Siheyuan: I eat melons while doing scientific research

Chapter 1272 Pawning Pants (4k)

For those of us working on armored command vehicles, all we have to do is take the chassis, put the equipment from the first-generation command vehicle on it, add some new requirements from the troops, and we've got it all.

The military officer continued his reflections: "Although this equipment may not seem to cause any damage, it is the central node of the troops. I dare predict that, given the level of electronic technology of our comrades in the South, this command vehicle is not just for issuing orders by shouting. Although I don't know the specific functions of this vehicle, my feeling is not wrong."

There are talented people everywhere, and his view is indeed correct. This vehicle is the information hub of the front-line troops, undertaking tasks that are far more complex and demanding than traditional command posts.

"So I find it strange that they would even dare to sell this kind of equipment." Command systems are not something that are easily sold.

However, there's another operation in this world called "castration"—downgrading, removing functions. After these treatments, there's nothing they wouldn't dare sell. This "second-generation command vehicle" here, strictly speaking, is just a youthful version with traditional command post functions; it lacks all advanced features. In fact, even disregarding secrecy requirements, most countries simply can't use these functions—they don't have the capability, you know?

The reason for including this car as a component is to make the entire system more complete.

If it weren't for the fact that reconnaissance vehicles are so difficult to simplify, they probably would have been sold off as reconnaissance vehicles.

Just as people were marveling at the rapid pace of our technological development and trying to learn as much as possible about the things that interested them, preparing to make a big purchase in the upcoming negotiations, a huge cheer suddenly broke out.

This sudden commotion attracted the attention of everyone, whether in the civilian goods area or the defense area; the noise was simply too great!
It was a pure cheer, and one that was completely undisguised. The cheers were filled with excitement, joy, pride, and even a sense of relief.

"We did it! We did it! We did it!"

"We were the fastest to go from the first step to the second!"

"From now on, we'll have everything that others have! We'll have it all!"

"That was way too fast! Hahaha~~~~~~"

All the guests were puzzled as to what kind of news could have caused these hardworking, dedicated, and composed Easterners to express such emotions.

The commotion first came from the consumer electronics exhibition area in the consumer goods section.

On one of the television sets on display, a news segment was being played repeatedly.

On a radio in the next booth, a radio showcasing its reception was also playing the same news.
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Rewind a few hours, at a bomber base in Northwest China, a gleaming silver bomber slowly taxied to one end of the runway, ready for takeoff.

Whether he sets off depends on whether an order is issued from a semi-underground test command center hundreds of kilometers away.

In one of the command center rooms, people were bustling about, many sitting there, each performing their duties.

"The weather in the target area is normal, and the test conditions are good."

"The post-effect test setup is complete, and the personnel have been evacuated from the target area to a safe zone."

"Weather conditions along the flight route are stable!"

"The airspace is cleared, and the follow-up sampling equipment is ready."

"..."

One piece of information after another was reported from each position, and everything pointed to the same possibility.

The conditions for the experiment are now fully met.

"Notify the follow-up sampling aircraft to take off!"

The order was carried by radio waves to the bomber base in the northwest. The gleaming silver bomber roared as its engines began to rumble on the runway, gradually increasing its speed, and finally lifted off with a tremendous roar, flying further west.

This bomber is not the main focus today; its task is post-sampling.

The real protagonist is in another piece of land in the same northwest, but it is far away. As we all know, the "nearby" we talk about is different from the "nearby" in some countries.

This is a rocket launch site. A War Drum 3 rocket stands tall next to the launch tower. Occasionally, a little reddish-brown smoke rises, but it has no impact on the overall structure.

Teams of soldiers were methodically conducting final checks on the missile, while in the launch command center, leaders of the National Defense Industry Committee and several scientists were talking.

"This time, we're really going to launch a big satellite, are you confident?" the leader of the National Defense Industry Committee said with a smile. The satellite he was referring to was not the real satellite, but a metaphor.

"We are quite confident. We spent a lot of extra time to achieve this in one go. With the strong support of our colleagues outside, everything went smoothly. Now it seems that the time spent was worthwhile."

If Gao Zhendong were here, he would be shocked. Holy crap, they're going all out!

Because he could discern from the on-site setup and conversations what the "satellite" being launched truly referred to.

The combination of fusion bomb and missile, achieved in one step, is a real-world test! Such a big step forward in the first attempt to ignite the sun is astonishing to anyone.

In fact, when we are confident, we take big steps when necessary. In the original timeline, the first fusion bomb was a combat-ready munition, dropped from a bomber.

Regardless of whether a deceleration parachute or other means are needed to ensure a successful drop, just tell me if it's possible to drop it from a bomber.

Along this line, with various forms of external assistance, the comrades were greatly empowered and clearly no longer satisfied with moving forward step by step. Instead, they took advantage of the technological breakthrough and made a giant leap forward.

The leader of the National Defense Industry Committee nodded: "Yes, this one-step approach was originally a collective decision and a requirement of ours, not something you wanted to do rashly. Don't worry, if it doesn't work the first time, we'll try again; if it doesn't work the second time, we'll try the third time. We will succeed eventually. We must follow the requirements and achieve the effect of 'success equals deterrence'."

As our development momentum grows stronger, no one knows whether our potential adversaries might become desperate and make irrational, reckless decisions.

Against this backdrop, the requirement of "the first missile being a live-fire missile, and success being a deterrent" was naturally put forward. The first fusion bomb must be a missile combination with the capability of live-fire launch. The success of the first missile should create a deterrent force, thus suppressing some of the enemy's unwarranted thoughts.

While the War Drum 3 plus fission bombs have already created a de facto deterrent, fusion bombs are a different matter entirely.

The beauty of this approach is that if it fails, the outside world will have no idea what kind of test it is. With the suppression and efforts of the navy and air force, all enemy reconnaissance aircraft are currently unable to enter inland airspace, making it impossible to obtain test details to deduce the nature of the test.

If it fails, it's a missile launch test; if it succeeds, it's a fusion bomb launch test. In the comrades' view, this fusion bomb could have been launched even earlier, but to achieve the required effect, spending more time was well worth it.

"Yes, we know that, and we've been preparing according to this plan. It's just a pity that it took a little longer than expected, and we couldn't finish before the Spring Festival," a scientist said with a smile.

"Not at all, we must respect scientific principles, be down-to-earth, and develop steadily. This is a major project for us, and we don't need to turn it into a ceremonial project," said the leader of the National Defense Industry Committee.

At this moment, a comrade reported: "The district command center has notified us that the after-effect sampling machine has taken off."

The takeoff of the after-effect sampling machine signifies that a major milestone is about to arrive.

"Yeah, this mission hinges on this final push. Like I said, don't put pressure on yourself. If it doesn't work the first time, we'll try again; if it doesn't work the second time, we'll try the third. We'll get this done, even if it means selling our pants!"

In order to reduce the pressure on their comrades, the National Defense Committee is going all out.

The launch commander nodded, his eyes filled with confidence, and began to issue orders: "Clear the launch area, evacuate all personnel, and prepare for launch."

“Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!”

Amidst the rhythmic sound of running, comrades dressed in protective suits and wearing gas masks began their orderly evacuation to the safe area.

Time ticked by, and from the command center of the bombardment area came a distant report: "Report! The after-effect sampling machine has reached the designated airspace."

"Hover and await orders!"

"Yes!"

"Final confirmation of test conditions!"

A series of reports rang out, and finally, the commander picked up the microphone to notify the comrades in the distance.

"You are ready to fire!"

At the rocket launch center, the countdown began shortly after the report was received.

"...Two, one, fire!"

At the bottom of War Drum No. 3, the red flames and rising reddish-brown smoke illuminated everything around it, and also stained the faces of the comrades who were eagerly waiting.

With a tremendous roar of flames, the rocket quickly ascended into the air and flew westward.

This was a full-range simulated high-trajectory launch; otherwise, it would have been difficult to find the target area, which is 3500 kilometers away from the rocket launch center and can also be hit by a fusion bomb.

The missile flew very fast, but the comrades felt that every second was like an eternity.

The tracking and control stations along the way relayed the flight trajectory and status of the War Drum III missile, and everything was normal!
At this moment, everyone—from the airborne after-effect sampling machine and the launch center to the impact zone command center—was on tenterhooks. No matter how confident they were, experiments always carry risks.

A camera several kilometers away from the bullseye is recording the situation there without stopping, transmitting video images to the distance. At this moment, on the distant monitor, everything seems to be normal. Some clouds are pressing down on the bullseye, but they do not hinder the experiment from proceeding.

Suddenly, a bright light flashed in the clouds, illuminating almost the entire cloud.

Before the comrade in charge of monitoring could even shout "Here it comes!", a flash of light appeared at the bullseye, and the camera stopped transmitting any images.

In reality, when a ballistic missile strikes a target, as long as the missile has a long enough range, it is not at all like a distant dot of light in movies and TV shows, slowly approaching with thick smoke and flames before finally hitting the target.

There was no reaction time at all. A bright flash of light, caused by intense friction with the atmosphere, appeared. If there were clouds to refract the light, it would be even more obvious. Almost immediately, the warhead detonated at the point of impact.

As for what the detonation looks like, that depends on what kind of warhead it is. By the way, when the Gulf War broke out in 91, people said that Iraq had chemical weapons that could be mounted on ballistic missiles to attack others. In reality, this is most likely false. Rockets are more likely, but ballistic missiles are unlikely. The reason is simple—Iraq probably did not have the ability to preserve the chemical weapons inside the warhead and allow them to function properly under the kinetic energy of the warhead hitting the ground.

This time, even without a shockwave, the bright light alone was enough to destroy the camera's sensor.

In the underground bunker further away, the comrades saw a flash of light in the distance, followed by a white sphere slowly rising.

The comrades were a little confused at first. What was going on? It didn't seem quite the same as a fission bomb.
This white sphere is a bit too clean. Unlike the fission bomb, which is black and red, ferocious, and rises like a mushroom pillar with bared teeth and claws, this white sphere even looks cute and fluffy.
Could it have failed? They're both high-powered weapons; their performance should be similar. I've seen photos of foreign fusion bomb detonations that look similar, but who knows if it's just a smokescreen, the kind designed to deceive people?

I don't believe you for a second, you wicked American bastard.

It still needs to be tested in-house, and only those with supporting data should be considered.

However, the comrades' doubts were quickly dispelled; the white sphere expanded rapidly and rose very high. Eventually, it formed a short, stout-looking white mushroom in the air.

This looks completely different from the tall, thin, grayish-black mushroom cloud of a fission bomb, but tell me, isn't this a mushroom?

Looking down from the height of the aftereffect machine, one could see that the clouds that had covered the earth seemed to have been suddenly pushed aside by an invisible hand, and a huge circular hole quickly appeared in the clouds, from which a white mushroom-shaped dome emerged.

Different powers result in different types of mushrooms.

Just like different kinds of mushrooms, the little people you see on the board after eating them also look different.

Many vertical plumes of white smoke floated in the air around the mushroom cloud. These were the contrails of the rockets, intentionally placed to observe the shockwave and estimate its power. This method allowed for a clear view of the situation even from a distance, enabling an immediate estimation of the yield.

The white smoke was quickly affected by the shockwave and began to disperse. It was this dispersion that gave the comrades their first message.

An experienced staff member typed a few words on the computer, and the pre-prepared program produced a result in an instant. Although it was rough, it worked.

"It's done! It's fusion! The initial estimate of its power is no less than 100 million tons!"

His joyful voice echoed throughout the entire bunker, and the cheers of his comrades were deafening!
(End of this chapter)