In 1978, I was admitted to Harbin Institute of Technology

Chapter 242: M1 production halted, T80 to undergo redesign, no news on Leopard 2.

"What? Another 4000 armor-piercing missiles and 2000 explosive fragmentation missiles?"

Ahmed stared at Michael in shock.

Although the other party was only a major, he wielded considerable power.

"Yes! The required funds will be deposited into your account within a month. There's only one requirement: supply them as quickly as possible..."

Michael said seriously.

This is an opportunity!
An opportunity for him to get a quick promotion and a raise.

1800刀一具的反坦克火箭筒，即使4000具，也不过720万刀，不过4辆M60A3坦克的价格。

Providing the guerrillas with a few tanks is pointless. Even if they could be delivered to the guerrillas, what use would those tanks be?
Before it could even have any effect, it was probably already surrounded and wiped out by the Soviets.

Rocket launchers that are fired and then discarded are the most suitable for guerrillas, and can inflict maximum damage on the Soviets!
"It might be difficult to obtain in the short term..."

It took Ahmed a while to recover from his shock.

All the samples they brought back were provided to the CIA and had already been transported into the Imperial Graveyard by guerrillas along the border. Michael was personally in charge of this matter.

The fact that they contacted me immediately upon returning, proposing a larger-scale purchase and demanding expedited delivery, fully demonstrates that the practical test was highly effective.

It's more ideal than I imagined.

"Would China refuse an order worth tens of millions of US dollars?"

Michael raised an eyebrow.

Ahmed was at a loss for words. In fact, the price they offered to the CIA was 50% higher than the price in China!

The anti-tank rocket launcher that cost $720 million actually only cost $480 million, less than $500 million.

Can I say?
No.

"We'll try our best. Major, what do you think of the results of this test?"

Ahmed, fearing that saying too much would give away the secret and let Michael know that they had raised the price, quickly changed the subject.

The actual combat effectiveness is not a secret, especially since the other side needs Pakistan's help to purchase weapons and equipment from China.

"Excellent! It far exceeded our expectations..."

"This……"

When I heard that 25 anti-tank missiles destroyed 15 Soviet T-72 tanks, 13 of which had their turrets blown off, I was instantly stunned by the result.

······
"We can't wait any longer; we should immediately begin cooperation with China..."

Ahmed met with several senior military officers in the Ministry of Defense and solemnly proposed that cooperation with Harbin Institute of Technology must be accelerated.

The disposable rocket launcher was developed by Harbin Institute of Technology!
Regardless of the level of China's industrial technology.

However, the technical level of Harbin Institute of Technology far exceeded their understanding, and was even more advanced than what Murita and others had seen during their visit!

Who would reveal their most closely guarded secrets to others?

Especially in China, a civilization that has been passed down for 5000 years!

"How is that possible! Even the most advanced anti-tank missiles in the West would have difficulty achieving such a destructive effect!"

"How could China possibly design such a powerful man-portable rocket launcher?"

"With such powerful performance, how could it be so cheap?"

When high-ranking military officials heard that 25 anti-tank rocket launchers had directly destroyed 15 T-72 tanks and that the CIA had requested an additional order for 4000 anti-tank rocket launchers, they were all in an uproar.

How can it be!

Tanks bought for millions of dollars are just targets in front of rocket launchers costing a little over a thousand dollars!
Just kidding!
When did China's military technology reach such a level that they dared not even imagine?

They could not accept this outcome.

"If the T-72 poses such a huge threat, doesn't that mean our troops only need to make large-scale purchases to defend against the armored forces of our neighbor India?"

Despite the doubts, some high-ranking military officials have put forward their ideas.

"Gentlemen, that's the truth. Otherwise, the CIA wouldn't have placed so many orders. Of course, the current results are largely due to the Soviet Union's lack of preparedness. Once they are prepared, it will be much harder to achieve similar results... The range of these rocket launchers is ultimately too short, and they only become truly effective in specific terrains... In plains areas, even machine guns on tanks can render these rocket launchers ineffective..."

General Ahmed was equally surprised at first.

They even considered purchasing tanks on a large scale from China and equipping each border guard with one, so that they wouldn't even need to equip themselves with tanks. If the Indians next door dared to invade because they had purchased advanced tanks, they would use a dense barrage to teach their armored forces a lesson.

That's just a thought.

A rocket launcher is just a rocket launcher. If we could maintain such results on the battlefield, why would we need to research tanks?
As the war situation continues to develop and change, armored forces are no longer simply engaged in tank battles.

Tank units are often accompanied by a large number of armored infantry.

What do armored infantry do?
Isn't it all about clearing out enemy infantry and preventing infantry from inflicting damage on tanks with individual weapons?
Ahmed's words calmed down the many high-ranking officials who were in a state of high spirits.

Since the partition of India and Pakistan, we have fought several wars with our neighbor, India. Although the intensity of the wars was not comparable to that of World War II, we still have a very clear understanding of the role of various advanced weapons and equipment in the wars.

Otherwise, why would our neighbor India go to such lengths to acquire all the world's most advanced weapons?
Although Pakistan is poor, it has not given up its pursuit of advanced fighter jets, tanks, heavy artillery, and the like.

"As you all know, the tank design provided by Harbin Institute of Technology is quite affordable, even though we need to pay $8000 million. According to intelligence, the T-72 tanks that our neighbor purchased from the Soviet Union initially cost $280 million each. Based on that price, $8000 million can only equip one battalion..."

Ahmed was not very supportive of the cooperation with Harbin Institute of Technology in the past.

But now...

"8000 million dollars gave us the foundation for advanced tanks, which I think was well worth it!"

"Didn't they say they also have advanced fighter jets? Their current air force's fighter jets are getting old, and with their relationship with the Soviet Union becoming increasingly close, they may very well receive a large number of more advanced fighter jets from the Soviet Union..."

"Perhaps we could use the tank project as a template to explore new, larger-scale cooperation models with China..."

With the rocket launchers achieving remarkable results, the Pakistani military quickly reached an agreement with Harbin Institute of Technology on the joint development of tanks.

So General Ahmed, who had just returned to his country, led a team to China again.

Unlike before, this time the team also included several field officers from armored units.

Similarly, with the military's involvement, most of the personnel selected and dispatched to study at Harbin Institute of Technology were selected from the military, with only a small number selected from newly established universities such as Peshawar University of Engineering and Technology.

The selection criteria even include graduating undergraduates and master's students.

Pakistan's education level is ultimately not as good as China's. If the basic level is too poor, the $3000 per person per year will be wasted.

······
"What are you KGB doing? Why don't you have a single clue about such important intelligence? Colonel Fransky, please tell me, how should our armored forces operate?"

Kabul.

Soviet frontline operational command post.

General Valennikov's face was so dark it was almost dripping with water.

His top lieutenant, General Kolesnikov, an armored forces commander who started as a tank mechanic, stared grimly at KGB chief Vronsky.

"General, the engineering teams from the Nizhny Tagil Design Bureau and the Ural Machine-Building Plant are on their way. Whether the problem lies with the tank itself or with the advanced capabilities of this new weapon remains to be seen..."

"Fronsky said calmly."

The fact that the West provided the anti-tank rocket launcher to the guerrillas through Pakistan was completely undetected beforehand, a serious oversight by the entire KGB.

That's a problem with KGB headquarters.

"Where did these rocket launchers come from? What are their specific capabilities? How many do the guerrillas actually have? Without this intelligence, how can our armored forces operate independently?"

Kolesnikov finally couldn't hold back any longer.

Even at this point, that damned spy chief is still shirking responsibility.

Do they not think there's anything wrong with them lacking intelligence and causing heavy losses to their troops?

"We are investigating... As long as the armored forces remain vigilant during operations and don't let the guerrillas get too close, there shouldn't be any problems..."

Fransky was unconcerned. "The enemy only has man-portable rocket launchers with a range of no more than 300 meters. Guerrillas who haven't undergone rigorous training will have a hard time aiming at greater distances..."

Ultimately, the KGB believed that this was caused by the Soviet army becoming too arrogant and careless after the short-term occupation of Afghanistan.

A guerrilla force of several hundred men was hiding in the mountains. Instead of sending special forces to gather intelligence first, the commander ordered armored units to march brazenly toward the target area...

The wrangling has always been going on.

Two small ambushes in the Gaqi Valley led to a reduction in the scale of the Soviet military operations in Afghanistan.

Before the intelligence was cleared up, no one knew exactly how many of these rocket launchers the West had provided to the guerrillas.

The areas now occupied by guerrillas are mostly mountainous regions with complex terrain.

"In addition, we also need to obtain these rocket launcher samples and provide them to the domestic tank design bureau. If the tanks we are developing cannot withstand the attack of these rocket launchers, the latest tanks must be redesigned!" While the generals remained silent, Fransky told them that he had a more important task.

We obtained a sample of this newly emerging rocket launcher.

Then it will be sent back to China to test the most advanced tank armor!
Otherwise, the Nizhny Tagil Design Bureau would not have sent an engineering and technical team to Afghanistan so quickly.

······
United States.

Ministry of National Defense.

"This is impossible! When did China acquire such advanced technology?"

"Even we can't develop missiles that can easily destroy Soviet tanks, so when did the Chinese rocket launchers become more powerful?"

"How could it only cost $1800?"

The Ministry of National Defense attaches great importance to the intelligence transmitted back by the CIA.

The Soviet T-72 tanks, equipped with 125mm tank guns, posed a significant threat to the entire Western world.

The M60 Patton tank was continuously improved in order to be able to directly confront the Soviet armored onslaught.

Even though the M60A3 had been developed, the entire West assessed that it still couldn't compete with the Soviet tanks in terms of firepower, which is why the Ministry of Defense was preparing to make large-scale purchases of M1 tanks to replace them.

Now they're being told that a cheap rocket launcher from China can destroy a T-72 with a single shot!

How can this be accepted?
"The issue we face now isn't questioning why the Chinese developed such a powerful anti-tank rocket launcher. The Soviet armored forces were a nightmare for the entire world, not to mention the millions of troops they had stationed on their borders... China's industrial base was weak, its technology was backward, and its tanks couldn't compete with the Soviet armored forces. Concentrating all our efforts on developing a rocket launcher that could threaten the Soviet army's advanced tanks shouldn't be a problem..."

A general's serious words interrupted the various doubts of the crowd.

The experience of World War II made it clear to the whole world that only tank forces could deal with tank forces.

No matter how powerful anti-tank guns are, they can't completely annihilate an enemy's tank force.

Ultimately, it will still come down to tank battles or aerial bombardment by fighter jets.

Tanks are known as the kings of land warfare, and that's no exaggeration.

However, the effectiveness of a man-portable rocket launcher, which can pose a significant threat to advanced tanks, in the hands of a team skilled in guerrilla warfare is questionable...

"If the enemy can produce such a powerful man-portable rocket launcher, we could modify it and use it on armor-piercing tank rounds..."

"Suck~"

Upon hearing this, all the high-ranking military officials in the conference room gasped in shock.

The 80mm armor-piercing rocket has such formidable armor-piercing power; imagine the destructive force if it were modified for tanks, with a caliber increased to 105mm or even 125mm…

"Therefore, we must obtain a batch of samples as soon as possible to test the M1 tank. If the M1 tank's armor cannot defend against..."

The general who had spoken did not continue.

Everyone understood his subtext.

If the M1 tanks can't withstand such rocket-propelled grenade attacks, then the tanks that started production last year must be stopped and modified to withstand armor-piercing rounds with greater penetration before production can continue.

This means that the deployment of M1 tanks to the troops must be postponed!
After receiving the news, Chrysler headquarters held several meetings in a short period of time.

question.

Shock.

After receiving concrete intelligence from the CIA, they also realized the threat this newly emerging disposable rocket launcher posed to the M1 tank project.

Originally, the XM1 project performed worse than the Leopard 2 in the competition. It was only through Chrysler's use of some tactics, coupled with the fact that the US military was unwilling to use tanks manufactured by its subordinates, that the XM1 project won the competition.

If the Germans knew that a rocket launcher could destroy an M1 tank, the consequences would be unimaginable!
"The Ministry of Defense has now ordered a halt to M1 production... We absolutely must acquire the production technology for this rocket launcher!"

Chrysler made its decision very quickly.

They need to modify the armor-piercing projectiles used by the tank gun using technology, and then evaluate them to determine how and to what extent the M1 tank's armor should be improved...

Tank armor that can only protect against 80mm armor-piercing rockets would have consequences that Chrysler could not afford on the battlefield.

It's also something the U.S. Department of Defense can't afford.

······
Xie Wei, whose mind was focused on the programmable telephone exchange and the overall design of the new tank, was unaware of the battlefield successes of the disposable rocket launcher and its impact on the American and Soviet militaries.

With the arrival of General Zhu and others, the framework for the school's third-generation tank project was quickly established.

Xie Wei originally planned to present the general plan and direction, and then let these big shots handle it themselves.

But when the overall plan was discussed, it was discovered that everything he had imagined was too idealistic: neither General Manager Zhu nor Chief Cao intended to let him off the hook.

The overall plan can only be presented after all the preliminary technical solutions have been thoroughly understood.

Since a cooperation agreement with Pakistan has not yet been reached, the project cannot be launched.

The initial funding had to be covered by diverting funds from the school-enterprise cooperation office.

"Sigh! I should have waited until we signed the contract with Pakistan before going to them..."

Having just discussed composite armor with Chief Cao, Xie Wei returned to his office in the Civil Engineering Building, rubbing his head in exhaustion.

tired!
It's already August.

With a new batch of students about to arrive at the school, and even international students from Pakistan arriving soon, Xie Wei, who is about to enter his third year, doesn't feel any sense of relief.

"The school wants us to select a group of students from our class to teach freshmen... Class monitor, what are your thoughts on this?"

Mo Lingyu had noticed Xie Wei's exhaustion the whole time.

Aside from what she could do, she couldn't help Xie Wei much.

All I could do was rub Xie Wei's head and massage his shoulders.

"This is something the counselor should handle! Lao Luo is the director of the Academic Affairs Office, so he's more suited to make the arrangements!"

Xie Wei was speechless when Luo Yang was mentioned.

As a counselor, besides helping with logistics for the first experimental class, Luo Yang mostly left things to Xie Wei, the class monitor.

If it weren't for Mo Lingyu's capable role as deputy class monitor, Xie Wei doesn't know if he would have been worked to death.

Given the shortage of teaching staff at schools, it is standard practice to arrange for high-achieving third-year students to teach basic or fundamental professional courses to first-year students.

This kind of thing should naturally be the responsibility of the counselor, not Xie Wei, the class monitor.

"More than ten students in the class have left... This year, the school not only expanded its enrollment by several hundred students, but also added several new majors... Professor Luo hopes you can take some time to help teach calculus and high-energy physics to the Class of '80 experimental class..."

"What the hell?"

Xie Wei suddenly sat up straight. "He probably thinks I'm too idle."

Xie Wei was completely speechless.

No wonder Luo Yang didn't come to him directly, but instead had Mo Lingyu tell him.

"Neither of the two Professors Liang mentioned it to me!"

Looking at Mo Lingyu, Xie Wei asked, puzzled.

In the experimental class, Liang Hongbin taught high-energy physics, and Liang Hongling taught calculus.

In any case, having an exceptionally high-caliber teaching staff has always been a tradition of the experimental classes.

Xie Wei couldn't understand why he was asked to substitute teach for the experimental class.

Even for the experimental class, these are basic courses.

"do not know……"

Mo Lingyu shook her head.

Mo Lingyu didn't see any problem with the school's idea of ​​arranging for Xie Wei to teach the new experimental class: just because Xie Wei existed, the 78 experimental class had expanded its enrollment, selecting 40 students from the previous two cohorts, and starting with Tang Long, they were "disappearing" faster and faster.

Currently, including Xie Wei and Mo Lingyu, only 22 people remain at the school.

The person is gone.

The school will provide textbooks for the students, and even send them exam papers for each subject at the end of the semester...

This means that those who leave will not only have to do related research work, but also continue their school courses—they cannot miss a single one…

"Then I don't care! I don't have time."

Xie Wei said, "You don't need to worry about this. Wait for Lao Luo to come find me!"

Just kidding.

(End of this chapter)