128: Entering the 1980s, the economy began to take off!

January 1st.

Compared to later eras, the New Year's Day holiday at this time was only one day long.

For this rare day off, Peng Lin accompanied Zhu Lin to go shopping at the Wangfujing Department Store.

This was not only where the two first met and got to know each other, but also the most prosperous, lively, and well-stocked place in Yanjing.

However, compared to the "Spring Festival," the civilian celebratory atmosphere for New Year's Day was significantly less intense.

More often, government agencies organized a series of celebratory activities.

Enterprises, institutions, schools, and factories would organize galas, tea parties, or artistic performances, with staff and students participating in choruses, recitations, crosstalk, and other programs.

Ordinary citizens, at most, would have family dinners on this day.

January 2nd.

With the New Year's Day holiday over, Peng Lin entered one of his busiest times of the year.

As the Chief Designer for Equipment Development for both the Army and Air Force, Peng Lin needed to formulate detailed plans and strategies for the two branches' development in the new year of 1980.

For the Army, since the "Beidou Satellite Navigation System" was expected to complete its Asia-Pacific network this year.

Therefore, Peng Lin planned that the Army's primary task this year would be to integrate the "Beidou System" into the Army's command chain, achieving coordinated firepower and precision strikes for tactical missiles and artillery.

Additionally, he also planned to develop a new generation of modular armored platforms for the Army, achieving a common chassis design for artillery, air defense, and engineering vehicles to reduce logistical pressure.

For the Air Force, in addition to leading the core technical breakthroughs for the J-10 "Vigorous Dragon" fighter jet, Peng Lin was also planning a third-generation fighter air combat system centered around the J-10.

He aimed to explore a "Beidou + AWACS + J-10" combined data link to counter NATO's "Hawk Wall" tactic.

Even in strengthening nuclear deterrence, Peng Lin was working on planning.

He set new mission objectives for the Dongfeng-6 intercontinental missile project team entering the 1980s:

Based on the Dongfeng-6's rail-mobile launch experience, promote the standardization of concealed deployment for land-based mobile missile forces to enhance the reliability of second-strike nuclear retaliation.

Longguo currently lacks the ability to develop a sea, land, and air triad nuclear deterrence like the superpowers, so it can only increase investment in land-based intercontinental missiles to consistently maintain a strong and reliable second-strike nuclear retaliation capability!

After all, Longguo is currently being courted by both the Mao Xiong Empire and the Beautiful Country, entirely due to the enhancement of its strategic nuclear deterrence capabilities!

This series of new year's work processing and plan formulation took Peng Lin ten days.

On the morning of January 11th.

Peng Lin had comrades from the secretariats of the Air Force and Army Equipment Development Chief Designer Offices carry relevant documents to Marshal Xu Yong'an's office.

"Hello, Chief! It seems you're quite busy in the new year too!"

Peng Lin approached Marshal Xu's office and found him wearing glasses, reviewing a mountain of documents.

These days, due to the need to formulate the entire military's new year work and training plans, the lights in the entire Ministry of National Defense building stayed on until late at night.

"This is busy and happy!"

"Thanks to you, our military's development in the past year has been too fast, and many development and training plans need to be re-formulated!"

Marshal Xu Yong'an, upon seeing Peng Lin, had a guard bring him a cup of tea and said with a smile.

Subsequently, he picked up the documents Peng Lin had brought and meticulously read and reviewed them.

Peng Lin sat beside him and explained in detail:

"These are the detailed development plans for the Air Force and Army for the new year, as well as the ten-year outlook plan and five-year development plan for the forces entering the 1980s!"

"For the Army, I suggest the military adopt a 'small steps, fast pace' strategy, gradually forming comprehensive composite development and all-domain combat capabilities at a rate of approximately 3 heavy composite brigades being re-equipped and trained each year!"

"For the Air Force, the focus is on key technological breakthroughs and establishing a technology-sharing mechanism with the Army, transferring the Army's mature composite material technology to Air Force fighter jet R&D to shorten the development cycle of J-10 structural components."

"At the same time, share Changhe Factory's electronic countermeasures technology to optimize the Air Force's airborne jamming systems."

"Additionally, it is necessary to jointly establish 'Aviation Special Classes' with military industrial colleges to cultivate a research and development echelon for domestic fighter jets."

"Adhering to the concept of 'independent innovation + systematic breakthroughs,' ensure that the Air Force completes the leap from 'catching up' to 'local leadership' in the early 1980s!"

Marshal Xu Yong'an listened to Peng Lin's explanation while looking at the documents in his hand, nodding silently.

The update of modern military equipment and technological development is simply too fast; a major change could even occur within a few years.

If Longguo were to "mass produce" in the short term, manufacturing equipment for dozens of heavy composite brigades at once.

Then, in a few years or even ten years, the equipment of this force might become obsolete.

Given Longguo's current strategic nuclear deterrence capabilities, Marshal Xu also believed that Peng Lin's "small steps, fast pace" plan perfectly aligned with Longguo's military construction expectations.

Producing only a certain number of advanced weapons and equipment each year not only allows for the continuous maintenance of production line capacity, supporting a large number of skilled production technicians, but also prepares for the constant upgrading and replacement of military equipment!

"Comrade Peng Lin, the Army and Air Force development plans you have formulated are very forward-looking and scientific!"

"I will hold a meeting with comrades from the ministry shortly to discuss and finalize them!"

After a brief look, Marshal Xu Yong'an solemnly put away the documents and said to Peng Lin.

Subsequently, Marshal Xu pulled out a newspaper from beside him and handed it to Peng Lin, eager to share his joy:

"Also, seeing how busy you are, you must not have read today's newspaper yet!"

"Take a look!"

Newspaper?

Peng Lin was slightly puzzled, but he still took it and quickly looked at the front-page headline!

"Good News: Xinhua News Agency's 1979 National Economic Data Bulletin!"

"In 1979, our country's GDP exceeded 296 billion US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 19.7%!

Driven by the national defense science and technology industry, high-end fields such as special materials and precision instruments achieved leapfrog development, with synergistic upgrading across the entire industrial chain, injecting strong momentum into reform and opening up.

The national economy reached a new level, and the pace of modernization continued to accelerate!"

After reading the content of the newspaper, Peng Lin couldn't help but feel his breathing quicken instantly.

He hadn't expected the national statistics department to compile last year's GDP data so quickly.

Moreover, Longguo's economic development was so rapid, reaching an astonishing nearly 20%!

This was absolutely an economic miracle!

Additionally, at the end of last year, Longguo had just signed an agreement with Mao Xiong for low-priced imports of energy and minerals, and signed the "General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade" observer status with the Beautiful Country, which is the World Trade Organization in later generations.

Therefore, in 1980, Longguo's economy would develop and take off even faster!

"When this data was compiled, the high-level leaders were all shaken!"

"And in this, Comrade Peng Lin and Changhe Weapons Industry General Factory have made indispensable contributions!"

"Last year, Changhe Factory received nearly 20 billion US dollars in international arms trade orders, and the 'multiplier effect' of military industrial production on upstream and downstream industries has driven our country's industry to develop at high speed!"

Marshal Xu Yong'an said to Peng Lin with excitement on his face.

Longguo is currently facing a critical stage of economic transformation, and achieving such significant national construction achievements in 1979 clearly invigorated the entire nation and people!

"Ensuring all people across the country have enough food and warm clothes is just the initial goal; if we work even harder, perhaps in a few decades, our descendants in Longguo will also be able to lie on beaches on vacation and sunbathe every day, just like Europeans and Americans!"

Peng Lin was also encouraged by this achievement, and he said with a smile.

Longguo's population base is too enormous; even in later generations, when Longguo became the world's factory, it only barely allowed its people to live decent lives.

However, the truly lucrative high-end manufacturing industries, such as chips, aviation aircraft, precision instruments, etc., are still firmly controlled by Western countries.

In fact, simply relying on the generous profits from these high-end industries and various patent fees, ordinary people in Western countries working four or five hours a day earn more than Longguo people working hard for a whole week.

Therefore, from now on, Longguo must not only develop its military but also rapidly advance in high-tech fields, progressing simultaneously!

"Once the Beidou Satellite Navigation System is built, and if achievements can even be made in Air Force construction, perhaps this year's international arms trade will reach new heights!"

Peng Lin said with anticipation.