187: Bomb Truck: The World's Most Powerful Heavy Fighter!

"What?"

"The Y-20 Strategic Transport Aircraft might complete its maiden flight and enter service within three months!"

Upon hearing this news, all senior generals in the Ministry of National Defense conference room stood up, their faces filled with excitement!

They had already known about the maiden flight of the J-16 "Qianlong" Fighter Jet a few days ago; it was no secret!

But compared to the J-16 Fighter Jet, the Y-20 Strategic Transport Aircraft held significantly greater strategic importance for Dragon Country given its current situation!

Especially Army Commander-in-Chief Zhou Zhenbang and Air Force Commander Liu Yufei, who were so excited they almost jumped up!

Once Dragon Country possessed a strategic transport aircraft like the Y-20, it would not only mean that weapons and equipment purchased by Iraq could be delivered via air routes!

More importantly, the Y-20 would directly allow Dragon Country's Heavy Combined Arms Brigade to be deployed as a complete unit to any region in the Asia-Pacific within 24 hours!

At that time, Dragon Country would possess the power to intervene on the ground in any Global war!

The powerful Army would no longer be limited to safeguarding national security!

A complete Heavy Combined Arms Brigade would directly be able to protect all of Dragon Country's overseas interests!

By then, if the USA still wanted to personally intervene and launch a military strike against Iraq, it would have to carefully consider whether it was prepared to directly face Dragon Country's Heavy Combined Arms Brigade!

Additionally, after acquiring the Y-20 Strategic Transport Aircraft, the Dragon Country Air Force could also officially develop its elite airborne forces!

For both the Army and the Air Force, it held significant strategic importance!

"That's right!"

"The Y-20 Strategic Transport Aircraft can complete its maiden flight within three months!"

Peng Lin looked at everyone and nodded solemnly, saying.

Currently, the Y-20's research and development progress has reached 80%, with only a few core technologies yet to be fully overcome.

But as soon as the J-16 Fighter Jet completes its maiden flight, Peng Lin will receive the 10,000 research points reward from the S-rank R&D mission and invest them into the Y-20 project.

Therefore, Peng Lin is very confident about the Y-20's maiden flight within three months.

"Good!"

"Then I will personally negotiate with the Elak Ministry of Defense and government to discuss matters related to overseas Air Force bases!"

"First, let's solve the issue of oil tanker transportation!"

"Additionally, the Navy will immediately dispatch a fleet of warships. If negotiations there are completed, a joint air and sea escort fleet can be formed in the Arabian Sea!"

Marshal Xu Yong'an said to everyone.

At the same time, he brought this emergency meeting to a close... June 2nd.

After a day's delay, Peng Lin once again arrived at the Yanjiao Flight Test Base.

At dawn.

Peng Lin, as the chief designer and project commander of the J-16, solemnly signed the flight release form.

Compared to the tension during the J-10's maiden flight, he was now much more composed and confident.

All the engineers from Dragon Country's aviation industry who participated in the J-16 R&D project also became more mature.

Both the accumulated experience from the J-10 and its formidable performance and combat capabilities in actual combat gave the many aviation engineers in Dragon Country immense confidence.

They believed they had already entered the first tier of Global aviation industry development!

At six in the morning.

A rift was torn in the lead-gray clouds by the morning light, and the J-16 "Qianlong" Fighter Jet lay silently at the end of the runway, its slender twin-engine fuselage like two crossed, unsheathed sharp swords.

The full-moving horizontal stabilizer and the blended wing-body junction gleamed with the characteristic greenish-gray luster of composite materials, and the serrated stealth design on the edges of the ventral air intakes resembled the fangs of a beast.

Ground crew were removing the last wheel chocks, and the PL-15 long-range air-to-air missiles mounted under the wings reflected a cold, sharp light in the morning sun.

The pilot for the J-16 "Qianlong" Fighter Jet was still Lei Yi, the Air Force's ace test pilot.

At this moment, Lei Yi fastened his anti-g suit helmet, his fingertips tracing the touch panel of the full-glass cockpit.

Following the tower's command, he pushed the twin-engine ignition switch with his thumb, and the two WS-10B "Taihang" engines roared suddenly, the afterburners spewing a deep blue tail flame, thrust surging from 8 tons per engine to 24 tons!

On the instrument panel, the turbine speed exceeded 15,000 rpm, and all high-pressure compressor parameters lit up green.

Observers on both sides of the runway had to cover their ears as swirling sand and gravel pelted the bulletproof observation windows.

"Qianlong requests to taxi!"

Test pilot Lei Yi's voice came through the radio.

"Granted!"

As soon as the command fell, the fighter jet shot out like an arrow from a bow.

At 400 meters, the speed reached 280 km/h, the full-moving canards and flaps collaboratively deflected to +7°, and the nose pitched up like a hunting falcon.

The main wheels lifted lightly off the ground at 580 meters, the aircraft piercing the clouds at an 18° angle of attack, and the vortices trailing from the vertical stabilizer shredded the flags beside the runway.

After climbing to 5000 meters, Lei Yi abruptly pushed the stick to enter tactical testing.

The J-16 rolled left then right at a roll rate of 270°/second, its composite skin enduring 9G overload without a tremor.

Immediately followed by a high-difficulty "Cobra maneuver," the fighter jet decelerated from Mach 0.9 to a stall state in 2 seconds, the aircraft's ventral aero-engine nozzles instantly deflecting 30°, completing the attitude recovery like a giant python flicking its tail.

In the command hall, Peng Lin stared intently at the real-time data stream:

"Steady turn test: 360° turn at 800 km/h took 19 seconds, overload 7.2 G!"

"Supersonic cruise: Mach 1.8 sustained flight for 17 minutes!"

Every parameter elicited exclamations from the engineers.

When the HUD displayed radar lock on a target drone 300 kilometers away, the numerous designers from Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group, and Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) in the command hall erupted in thunderous applause.

This meant the J-16's phased array radar detection range had surpassed that of the F-15C!

Coupled with the PL-15 long-range air-to-air missile, the J-16 "Qianlong" would possess the parameters and strength to contend for the strongest twin-engine heavy fighter jet in the Global!

Three hours later, the fuel warning sounded.

Test pilot Lei Yi maneuvered this 32-ton steel beast to cut into the landing approach at an almost vertical angle.

The moment the main wheels touched down, the drag chute blossomed like a silver lotus.

When the fighter jet came to a steady stop in front of the control tower, ground crew found the tire temperature was as high as 260℃.

And this was undoubtedly the best badge of honor for the perfect maiden flight of a twin-engine heavy fighter jet!

"All data meets design specifications!"

"The J-16 "Qianlong" Fighter Jet's maiden flight is successful!"

At this moment, an incredibly excited voice came over the broadcast.

Immediately after, the entire Yanjiao Flight Test Base began to vibrate!

Although the number of personnel attending the J-16's maiden flight ceremony this time was not as spectacular and grand as that of the J-10's maiden flight, it did not hinder the exhilaration of the R&D personnel and aviation engineers!

If the J-10's maiden flight marked the Dragon Country Air Force's entry into the third-generation aircraft era, breaking the Western technological monopoly, and its single-engine light design filled the gap for domestically produced high-performance fighter jets, becoming the backbone of the air defense system.

Then the J-16's maiden flight as a twin-engine heavy fighter jet symbolized the Dragon Country Air Force's transition from territorial defense to a combination of offense and defense. Its large payload, long range, and multi-mission capabilities will significantly enhance the Dragon Country Air Force's long-range precision strike and air superiority combat capabilities, laying the foundation for strategic Air Force development.

Now, the Dragon Country Air Force will transform from a pursuer to a Global leader!

And the J-16, from its inception, will be entrusted with a major strategic mission!

It must form combat capability in the shortest possible time and form combat formations to go to the Middle East to defend Dragon Country's interests!

The J-16 "Qianlong" Fighter Jet will represent the Dragon Country Air Force's brand new image and power projection on a Global scale!