168: Chapter 168 The Stainless Steel War God's Re-employment
Two days later.
DYB North America R&D Center.
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Li Jianguo projected the screening report onto the holographic screen; three full pages listed the world's current and retired main aircraft models. F-15, Su-27, F-4, Mirage 2000, MiG-29, F-14... each model was clearly marked with its modification cycle, estimated cost, and feasibility assessment.
Fu Haoran read from beginning to end, his fingers tapping the tabletop rhythmically twice.
“F-15, modification cycle of nine months—too long.”
“Su-27, the airframe procurement cost is too high, and the supply chain is a bottleneck.”
“F-4, the model is too old; its modification potential is basically zero.”
“Mirage 2000, the French are very strict with arms sales; it's impossible to get airframes in bulk.”
“MiG-29, its range is too short; it can't even fly from Washington to New York. Useless.”
He looked up, his tone flat but unquestionable: “None of these will work.”
Li Jianguo did not argue.
He knew Fu Haoran wanted a platform that could be modified in bulk and form combat capability within five months.
Finally, Fu Haoran's gaze fell on the two models at the end of the list: the MiG-25 and MiG-31.
The modification threshold and structural redundancy of these two Soviet-made fighters perfectly fit his core requirements. But the biggest problem was: where could they get a bulk supply of airframes in good condition?
Just then, the voice of the AI, Jarvis, suddenly sounded:
“Sir, my web crawler has picked up a new piece of news. The Kazakhstan Ministry of Defense has just released a global auction announcement for a new round of retired fighter jets. They are willing to sell 117 Soviet-era retired fighters for a package price of 3.83 million US dollars.”
A long list of airframes instantly popped up on the holographic screen, and Fu Haoran's gaze immediately locked on.
Among this batch of fighters, there was not only the MiG-25 he favored, but also the MiG-31, MiG-29, Su-24, and several other models. Many of these are still serving in the air forces of CIS countries to this day.
The report content scrolled across the screen simultaneously: The Kazakhstan Air Force has been in a large-scale re-equipment phase in recent years. The core goal is to transition from a Soviet-style air force system to a Westernized advanced air force. To this end, they decided to retire the old fighters left over from the Soviet era in bulk. This batch of auctioned models is the core disposal asset of the re-equipment plan.
Fu Haoran stared at the “MiG-25” model name on the screen, his fingers coming to a complete stop.
“Jarvis, pull up the complete airframe data for the MiG-25.”
The holographic model slowly unfolded in the air, with the MiG-25's structural diagram rotating 360 degrees. The core parameters were clear at a glance: 80% of the airframe is a welded stainless steel structure, with a maximum level flight speed of Mach 2.8 and a service ceiling of 24,000 meters.
The original configuration included two R-15B-300 turbojet engines, each with a maximum afterburning thrust of 11 tons.
Four under-wing heavy-load hardpoints, with a maximum payload of four tons.
A pure hydraulic flight control system, with a structure so simple that a township-level sheet metal factory could complete maintenance and repairs.
Li Jianguo's recommended plan was also marked next to the model. His core idea for the upgrade was to remove the old RP-25 Radar and use its massive radar bay space to directly insert the domestic AESA phased-array radar adapted for the F-22, without making any structural changes to the fuselage.
Fu Haoran stared at the model for a long while before finally deciding: “This is the one.”
Li Jianguo approached the holographic model, his brow furrowing instantly. He steeled himself to remind him: “President Fu, I must be clear with you about the shortcomings of this model.”
“The MiG-25 is an interceptor design from the 1960s. Its low-altitude maneuverability is extremely poor, its standard combat range is only 1,800 kilometers, and the original radar has no look-down/shoot-down capability. In today's air combat environment, its weaknesses are very obvious.”
“I want a combat platform that can fly with an engine attached, not the king of dogfights.” Fu Haoran interrupted him directly, his tone devoid of hesitation. “A stainless steel fuselage and simple welding processes are a godsend for us. It means the threshold for repair and modification is extremely low. Even our non-standard processing equipment can adapt to it with zero threshold.”
“The radar bay is large enough to directly transplant the domestic AESA Radar from the F-22 project, solving the avionics and detection problems in one step.”
“The hydraulic flight control structure is simple enough that whether it's for subsequent manned modifications or unmanned adaptation, the threshold is extremely low. There's no need for complex digital signal conversion.”
Fu Haoran paused and looked at Li Jianguo: “Is that enough?”
Li Jianguo fell silent for a moment, then nodded heavily: “It’s enough.”
Having spent his life in aviation, he understood the value of this plan all too well.
There was no need to design a fuselage from scratch, no need to conquer complex composite material processes, and no need to adapt to a brand-new aerodynamic layout. All they had to do was swap the engines, install the radar, and modify the flight controls. Completing bulk modifications and achieving the first flight within five months was completely feasible.
He had previously focused only on the performance shortcomings on paper, forgetting that the boss never wanted the most advanced fighter, but the fighter that could be deployed and enter combat the fastest.
Fu Haoran turned to Jarvis: “When does the auction start?”
“At 8:00 PM tonight, the global online auction begins simultaneously.”
“Register a bidding account. No matter who bids, we follow to the end. We must secure this batch of fighters with full payment.”
“Register a bidding account. No matter who bids, we follow to the end. We must secure this batch of fighters with full payment.”
...
As a former Soviet republic, Kazakhstan has recently been pushed to the forefront of the global military circle because of this fighter auction.
The package auction of 117 Soviet-era fighters had a starting price of less than 4 million US dollars. The average price per aircraft was less than 40,000 US dollars—truly a bargain price.
As soon as the news broke, the global military enthusiast community exploded.
But only the Kazakhstan Air Force itself knew that these fighters had long since become an inescapable burden.
Most of these fighters were delivered between 1975 and 1989 and had been in storage for over twenty years. With aging airframes and obsolete avionics, the annual maintenance cost was an astronomical figure.
More importantly, the sale of these fighters was essentially Kazakhstan's way of showing its allegiance to NATO, completely phasing out Soviet equipment and turning fully toward the Western air force system.
To this end, Kazakhstan had already held two consecutive online auctions. The price was lowered again and again, yet they remained unsold.
If they failed to sell again this time, they would have no choice but to dismantle the entire batch of fighters and scrap them for iron.
That evening, the online auction began on time.
The number of onlookers exceeded 100,000, and the live comments were dense, but not a single person actually placed a bid.
“To be honest, it's really hard to find a buyer for a package deal like this. These planes can basically only go to museums, but which museum needs over a hundred of the same model?”
“What do those people upstairs know? Take the MiG-29, for example. A new one normally sells for over 30 million US dollars. Even if they're retired and second-hand, this package price is like getting them for free!”
“I've done the math. On average, it's less than 40,000 US dollars per plane. This isn't just a bargain; it’s a giveaway!”
Just when the spectators thought this auction would end in failure again, the auction page suddenly underwent a world-shaking change.
The 117 fighters on the page were marked “Sold Out,” “Sold Out,” “Sold Out” one after another!
In the blink of an eye, all 117 fighters were purchased by the same ID, and the full payment was transferred instantly!
The live stream room instantly exploded.
“Holy crap! A mysterious tycoon has appeared!”
“Looking at the Pinyin in the ID, it seems to be a Chinese person!”
“Are they crazy? Why buy over a hundred retired fighters? You can't even fly them when you get them back!”
“You don't understand the world of the rich. Can't they just buy them back to take them apart for parts?”
Although the matter caused a stir online, it ultimately only circulated within small military enthusiast circles and didn't create a larger wave.
The most shocked, however, was the auction committee of the Kazakhstan Air Force.
They had already prepared for a third failed auction and were ready to dismantle the fighters. They never expected to actually encounter such a benefactor who would take all 117 fighters in one go.
On the other side, at the DYB North America R&D Center.
Jarvis's voice sounded again: “Sir, the auction house has confirmed that the full payment for the 117 fighters has been paid, and all ownership belongs to us. The fighters are currently all stored at Karaganda Air Base. The buyer needs to go there personally for dismantling and transportation.”
“Got it.” Fu Haoran stood up. “Send over the precise coordinates of the base. I'll make the trip myself.”
For Fu Haoran, who could freely travel between the two worlds, transportation was never an issue.
It was simply a matter of putting the dismantled airframes into the Warhammer World first, and then transporting them from the Warhammer World back to the modification workshop in the 2K World. This process bypassed all international arms sales and customs monitoring restrictions, making it ten thousand times simpler than conventional transportation.
...
Three days later.
DYB Headquarters, modification workshop.
A complete MiG-25 airframe was taken out of the Warp by Fu Haoran and placed steadily on the modification platform.
Father Kallun stood by the airframe, his optical lenses scanning from nose to tail. Binary data streams flashed wildly in his vision, and his mouth was constantly chanting praises to the Omnissiah.
“Praise the Machine God! Could this be the original prototype of the ancient Lightning fighter? It truly shares the same lineage as the design of the Holy Omnissiah!”
It was no wonder Father Kallun was so moved. The “brute force” design of the MiG-25 was simply too perfectly aligned with the industrial aesthetic of the Imperium of Man.
The Imperial flight vehicles of the Warhammer World are almost without exception boxy, all-metal structures that rely on brute force thrust to achieve performance, sharing a design philosophy strikingly similar to that of the MiG-25.
The only difference is that the MiG-25's design fully adheres to aerodynamic principles, making its aerodynamic design several orders of magnitude superior to that of the Imperium's vehicles.
More importantly, the MiG-25's outer shell construction is not overly complex, leaving significant room for subsequent simplification and upgrades; one could even use an STC Printer to mass-produce fuselage parts directly.
Fu Haoran ultimately did not choose the MiG-31 for a very simple reason:
The MiG-31 is larger, its fuselage structure is more complex, and the control logic for its two-man crew is cumbersome, making it impossible to pull off the extreme maneuvers achievable with a MiG-25.
Not to mention, the MiG-31's low-altitude handling quality is a disaster. Only novices would choose the 31 based on paper data; true veterans always prefer the more flexible MiG-25, which has greater modification potential and can perform wonders with just a single pilot.
In the era when this interceptor was born, limited by radar and missile technology, interception operations were primarily tail-chase attacks. With limited vertical radar visibility, an interceptor had to possess extreme high-altitude and high-speed capabilities.
Only by standing at the highest point could one seize a missile launch position.
Only by flying fast enough could one catch up with enemy strategic bombers and reconnaissance aircraft.
Currently, Fu Haoran has neither a systematic satellite network for assistance, nor AWACS formations, nor a powerful ground radar network. Thus, a single aircraft's maximum speed and service ceiling have become the core of the struggle for air superiority.
"My Lord, this aircraft perfectly meets our operational requirements." Father Kallun looked at the final scan data, his voice filled with excitement. "My plan is to replace the fuselage skin and non-load-bearing structures with Imperial Plasteel to reduce weight, and then refit it with the RX-92-00 Mars-pattern Composite Engine."
His mechanical dendrites traced a holographic projection in the air, clearly listing the modified performance parameters:
"The RX-92-00 engine is the standard main engine for the Imperium of Man's Thunderhawk Gunships. It is essentially a rocket-afterburning turbofan composite engine, with a maximum afterburning thrust exceeding 220 kilonewtons—nearly double that of the original turbojet engine."
"Its core advantage is its perfect adaptation to both supersonic flight within the atmosphere and navigation in the vacuum of near-earth orbit. With an energy conversion rate exceeding 65%, even without additional modifications, it can push this fighter directly out of the atmosphere to complete sub-orbital transits."
"After replacing the engine and reducing weight with the Plasteel skin, the aircraft's empty weight will drop from 20 tons to 14 tons. The thrust-to-weight ratio will increase by 30%, the maximum level flight speed is expected to exceed Mach 4, the service ceiling will surpass 40,000 meters, and the combat radius will simultaneously increase to over 2,500 kilometers, fully covering the operational needs of the entire Hive City."
Fu Haoran looked at the parameters and nodded with satisfaction.
What he wanted was never just a fighter for use within the atmosphere, but an all-purpose platform capable of transiting between the atmosphere and orbit under orbital blockade—able to fight, run, conduct raids, and perform reconnaissance. The RX-92-00 engine paired with the MiG-25 fuselage perfectly achieved this goal.
Just then, Li Jianguo walked over from the nose of the plane, his tablet displaying a 3D scan of the radar bay. His face carried a hint of excitement, but also a touch of difficulty.
"President Fu, the good news is that the old RP-25 Radar has been completely removed. The internal space of the radar bay is even larger than we expected. The domestic AESA Radar array designed for the F-22 can be fitted directly inside without any modifications to the fuselage structure. I estimate that the complete migration and adaptation of the avionics system can be finished in three months."
"But the bad news is that we'll find it very difficult to handle the modification of the flight control system in a short time."
Fu Haoran nodded, not surprised by this.
"I've already considered that issue. You can use the Silicon Carbide power devices from our new energy electric vehicles to replace the original hydraulic flight control power components, and use a mature BMS Battery Management System to optimize the flight control's response logic and cooling solution."
"As long as it's equipment or technology already proven mature on electric vehicles, you can directly copy and use it."
He paused, adding casually, "I only have one requirement: the test flight must be completed within five months, and then put into actual combat... ahem, I mean, be ready to be fully demonstrated to potential customers."
Li Jianguo instantly felt a heavy pressure, but he still nodded firmly: "Understood, President Fu. I will definitely finish on schedule."
The conversation finally turned to the core issue of production capacity.
Father Kallun reported: "My Lord, the industrial-grade STC Printers in the Hive City, running at full capacity, can print one complete RX-92-00 engine every ten days. Within a five-month period, we expect to stably produce 15 engines."
Fu Haoran shook his head with dissatisfaction: "Not enough. 15 engines are only enough for 7 fighters; we can't even put together a full combat squadron."
He pondered for a few seconds before finally making a decision: "How about this: take one complete engine prototype and a full set of production blueprints and hand them over to domestic partner enterprises. Let them help us with replication and mass production."
Li Jianguo was instantly stunned, looking at Fu Haoran with a face full of shock: "President Fu, this is our core technology! Handing it over like this, aren't you afraid of leaking trade secrets, or even military secrets?"
Fu Haoran smiled dismissively: "What's there to fear? Even if I made the full set of blueprints public, how many countries in the world could actually achieve mass production? Or do you think there's much demand for this level of engine in the civilian market?"
"If we want to build a complete supply chain, we must make concessions. Our core potential customers are in Europe and America."
"Besides, competition breeds progress. Without opponents watching us, where would we get the motivation to continuously optimize and upgrade?"
Li Jianguo was instantly filled with shame; his boss's vision was far grander than his own.
But what he didn't know was that Fu Haoran had another half-sentence he didn't say aloud—anyway, in the Warhammer World, there are no patent protection laws. Being able to replicate it is a skill in itself.
...
Meanwhile, in the Imperial Capital of East Asia, in a certain classified meeting room.
Old Zhou from the National Security Bureau had already worked three consecutive days of overtime.
The cause was that group of Americas who had suddenly entered the country last week.
These people all had military or police backgrounds, a grand total of dozens of them.
Old Zhou's first reaction was spy infiltration. He pulled everyone's files overnight, only to find that after entering the country, this group had only done three things: seek medical treatment, eat, and go shopping.
MRIs, insulin, orthopedic surgeries—it was all written clearly in their medical records.
After their medical visits, they went in groups to eat roast duck, mutton hotpot, and crawfish; a few even ran off to the Great Wall to take selfies.
Old Zhou watched them for an entire week and failed to find a single anomaly.
Just as that matter was settling down, a new situation arose.
Li Jianguo's encrypted channel had suddenly transmitted a blueprint back to the country, labeled as the "Complete Design Schematics for the RX-92-00 Mars-pattern Composite Engine."
Several academicians from the Chinese Academy of Sciences were invited over night to study the blueprints for an entire evening.
The next morning, the lead Old Academician took off his reading glasses and said in a firm tone: "This is no ordinary aircraft engine; this is a rocket engine."
"According to the design parameters, this thing can directly enter outer space."
"A rocket engine?" Old Zhou was stunned. "The requirement Li Jianguo wrote there was for modifying fighter jets."
"Then it makes even less sense." The Old Academician pointed at the composite combustion chamber structure on the blueprint. "This energy conversion rate, this thrust-to-weight ratio—even our next generation of rocket engines can't reach this. They want to install this thing on a plane?"
The meeting room fell silent for a good while.
Someone spoke up: "Could it be a next-generation military engine? Like something from the Star Wars program?"
No one could answer.
But everyone realized that the weight of these blueprints was far greater than that of those dozens of America military and police officers seeking medical treatment last week.
Over the next few days, big shots from various sectors took turns appearing.
Representatives from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the military, the Space Agency, and major aviation plants crowded the meeting room.
The focus of the debate was only one thing: how to handle this?
"The core technology of the RX-92-00 far exceeds our current levels. We must first complete the replication, then study the principles."
"Li Jianguo's side is in a hurry; they need it installed for a test flight within five months. We can't hold them back."
"But for an engine of this level, just replicating it would require mobilizing the entire national aviation industry chain. Who leads? Who pays? Who owns the intellectual property?"
"The Space Agency must also be involved. This engine's rocket mode can enter orbit directly, which has direct reference value for the next generation of launch vehicles."
At the end of the debate, the Chief sitting in the main seat made the final decision.
"This must be done!"
"The Aviation Industry Corporation, the Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences are to immediately establish a joint task force. Draw the top experts and work 24 hours a day without interruption. First, complete the replication and mass production of the engine as requested. There must be no mistakes!"
"The reverse engineering of the technical principles will proceed simultaneously, but it must be kept strictly confidential. Not a single word is to be leaked to the outside world!"
"Remember, what we want is to establish a long-term, stable cooperative relationship with this Mr. Fu. Understood?"
In the meeting room, everyone stood up at the same time and responded in unison.
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