Soldiers Assault: Starting from the 7th Steel Company

Chapter 251 Participating in the Abu Dhabi International Defence Exhibition

As the pace of research and development accelerated, many difficulties began to emerge before Chen Jiang.

For example, the carrier-based aircraft and interceptor cables of an aircraft carrier cannot be developed all at once with the current level of technology. The best way is to learn from others.

Because the refitted Varyag aircraft carrier was just an empty hull, but it used a ski-jump takeoff mode, which couldn't be changed, Chen Jiang and his team had to meet the basic requirements for ski-jump takeoff when developing carrier-based aircraft.

The only aircraft in the world that can meet this standard are the Soviet Union's SU-33 carrier-based aircraft and MiG-29K carrier-based aircraft.

The latter is a "short-legged cat," limited by its maximum takeoff weight, which limits its range. In addition, it requires a ski-jump takeoff. If this type of carrier-based aircraft were to be introduced, it would have to sacrifice fuel capacity when fully armed, resulting in a pitifully small combat radius.

After unanimous discussion among national military experts, it was decided that purchasing this carrier-based aircraft would be like drinking poison to quench thirst. Subsequent independent research and development would have to revolve around this carrier-based aircraft. This inherent deficiency, which is present from the "birthplace," would drive the military industry personnel crazy.

Moreover, their asking price was ridiculously high, making it really not worthwhile, so we rejected the product that the Russian country was willing to sell.

National military experts cherish the former most—the SU-33 carrier-based aircraft.
This is the carrier-based version of the SU-27, with a much longer range. Most importantly, many of the components of this aircraft are interchangeable with those of the SU-27, which saves the military industry a lot of trouble and makes maintenance and upkeep much easier for ground crew.

Unfortunately, it seems that Russia also saw our determination to buy this, so they asked for an outrageous price.

At the time, there were two opinions in China. One was that no matter the price, we should buy it and copy it, and reverse engineer it. The other was that we shouldn't be taken advantage of.

Just when the Chinese had finally agreed to the former's idea and were willing to tighten their belts to buy it back, the Russians changed their minds again.

Not only did they demand that we buy a large quantity at once, but they also demanded that we pay them for restarting the SU33 production line, citing its closure.

This isn't just being a sucker; it's becoming someone else's "cheap daddy," essentially sucking blood to support the Russian military industry. Even if we could afford it, we absolutely cannot open this door, otherwise similar things will happen again, and then we'll have to decide whether to continue or not.

As a result, the matter had to be put on hold.

Another point is the issue of interceptor cables for carrier-based aircraft.
The arresting cable is a key landing device on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier and a core component of the carrier-based aircraft landing system. It is mainly used to enable the carrier-based aircraft to brake by attaching the cable to the tailhook.

During World War II, early carrier-based aircraft had relatively small takeoff weights, such as the Zero fighter, which weighed only about 2 tons. Therefore, the inertia during landing was not too great, and the 300-meter-long deck on the aircraft carrier was barely sufficient.

However, in modern times, the maximum takeoff weight of fighter jets has become increasingly large. With the weight of the aircraft plus fuel and bombs, it often reaches tens of tons. For example, the Su-33 carrier-based aircraft has a maximum takeoff weight of up to 33 tons.

The impact of such a large object landing on the deck is significant, not to mention the impact on the deck itself; the original runway landing method is clearly no longer feasible.

Therefore, it is necessary to use an interceptor cable.

This device was first invented in Britain. The earliest arresting cable was simply a steel cable with sandbags hanging from both ends. This type of arresting cable could trip or at least jam the propeller of an aircraft that was flying over it.

It was later introduced and popularized by the United States.

It is usually located at the rear of the flight deck and has four parallel steel cables for the pilot to attach to. Ideally, the third cable should be attached to ensure a reasonable descent angle.

Its operational procedures require that carrier-based aircraft, in conjunction with the hydraulic braking system, be brought to a stop within 50 meters in 2-3 seconds during landing. Therefore, the carrier's arresting cable becomes a veritable "lifeline" for carrier-based aircraft, and its importance is self-evident.

This requires the interceptor cable to have both high strength and fatigue resistance, and the support system to precisely adjust the cable height to avoid interfering with takeoff and landing.

以MK7型拦截装置为例，其使用的拦截索有两种规格，即6x30平钢绞大麻纤维芯拦截索和6x30平钢绞聚醋芯拦截索。

Each intercepting cable is composed of 6 strands of steel wire rope, and each strand of steel wire rope is made up of 12 main steel wires, 12 intermediate steel wires and 6 thin steel wires arranged in a triangular shape twisted together.

There are interlocking wires between each steel wire rope, and the core of each steel wire rope is also equipped with oil-impregnated hemp fibers. There is also an identification strip in the core indicating the manufacturer of the intercepting cable.

The United States, regarding such important equipment, maintains its old stance: no way! No amount of money will get them to sell!

The interceptor cables from Russia are not only inferior in technical specifications and have a much shorter lifespan, but they are also ridiculously expensive.

You should know that this thing is a consumable. Take the interceptor cable of the United States as an example. It must be replaced after about 100 uses, considering the material fatigue problem, and several cables have to be replaced!
Who wouldn't feel the pinch from such a money-burning approach?
Therefore, the seemingly insignificant interceptor cable is also a headache for the national defense industry.

Fortunately, he was mentally prepared for this. It's not so easy for a major power's military industry to rise.
Fortunately, during a high-level military conference, he heard that the defense trade department was sending a team to the Abu Dhabi International Defence Exhibition.

The Abu Dhabi International Defence Exhibition is a weapons and defense exhibition founded by the United Arab Emirates in 1993 in the capital city of Abu Dhabi. It is held every two years and is accompanied by the Abu Dhabi International Maritime Defence Exhibition. It is the largest military equipment exhibition in the Middle East.

Because it attracts many wealthy buyers from the Middle East, the exhibition draws the attention of the world's major military powers to showcase cutting-edge global defense technologies, covering land, sea, air, space, and electronic fields. It also features international seminars that bring together top defense experts.

The value of military trade cooperation orders is undoubtedly considerable.

Chen Jiang didn't want to miss such a good opportunity. After the meeting, he found the person in charge of the military trade department and wanted to try his luck at the defense exhibition, hoping to find some technology.

Originally, my country would also send a small team to participate in the exhibition, so the number of people going out was not large. However, considering Chen Jiang's special status, he was still able to obtain a quota with the approval of his superiors and was allowed to go out and take a look.

After settling his family in, Chen Jiang set off with the national exhibition team.

Because Abu Dhabi is located in the Middle East, they had to travel there by large wide-body aircraft.

The manufacturing of this type of passenger aircraft is also very difficult, and China certainly does not yet have the capability. Based on this, Chen Jiang secretly resolved that he must work hard in the future to build a domestically produced large aircraft.

Chen Jiang, being the highest-ranking officer, was appointed as the head of the delegation for this exhibition. The country sent more than a dozen experts in weaponry and electronic warfare to accompany the delegation. The products prepared for foreign military trade had already been packaged and shipped, mainly tanks and medium- and short-range air defense missiles. These weapons and equipment are not very competitive internationally and do not bring much foreign exchange to the country. Therefore, the main purpose of this visit is to learn.

After a long flight, the large passenger plane landed smoothly at Abu Dhabi International Airport.

Stepping out of the cabin, the dry heat characteristic of the Middle East hit them, a stark contrast to the climate back home. Chen Jiang took a deep breath, straightened his military uniform, and led his team through customs in an orderly fashion. On the way to the hotel, through the car window, Chen Jiang witnessed the luxury and modernity of this desert city.

Skyscrapers stand tall, and luxury sports cars shuttle back and forth, creating a striking contrast with the endless golden sand dunes in the distance.

But he had no time to appreciate the scenery; his mind was constantly on the main objective of this trip: to find a way to acquire carrier-based aircraft technology and interceptor cables.

The following day, the Abu Dhabi International Defence Exhibition officially opened. This year's exhibition area was much larger and the scale was much bigger than in previous years.

The UAE's top leader also attended the event and delivered a passionate speech in Arabic.

With the help of the translator, Chen Jiang basically understood: it was a welcome to friends from all over the world, and it was hoped that everyone could realize their wishes here and ultimately contribute their strength to world peace.

Chen Jiang couldn't help but find it amusing.

The exhibition was full of weapons of mass destruction; there wasn't a single item to save lives. Is this really for world peace?
However, when it came time to applaud, he raised his hand without hesitation. They weren't there to hold a grudge; the key was to serve their country.

After the initial pleasantries, the exhibition officially began.

For a time, the exhibition hall was bustling with noise, with all sorts of upper-class people dressed in military uniforms and suits coming and going. Each huge exhibition stand displayed all kinds of advanced weapons and equipment from various countries, from light weapons to tanks, armored vehicles, fighter jets, ship models and missile systems. The dazzling array of products was full of high-tech and steel hardcore atmosphere.

The air was filled with a variety of languages: English, Russian, Arabic, and French, weaving together a unique symphony of international military trade.

Chen Jiang's booth wasn't in a particularly prominent location, but the actual products or models of their export-oriented main battle tanks and air defense missile systems attracted some customers to stop and inquire, mainly from small countries in Africa and Latin America.

Compared to the bustling scenes in front of the stands of Russia, the United States, and other European powers not far away, it did seem rather deserted.

Seeing this scene, Chen Jiang became even more determined to break through the technological bottleneck.

He left the other members of the expert team at the booth to conduct technical exchanges and sales presentations, while he, along with two assistants, embarked on a "gold rush" in the exhibition hall.

He first visited the Russian country's booth area.

Models of the SU-27, SU-30, and their derivatives, including the SU-33 and MiG-29K, are prominently displayed there.

The other party's staff member was dressed in a crisp uniform and had a somewhat proud expression.

Chen Jiang, as the head of the Chinese delegation, had in-depth exchanges with the other party. While the other party enthusiastically introduced the product performance, they either avoided talking about the core technologies, especially the key technical details involving the take-off and landing of carrier-based aircraft, or were vague about them. Moreover, the price remained astonishingly high.

Chen Jiang sighed inwardly; the attitude of the Russian bear country was exactly the same as what the domestic experts had said.

The other party continued to strongly recommend the MiG-29K and the SU-30 multi-role fighter jet to Chen Jiang, but Chen Jiang was not very interested in them and could only politely say goodbye in the end.

The American booth was even more lively, showcasing advanced fourth-generation fighter jets such as the F-15 and F-16, with an F-35 model placed in the most prominent position, attracting most people to stop and watch.

This is currently the only single-engine stealth fifth-generation fighter jet besides the F-22, so its price is naturally staggering.

When Chen Jiang tentatively inquired about information regarding the aircraft carrier's interceptor cable, the representative maintained a professional smile and politely but firmly stated, "I'm sorry, sir, this type of technology is not for sale." This unsurprising rejection only made Chen Jiang more aware of the situation.

Even when Chen Jiang wanted to learn about advanced fighter jets like the F-35, he was turned away because he was not a member of NATO, which was quite embarrassing.

The other European and American countries' exhibition areas remained silent about these technologies, so Chen Jiang couldn't access the information he needed at all.

Just when he was extremely frustrated and thought that his trip to the Middle East would be a complete failure, an unexpected turning point appeared.

Chen Jiang unexpectedly ran into an old acquaintance, Amy, the daughter of the vice president he had met in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Compared to when we first met a few years ago, when Amy was a female student studying abroad, she is now the wife of a high-ranking South African official and appears quite prosperous.

"Oh, you're Chen Jiang?"

The other party was surprised that Chen Jiang hadn't aged at all over the years, but instead had become even more manly. Was this the unique charm of the damned Eastern man?

Because she had studied in Europe for a long time, she had extremely open and bold ideas, and when she saw Chen Jiang, she still gave him a fiery look.

"Hello, Miss Amy." In public, Chen Jiang had to maintain his gentlemanly demeanor.

Amy saw Chen Jiang's military rank; she had occasionally dabbled in this area, so she knew what it meant.

"My God, you've actually become a senior colonel, just one step away from becoming a general! You truly are an exceptionally outstanding Eastern man!"

Amy made no secret of her admiration for Chen Jiang.

"Chen, are you looking for something special? You seem to have something on your mind." Amy, with her keen observation, noticed the anxiety in Chen Jiang's eyes. Unlike their casual acquaintance at the exhibition, she held great goodwill and trust in Chen Jiang because of their past experiences.

Chen Jiang's heart skipped a beat, thinking that this might be an opportunity, but due to confidentiality regulations, he could not be too specific.

He carefully considered his words before saying, “Amy, it’s a pleasure to see you here. We are indeed paying attention to some specialized technologies for maritime equipment, especially the precision mechanics and materials technologies that are compatible with large platforms. You know, some countries impose very strict restrictions on us in this area.”

"Offshore platforms? Precision machinery?" Amy wasn't very knowledgeable about this. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Chen, this is the main exhibition hall, which is more official. There's also a separate exhibition hall on the other side. They have some transactions that they can't disclose publicly, so they'll talk about them there. Maybe you could give it a try."

(End of this chapter)