Soldiers Assault: Starting from the 7th Steel Company

There aren't many letters left for "Sixth Master" in Chapter 250.

Although Chen Jiang's main focus has always been on naval equipment research and development, it does not mean that he has ignored other branches of the military.

Especially today, when he attended the Air Force Equipment Seminar, he encountered a rather thorny issue: the future of "Sixth Master".

"Sixth Master" is actually the famous "H-6".
It was actually developed in the late 1950s based on the Tu-16 medium jet bomber of the Soviet Union. It is the longest-serving aircraft in our air force, without exception.

At the beginning of the founding of the People's Republic of China, the best bomber available in the country was the H-5 light bomber, which had insufficient bomb load and range. Therefore, the only option was to import new bombers from Russia and copy them.

Because Russia possessed the more advanced Tu-22 bomber, and due to the unique circumstances of that period, it did not impose as strict restrictions on the technology transfer of the Tu-16 bomber.

By copying the Tu-16 bomber and making subsequent improvements, we created the only medium-range bomber in China.

Its wing is a cantilevered mid-wing with a double-spar box structure.

The entire wing consists of a central wing, left and right inner wings, and left and right outer wings.

The central wingsuit is mounted on the fuselage and connects with the inner wing on both sides of the fuselage.

The inner wing is detachable and has a trapezoidal planar shape.

The front and middle sections of the engine nacelles and the main landing gear are mounted on the inner wing.

Flaps are mounted on the rear slide rail.

Early versions of the H-6 bomber used the domestically produced WP-8 turbojet engine and were mainly used for various missions such as tactical and strategic bombing, reconnaissance, anti-ship, and patrol surveillance.

This aircraft is the core of the Air Force's strategic bombing force. Through continuous improvement and development of its power, avionics, and airborne weapons, it has evolved into a variety of special platforms, such as aerial refueling tankers.

What no one expected was that the medium bomber, which was retired in the mid-70s, would still be in service here, and it seems that it will continue to serve for a long time.

Therefore, the Air Force strongly urged the research and development department to develop a new type of heavy bomber as soon as possible. The initial design requirements were: to achieve supersonic cruise, strong stealth capabilities, and a range of no less than 15,000 kilometers. In addition, specific requirements were put forward for the maximum takeoff weight, hardpoints, etc.

"These are practically the standards for fifth-generation fighter jets~ We simply can't make them at this stage," a military research expert said with a bitter face.

“Yes, isn’t this asking the impossible? This data is more than double that of the H-6 bomber. If we had this technological foundation, we would have developed a fifth-generation fighter jet long ago.” Another senior engineer chimed in.

"Hmph," an air force officer retorted rudely, "this is what you're here for. Otherwise, what are you for? You're making things difficult for us? Then isn't it making things difficult for us airmen to fly old planes and risk our lives against the enemy?"

"That's right. The H-6 is not only slow, but also has a poor payload and is not stealthy at all. If a real battle breaks out, it will be a sitting duck!" The Air Force has a love-hate relationship with the "H-6". They love it because it is the only option for the Air Force, but they hate it because the aircraft is too old-fashioned.

Seeing that the two sides were about to clash, Chen Jiang hurriedly tried to dissuade them, saying, "Stop talking! This is a seminar, not a quarrel! Let's get down to business and not get emotional!"

Chen Jiang represents the General Armaments Department, so his authority is unquestionable. The Air Force respects them greatly; they can't afford to be disrespectful.
As for the senior engineers in the R&D department, they are actually employees of the research units under the General Assembly, and of course they also have to follow orders.

For a moment, everyone could only remain silent, but silence did not mean the problem was solved.

"Not only do you want to develop advanced bombers, but I do too!" Chen Jiang frankly stated, "but given the current conditions, we do face significant difficulties."

Upon hearing Chen Jiang's words, the senior engineers immediately sensed that Chen Jiang was on their side, and their eyes were filled with approval.

But the air force officers thought differently. Just as one officer was about to speak, Chen Jiang pressed down with his right hand, saying, "Wait, let me finish! After I finish, you can raise any opinions you have."

Chen Jiang had someone turn on the projector in the conference room. After some setup, he went to the front, pointed to the data on the projector, and began his explanation.
"These are the performance data of the mainstream bombers of the world's most powerful military powers, the United States and the United Kingdom."

This part of the information was collected by the national intelligence agency, and the data is much more reliable than what you can get from Baidu.

Everyone who saw it was deeply shocked and immediately felt a sense of urgency.

"After reading it, what are your thoughts? Were you deeply moved?" Chen Jiang's expression became unusually serious. "Indeed, compared to their bombers, our H-6 is indeed quite inferior in these performance data. To be honest, the first time I received the data, I also felt a deep sense of grief and indignation, and I felt a determination to build our own top-class stealth heavy bomber at all costs!"

Many air force officers below had tears in their eyes. No one felt more powerless than them about the gap in air force equipment. As the smoke of the Korean War dissipated, the air power of Western countries was advancing by leaps and bounds.

When the enemy was equipped with third-generation fighters capable of beyond-visual-range combat, we were still flying old-fashioned World War II fighters with machine guns and air-to-air missiles. This gap was terrifying. "Aerial bayonet fighting" became a luxury because the enemy simply didn't give us that opportunity.

"But we must also recognize that Russia's strategic bombers follow a high-altitude, high-speed route. This speed and maximum takeoff weight are something we simply cannot achieve in a short period of time."

"But the most terrifying are the United States' stealth strategic bombers. Not only do they have an astonishing payload capacity, but they also possess extremely strong stealth capabilities and exceptional penetration abilities. In this respect, they are absolutely unparalleled in the world." "After reading this, many people are probably thinking: 'Why not catch up now? When will we?!'"

Chen Jiang calmly glanced at everyone present, then let out a long sigh.

"It's not that we don't want to, but that we lack the capability! At least for now, we don't have the industrial foundation!"

"Putting everything else aside, the engine for this large strategic bomber is a huge bottleneck. We haven't mastered this technology yet. The most crucial point is, even if we did succeed, is it really what our military urgently needs?"

The group exchanged glances. Wasn't that right?

"Compared to domestically produced large bombers, I think it is more realistic to focus on defense first. Technological innovation of fighter jets is more urgent. Moreover, judging from the current international war trends, the opportunities to use large strategic bombers are becoming less and less."

Chen Jiang's words brought a brief silence to the room. The air force officers frowned, while the research and development experts seemed lost in thought.

"Director Chen, do you mean we shouldn't develop our own strategic bombing force?" The agitated air force officer couldn't help but ask. Although his tone had softened somewhat, his resentment was still palpable. "Without strategic bombers, our triad nuclear strike capability will always be missing a leg, and our strategic deterrence will be incomplete!"

“I understand your feelings and I completely agree with the importance of strategic bombers,” Chen Jiang replied calmly, his gaze sweeping across the room. “I’m talking about what is ‘most urgent at this stage,’ not what is ‘never needed.’ We must prioritize and concentrate our efforts on major tasks.”

He switched to a different PowerPoint presentation, and a more complex set of charts and data appeared on the screen.

"Please take a look. This is a comparative analysis of the sortie rate, combat loss rate, and mission completion effectiveness of various military aircraft worldwide in actual combat over the past thirty years. The data clearly shows that with the increasing sophistication of modern air defense systems—especially the widespread adoption of long-range early warning radars, high-performance air defense missiles, and fourth-generation fighter jets—the survival probability of traditional non-stealthy large bombers in high-intensity conflicts is declining sharply."

"Why do American bombers emphasize stealth? Because in the future air battlefield, detection equals destruction. Without stealth capabilities, even if we equip a platform like the H-6 with the latest engines and the most advanced missiles, it will be difficult for it to penetrate modern air defense networks."

An elderly expert with graying hair adjusted his glasses and nodded slowly: "Director Chen is right. From the perspective of technological accumulation, directly challenging the extremely difficult stealth strategic bomber is extremely risky. Our technological reserves in key areas such as aero-engines, aerodynamic control of large flying wing configurations, and all-directional stealth coatings are still insufficient. If we were to forcibly launch the project now, it would likely be time-consuming, and the final result would not be able to form an absolute advantage, but would instead hinder the balanced development of the entire aviation industry system."

His age is a factor. Back then, the aviation industry blindly imitated others' high-altitude and high-speed flight, which ultimately led to many detours and painful lessons.

“But we can’t just give up because it’s difficult, can we?” another young air force officer argued. “The enemy won’t wait for us to be ready before they come!”

"Of course we should do it!" Chen Jiang said firmly, raising his voice eight octaves. "But not now. We need to take one step at a time and follow a more pragmatic path that is more in line with our current national and military conditions."

He operated the projector again, and a blurry conceptual outline appeared on the screen, titled "Concept of Future Air Strike System".

"My suggestion is: 'Combine short-term and long-term goals, mix high-end and low-end products, and pursue leapfrog development.'"

"First, a combination of short- and long-range approaches. We cannot simply retire the H-6 bomber. Many of its aircraft have only recently entered service, have a long service life, mature platforms, and sufficient payload for low- to medium-intensity conflicts. We should leverage our missile technology advantages to continue its modernization. For example, we should focus on developing its ability as a standoff strike platform, equipping it with the latest air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles, hypersonic anti-ship missiles, and even using it as a mothership for drone swarms. This would allow it to conduct precision strikes against long-range targets in relatively safe airspace. In this way, we retain the existing platform while greatly enhancing its deterrent and combat capabilities."

Many researchers seemed to be pondering this, as this approach is clearly closer to reality.

"Second, a high-low mix. While we are working hard to overcome the technical difficulties of the new fighter jet, can we also solve its stealth, supersonic cruise and advanced avionics and weapons systems? This will accumulate experience, train personnel and verify technologies for the future true heavy stealth bomber. This is more likely to succeed than aiming too high and directly targeting the ultimate goal."

A murmur rippled through the room, and many people understood what it meant.

This is a compromise and a highly workable solution.

"Third, leapfrog development." Chen Jiang emphasized, "Can we broaden our horizons? Will the main air strike platform of the future necessarily be a manned bomber? Can we vigorously develop unmanned stealth strike platforms? Or explore newer concept air weapon systems? In some areas, the gap between us and the world's top level is relatively small, and it is even possible to achieve a leapfrog development."

He paused, then concluded: "Comrades, our goal is clear: we must build a powerful strategic air force capable of effectively defending national sovereignty and interests. But the path to this goal requires wisdom and strategy. We cannot be blinded by momentary anxiety, nor can we be intimidated by overly ambitious targets. The fate of the H-6 is not a simple question of right or wrong. Behind it lies a strategic choice on how we plan the development of our air power over the next twenty years."

Chen Jiang's words not only boosted everyone's confidence, but also reflected an adjustment in research and development thinking that was made in line with the current situation.

All of you here are experts in this field, so you can naturally tell which is better and which is worse. In an instant, the direction of the discussion in the room changed.

The senior engineer with gray hair stood up excitedly and said, "Imagine a heavily modified H-6 bomber squadron that doesn't need to risk penetrating the enemy's tight air defenses, but instead can launch a large number of long-range precision-guided weapons to carry out a saturation attack on the enemy's aircraft carrier group from a safe airspace hundreds or even thousands of kilometers away from the target. How spectacular would that be?"

An expert in charge of missile development immediately added: "Indeed, with the change in thinking, it is no longer a 'bomb truck,' but a powerful and modern 'weapon delivery platform.' In the current and future strategic environment, its deterrent power and practical value are enormous, sufficient to address the vast majority of strategic challenges. We are developing the latest YJ anti-ship missile, which already has a very considerable range and high accuracy. If the H-6's payload and range can be further improved, the H-6 can indeed shoulder heavy responsibilities."

Another aerodynamics expert chimed in: "There is still room for further optimization of the H-6's airframe structure. By replacing it with a new domestically produced turbofan engine, its payload and range capabilities can be appropriately improved."

“That’s right,” Chen Jiang concluded, “this is exactly the effect I wanted. So what if it’s not stealthy and can’t achieve supersonic cruise? The H-6 can still play a huge role! Once we overcome the other technical difficulties, what kind of bomber can’t we build? We will eventually have everything that others have, and it will be better and stronger!”

(End of this chapter)