraft carrier had everything that could be dismantled removed, and even its main shaft was broken, wasn't it?"

"Yes... it was essentially just an empty shell. Could we have repaired it?"

"Holy cow, wasn't it said before that they planned to convert it into a water park or something?"

That Varyag wasn't going to be made into an amusement park? But was going to be converted into an aircraft carrier for use?

Da Xia, you're serious??

(First update. I didn't rest well yesterday and have had a headache all day today. I'll try to get the second update out quickly.)

(Please give monthly votes, recommendation tickets. It's the end of the month; if you don't vote, they'll disappear tomorrow.)