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Chapter 2530 Breakthrough in Nuclear Power (Second Update, Please Subscribe)
The forefront of technology!

Although SEA has been developing cutting-edge technologies for many years and has made significant progress in fields such as aerospace and electronics, consistently ranking among the world's most advanced, there are still many shortcomings in various areas. This necessitates addressing these issues through cooperation with European and American countries or through technology transfer.

After all, even the United States is not far ahead in all fields. The biggest characteristic of the Western world is that even a small country has its own unique strengths in certain technological fields. Western countries have taken advantage of their overall strength to achieve technological integration and thus achieve overall technological superiority over the Eastern world.

As a member of the Western world, SEA naturally would not give up this advantage. In fact, for many years, it has been making up for its own technological deficiencies by introducing technology. It has not only directly acquired a large number of British companies through investment and shareholding, thereby effectively absorbing the overall technology, but also introduced a large amount of technology from European and American countries to improve its own science and technology and industrial level.

Of course, some technologies cannot be imported, or rather, under normal circumstances, the other party is unlikely to transfer them. To acquire such technologies, more effort is required.

"—For it, we transferred relevant technologies for reconnaissance satellites to the United States, from digital photography to data link transmission..."

Inside the test facility of United General Dynamics, Li Yixuan finally saw the core reactor, which looked rather unremarkable in size.

He certainly knew how the reactor was acquired. Several years ago, during the Indian nuclear crisis, the SEA demonstrated its ability to transmit data in real time via reconnaissance satellites to the United States by proactively sharing Indian nuclear intelligence, which naturally made the Pentagon envious.

The two sides then began negotiations. The United States was trying to acquire the technology, but at the time it was only willing to pay money, while SEA did not need money. So the negotiations lasted for more than two years.

It wasn't until three years ago that an agreement was reached in which Washington allowed companies to transfer A4W nuclear reactor technology to the SEA, while Chang'an allowed relevant companies to transfer reconnaissance satellite technology to the United States.

In other words, the two sides exchanged technology for each other through a "commercial transfer." It was precisely because of this that SEA finally obtained the high-powered shipboard nuclear reactor it had long desired.

"The A4W nuclear reactor is the world's most advanced pressurized water reactor and the core power plant of the US Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. It adopts a pressurized water reactor design to achieve miniaturization, with a single unit output power of about 130,000 horsepower. Four tons of nuclear fuel can support the aircraft carrier to sail continuously for 25 years."

As the engineer explained the superior performance of this nuclear reactor, Li Yixuan simply nodded slightly. The reason he came here was because SEA's nuclear-powered aircraft carriers were already in the plan. In the next 10 years, SEA will build two nuclear-powered aircraft carriers to replace the Friendship and Katsuragi.

The A4W nuclear reactor is the power source; it is thanks to it that SEA's nuclear-powered aircraft carriers exist.

就像世界上第一艘核动力航母“企业号”航母一样，其为了实现核动力，直接安装了8台A2W反应堆——这是因为A2W压水反应堆最初并非为航母设计。A2W压水反应堆结构 A2W压水反应堆的单台热功率为150MW，仅能提供35000马力的轴功率。

Furthermore, its fuel purity is only about 6%, so it needs to be replaced every 5 years. Each replacement costs hundreds of millions of dollars.

The exorbitant cost of use is something even the wealthy and powerful United States cannot afford to ignore.

Under these circumstances, the SEA naturally couldn't afford to make the same mistake. Therefore, the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier program was repeatedly delayed, until now.

"We have now begun testing the reactor, and once it passes long-term stability testing, the Navy will place an order..."

When the engineer mentioned the Navy's order, Li Yixuan recalled a piece of information he had just received before coming here. After a moment's thought, he asked:
"Mr. Liu, I'd like to ask, based on your understanding, when will the Russians build a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier?"

He asked this question because the Minsk—after the Soviet aircraft carrier Minsk and its flotilla passed through the Bosphorus Strait, it met up with four other Soviet destroyers at the Soviet Navy's logistics port in the Mediterranean Sea, and then immediately changed course.

"Given the situation in Syria, Moscow believes we have an obligation to maintain peace in Syria and the Middle East..."

As expected, the Minsk aircraft carrier headed towards Syria.

This is the first time the Russians have deployed an aircraft carrier during a crisis. Although they have not yet arrived in the relevant waters, a confrontation at sea is certainly inevitable.

And Syria is just the beginning. Will similar maritime standoffs not occur in Ethiopia or other regions in the future?
That's why he's concerned about whether the Russians will build nuclear-powered aircraft carriers.

"They will definitely build it, but not now."

As a nuclear reactor engineer, Liu Jingxian had some understanding of Soviet shipboard nuclear reactor technology.

"Based on the intelligence we currently possess, the Soviet Union has not yet mastered the technology for high-power marine pressurized water reactors. According to the intelligence department's analysis of Soviet submarines using photos taken by reconnaissance satellites, even the large Soviet submarines under construction still use two nuclear reactors. Although this may be for safety reasons, it also means that they have not solved the relevant technology for high-power nuclear reactors at all. Even if they build a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, it is very likely to be a Soviet version of the Enterprise."

What is the Soviet version of the USS Enterprise aircraft carrier?
Powered by up to eight nuclear reactors, the aircraft carrier's internal space will be further compressed due to the increased number of reactors. On the other hand, this will also significantly increase the carrier's failure rate, weakening its stability and greatly increasing maintenance costs.

Because nuclear reactors use low-abundance fuel, the nuclear fuel rods need to be replaced every 5 to 6 years, and each replacement requires a dry dock stay of up to 2 years.

This is the fundamental reason why the Enterprise is so expensive to operate – roughly one-third of its service life is spent changing fuel.

Moreover, the cost of each nuclear fuel replacement is extremely high, and the final operating cost is not much cheaper than building an Enterprise.

"From an economic point of view, the Soviet Union certainly couldn't afford such an aircraft carrier, since it was just too expensive."

The reason for this judgment is that even the wealthy United States cannot afford the Enterprise.

After thinking for a moment, he said again:

"Of course, there's also the possibility that they might adopt a hybrid power system, combining nuclear and diesel propulsion to build a hybrid-powered aircraft carrier. However, this would negate the advantages of a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier." Nodding, Li Yixuan said:

"Yes, I basically understand now. In other words, in the short term, we don't need to face the possibility of encountering Soviet nuclear-powered aircraft carriers at sea."

This also means that even if a maritime standoff occurs in the future, it is unlikely to be a long-term standoff, since conventionally powered aircraft carriers have limited self-sufficiency.

Liu Jingxian looked at the president. Although he didn't know why he asked about this, he still felt that it was very likely directly related to the situation in Syria.

However, as an engineer, he did not pursue the matter further, as it was not something he needed to concern himself with, even though the whole world was now focused on the Soviet Union, or rather, on the every move of the Minsk aircraft carrier.

As the New Year approaches, the Minsk aircraft carrier has become the most famous aircraft carrier in the world.

More than twenty days ago, the Soviet Union announced to the world that it would not ignore Syria's actions, and at the same time, it transferred the newly commissioned aircraft carrier Minsk from the Black Sea to the Northern Fleet.

The world is watching this aircraft carrier.

In the days that followed, a silent confrontation unfolded.

Despite the fact that, according to the Montreux Convention signed in 36, warships of Black Sea states, including the Soviet Union, have the right to freely pass through the straits during peacetime, provided they notify the Turkish government upon passage.

However, there are exceptions—capital ships cannot use carrier-based aircraft when passing through.

This also means that the Minsk aircraft carrier cannot carry carrier-based aircraft when passing through the Bosphorus Strait.

This also means that when the Minsk aircraft carrier passes through the strait, it has no fighter jets or other support aircraft except for a lone lead helicopter.

It was a "ship" that had no teeth and no fists.

Furthermore, when passing through the strait, the fleet formation cannot exceed 9 warships.

Are such restrictions effective?

It certainly had some effect; theoretically, it limited the combat effectiveness of Soviet warships overseas.

In reality, its effect is not significant at present. Its only effect is to delay the time it takes for the aircraft carrier to directly enter Syrian waters.

Because the Soviet Union had bases near the Mediterranean, although they were not permanent bases, they had the right to use naval and air force bases in Algeria.

Therefore, after the Minsk aircraft carrier group passed through the strait, it did not head directly to Syria, but instead sailed to Algeria.

After gaining independence, Algeria clearly leaned towards the Soviet camp and exchanged Soviet aid for the right to use Soviet naval and air force bases.

As the Minsk aircraft carrier passed through the strait, dozens of Soviet transport planes carried carrier-based aircraft, including MiG-29Ks, to the Blida Air Base in Algeria, the Soviet Union's most crucial air force operations hub in Algeria.

Soviet long-range aviation and transport aircraft units frequently took off and landed here.

The base provided the Soviet Union with a crucial transit point for long-range reconnaissance and power projection in the Mediterranean and the Middle East.

Although there were no permanently stationed Soviet combat squadrons at this airbase, it was used very frequently. Soviet engineers reassembled carrier-based aircraft at this airbase and completed test flights.

After the aircraft carrier Minsk arrived in Algeria, it entered the port of Meers-el-Quaber, near Oran, which was originally France's largest and most modern naval base in North Africa. Ten years after Algeria's independence, it was permitted to use the port as a supply and maintenance depot for the Soviet Navy.

Soviet ships, including submarines and surface vessels, could dock here, resupply, undergo basic repairs, and provide crucial logistical support to the Soviet fleet operating in the Mediterranean.

This significantly extended the Soviet Navy's deployment capabilities in areas far from its home ports on the Black Sea. It also, of course, aided in the armament of the Minsk aircraft carrier.

Without this naval port, the Minsk aircraft carrier would be a toothless and powerless "big ship," but now things are different. After entering the naval port, the Minsk aircraft carrier immediately began its armament.

The Soviet carrier-based pilots who arrived in Algeria earlier by transport planes flew their fighter jets and helicopters directly onto the deck of the Minsk aircraft carrier after the engineers completed the assembly of the aircraft.

Thus, the aircraft carrier, which had been "without fists and teeth," was re-armed. This was precisely the greatest function of overseas military bases, and for the Soviet Union, it was undoubtedly another testament to the success of its global strategy.

Over the next few days, the Soviet troops aboard the Minsk aircraft carrier conducted further training, and only after completing all deployments did they report to Moscow that they were ready.

Then, they received orders from Moscow immediately to go to the Syrian sea area to maintain world peace.

(End of this chapter)