Rebirth 08: Rise from copycat phones

Chapter 652 Artificial Intelligence Fighter Shocks the World

In late February, a video suddenly appeared on the internet, which quickly spread widely and even caused panic among military enthusiasts in many foreign countries.

After it spread widely, it shocked the world!
The video content is very simple; it's a clip of a fighter jet flying in the air... In fact, this aircraft isn't even a new one. It has been appearing on the internet for many years, has been officially acknowledged, and has even been formally assigned the designation Attack-18.

This attack 18 refers to the 'X1 AI fighter jet' in Project X.

This drone was actually photographed and exposed several years ago, and has been photographed many times since then. Ordinary military enthusiasts know that this thing exists... but Attack-18 still seems very mysterious.

They never participate in public exhibitions, and there are never any news reports about them!
Aside from acknowledging the serial number 'Attack 18', the official sources have not revealed a single word about it.

Therefore, there are many speculations about the Attack-18, but the mainstream speculation is that it is an attack stealth drone that uses remote control and may have a certain degree of autonomous flight capability... Compared with the previous generation of stealth attack drones, it has significant performance improvements, such as speed, range and payload!

After all, this is a rather large drone, with external estimates suggesting a maximum takeoff weight of around 28 tons!

This size and takeoff weight are already very large for a drone, and it is the largest drone that has been announced to be in service to date.

In comparison, the X47B and MG25 are both in the 20-ton class, while the previous generation of stealth unmanned attack aircraft in China was in the 10-ton class.

The Attack-18/X1 drone has a maximum takeoff weight of 28 tons!

Such a large maximum takeoff weight and size naturally result in a greater range and payload, and a greater increase in speed can also be expected.

After all, everyone knows that this thing has air intakes on both sides. Look at the air intakes and then look at its aerodynamic layout. Even a slightly experienced aviation enthusiast can tell that this aircraft is designed for supersonic flight, let alone experts!

However... these are the limits of speculation. Outsiders can only analyze based on extremely limited appearance features. As for the specific performance of Attack-18, or even what strategic or tactical purpose it is used for, we can only guess!
Since it's a guess, there are all sorts of guesses.

For example, many people once speculated that the Attack-18 should have good mobility, otherwise there would be no need to use side air intakes. After all, if mobility is not a concern, a rear air intake would be more effective for stealth.

But this is just speculation.

Today, the speculation of the past has become a reality... A video, whether taken by spies or by some enthusiast, shows the Attack-18's outstanding maneuverability during ultra-low-altitude flight.

In the short video, Attack-18 flew at extremely low altitudes at extremely high speeds and performed multiple maneuvers in succession... Moreover, the area it flew over was not a plain, but a hilly area with a large grove of trees.

None of the above are the key point... The key point is that this plane is actually flying at a high subsonic speed!

When flying at high subsonic speeds through mountains, the aircraft skimmed the treetops, performing several rolls and sharp turns during its flight, which is almost unimaginable... At such speeds, the reaction time left for the aircraft is extremely short.

If it were a pilot, even the most skilled one, they wouldn't be able to maintain this flight state... The speed is too fast, the changes are too rapid, it's beyond the limits of human reaction time!

In fact, the G-force generated by such a sharp turn exceeds the limits that human pilots can withstand.

If a fighter jet were to operate like that, it could crash in an instant!

Tree-top flying is a traditional skill of helicopters, but now it's appearing on a drone, and at high subsonic speeds at that. Not only is it flying tree-tops, but it's also performing maneuvers...

The video immediately sparked heated discussions among military enthusiasts... The mobility is too strong, to the point that it shouldn't even exist.

When something becomes impossible, it inevitably brings more questions: if it is a real phenomenon, how is it achieved?
It's impossible for it to be piloted; it's an unmanned aircraft.

Remote control flight is also not a good option. In this high-maneuverability mode, the data transmission delay would be too high if remote control were used... It would be impossible to control the aircraft effectively using remote control.

After eliminating many possible answers, there is only one left: this aircraft is a drone capable of autonomous flight.

This is absolutely impossible to achieve using traditional programs. Many companies have tried it before, but all of them failed. The only feasible path is to use artificial intelligence technology to achieve automated control of drones.

Therefore... when many people see this maneuverability, a possibility immediately comes to mind: this is an artificial intelligence unmanned combat aircraft!

It's not the remote-controlled stealth attack aircraft that was previously speculated to be, but an artificial intelligence-powered stealth fighter!

While their names both imply invisibility and stealth, the actual differences between them are vast... one could even say there's a generational technological gap.

And such a powerful weapon was just exposed like that?
This video of the X1 drone project wasn't actually a secretly filmed video... After all, it initially appeared on official media outlets in China; it was a promotional video released by the project itself to serve as a form of deterrence...

This is an old trick.

Basically, every now and then, they release some mature but not very advanced equipment, partly to boost internal confidence and partly to deter external forces.

Good things can't be kept hidden forever and then brought out for use in war... Another major function of top-tier equipment is to deter and intimidate potential enemies, making them afraid to act or retaliate!

This time, the X1 drone was deliberately exposed, which served a similar purpose: it was a clear message to potential enemies: I have something good, and if you want to cause trouble, I'll scatter your ashes in no time!
All of you, lie down properly!

After all, recently, a number of domestic high-tech companies, led by Zhiyun Group, have been making astonishing achievements every few days, from solid-state batteries to robots, virtual equipment, and most recently, superconducting quantum computers.

This has led to widespread promotion of the so-called 'Fourth Industrial Revolution' on the internet both domestically and internationally recently.

This led to a series of changes in the global industrial landscape. The semiconductor industry is still doing relatively well, with only Zhuyun Group being somewhat more powerful. However, the Western industrial system also has its own semiconductor industry system, and in terms of technology, they are still at the same level.

However, solid-state batteries, robots, virtual reality devices, and superconducting quantum computers are different.

These are things that foreign companies don't have... not to mention comparable competitors, they don't even have the relevant technology or industry.

This could have a huge impact...

A brand new era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution is emerging, but they are surprisingly absent in many key areas... This is unacceptable to many people.

All of this has aroused the vigilance and defensiveness of many potential enemies, and even ill intentions!

At this point, it is natural to take some measures to tell others: I not only have good things that can make money, but also good things that can destroy a country. Think about whether you can bear the consequences before you want to cause trouble!
So the video of the X1 drone was exposed... On the surface, this exposure is just a flight video, but after in-depth analysis by professionals, it is easy to draw a conclusion: this is an artificial intelligence fighter jet!

It is not just a traditional remote-controlled stealth attack aircraft, but a stealth unmanned combat aircraft capable of autonomous flight, with excellent maneuverability and outstanding stealth performance.

It's not even in the same league as those stealth remote-controlled attack aircraft on the market!

As a result, the military enthusiast community exploded... Domestic military enthusiasts were enthusiastically discussing how awesome the Attack-18 was, while many foreign military bloggers were sourly making all sorts of so-called rational analyses, and even everywhere.

One minute they say the Attack-18 is a copy of the X-47B, the next minute they say their F-16 also had an AI flight capability, but it was useless... This so-called artificial intelligence drone is just a flashy but impractical thing.

They also said that artificial intelligence could never compare to top human pilots, which is impossible!
Some people are even saying that this AI aircraft might rebel in the future... But that's what happens in movies, like the AI ​​fighter jet in Top Secret, which did rebel against humanity.

There were all sorts of opinions, but even those that were mostly sour, derogatory, and dismissive... you can't expect them to rave about how amazing the X1 drone is. The X1 drone's exposure was quite a spectacle, but for someone like Xu Shenxue, it was a minor matter.

Xu Shenxue even knew that the X1 drone exposed this time was already in service for several years... This aircraft had already begun to enter service in large numbers a few years ago, mainly as a wingman for fifth-generation fighters, and could also be used independently when necessary. There were already dozens in service.

Now is a suitable time to expose it.

Meanwhile, have any more advanced X3 drones been revealed in China yet?

A heavy-duty drone equipped with two large, advanced next-generation engines, designed to operate in conjunction with manned sixth-generation fighter jets, while also capable of performing missions independently.

It is a behemoth with a maximum takeoff weight of over forty tons, and it also has a longer range, higher speed, larger payload, better stealth performance, and a more powerful composite-band radar.

The X3 drone is currently in small-batch production and service, but the outside world has not obtained much information about it, and everything is still highly confidential.

The exposure or public disclosure of these important equipment reflects the recent dramatic changes in the global industrial landscape, leading to industrial competition and conflicts.

It's not simply about showing off certain weapons...

Compared to the heated discussions surrounding the X1 drone, the maiden voyage of the Yutu-2 interplanetary spacecraft has garnered little attention!
Only those within the aerospace industry who are paying close attention, as well as some aerospace enthusiasts or people who are interested in high technology, know that Nanmen Aerospace's Yutu-2 interplanetary spacecraft has completed its maiden voyage.

After all, Nanmen Aerospace did not make any public announcements or conduct any large-scale publicity... More importantly, the Yutu-2 interplanetary spacecraft is too far removed from people's daily lives.

In particular, the current lunar base plan is highly classified... The lunar base itself is not a secret; the American lunar orbiting satellites can occasionally fly over it and take pictures.

The purpose of the lunar base, namely the mining of helium-3, is top secret!
Because mining helium-3 would easily lead outsiders to think of controlled nuclear fusion... after all, the primary use of helium-3 is as fuel for controlled nuclear fusion.

Leaving aside professionals, even people with a little knowledge or interest in nuclear fusion know about it.

So when people see that you've gone to great lengths to mine helium-3 on the moon, they immediately assume that you may have already achieved controlled nuclear fusion!
If the news of controlled nuclear fusion were to break, it would cause a violent global reaction... and could potentially lead to major changes in the global economy and industry.

After all, the name of controlled nuclear fusion is too big. Humanity has been promoting and expecting controlled nuclear fusion for decades, and the hype has become more and more exaggerated, as if controlled nuclear fusion could solve all problems.

However, in reality, the most significant application of the controlled nuclear fusion technology currently led by Xinghai Energy, a subsidiary of Fairy Mountain Holdings, is power generation. While the advantages of controlled nuclear fusion in power generation are substantial, they are not as exaggerated as depicted in many science fiction novels.

In short, the controlled nuclear fusion technology that Xinghai Energy is currently developing is somewhat similar to an upgraded version of nuclear fission power generation equipment, but it is safer, cleaner, and will not cause nuclear pollution to the environment. In addition, it is smaller in size, has higher power generation efficiency, and a higher power generation ceiling!

Furthermore, construction and application deployment are simpler because nuclear fusion does not have to worry about nuclear pollution caused by nuclear fission. Therefore, complex protective measures are not required during construction and application.

The core function of the controlled nuclear fusion technology developed by Xinghai Energy is to generate electricity, and it is safe and highly efficient. However, the cost is not low, as the fuel used is mainly helium-3, which needs to be mined from the moon.

Xinghai Energy's primary goal in the early stages was to keep the cost of controlled nuclear fusion power generation at the same level as conventional power generation methods such as nuclear fission and wind power. It would be even better if it could be lower and have a cost advantage.

However, even so, it still has enormous strategic application value!
Because when building a hydroelectric power station, you have to consider water resources, and the construction period for a hydroelectric power station is too long and the investment is too large.

Nuclear fission power plants are similar; they have too long a construction period, require too much investment, and pose potential environmental pollution risks.

Wind power and solar power generation are greatly affected by the climate and environment:

When there's no wind, there's no wind power... and when there's no sunshine or at night, there's no solar power either.

These two power generation modes with extremely large fluctuation cycles require additional large-scale energy storage facilities to ensure a stable long-term power supply. These facilities include supercapacitor energy storage, battery energy storage, flywheel energy storage, or even hydropower energy storage. For example, during the day when generating electricity, a portion of the electricity is used to pump water into a reservoir, and at night, the water from the reservoir is used to generate electricity.

However, although the controlled nuclear fusion developed by Xinghai Energy is difficult to research and develop, and the subsequent manufacturing technology is also very difficult, its application and deployment are very simple!

There's no need to build any dedicated power plant; just find an open space, place a controlled nuclear fusion reactor, fill it with fuel, and it will generate electricity directly.

Furthermore, although the manufacturing cost of controlled nuclear fusion is high, it is still much cheaper than that of nuclear fission reactors.

The manufacturing cost is acceptable, and the deployment is very simple and convenient. What does this mean?
This means that electricity can be provided rapidly and on a large scale in a short period of time to solve the power supply problem that has plagued Zhiyun Group for many years, and it can also solve the power shortage problem needed by a large number of domestic industries.

This alone is enough to make Xinghai Energy's controlled nuclear fusion the most epoch-making new technology at present... After all, energy is the most important strategic resource.

Electricity is a crucial element related to countless modern industries and people's daily lives... The reason why some industries in many countries cannot develop is because they lack electricity.

Even with such a huge domestic power generation capacity, there is still a shortage of electricity, and there is an extreme thirst for new power generation... especially after the explosion of the artificial intelligence era, the demand for electricity has increased dramatically in a short period of time.

Controlled nuclear fusion technology is so important and will bring about structural changes in many industries that it is impossible to disclose it to the public now; all related information is classified as top secret.

Nanmen Aerospace, naturally, could not disclose the true purpose of the lunar base.

Therefore, all of Nanmen Aerospace's space activities, especially the lunar base plan, have been packaged in layers. The most common explanation is: we will land on Mars and build a permanent base there. The current lunar base is just an experimental base.

Then they brought up Xu Shenxue's personal hobby to promote the idea, saying that the lunar base project was Xu Shenxue's dream, and so on.

After all, many people know that Xu Shenxue, that madman, yearns for the stars and is single-mindedly focused on the aerospace industry. He has even said on several occasions in public that he hopes to travel in space in the future.

It's impossible for an ordinary person to engage in such a large-scale aerospace industry out of interest... but it's quite normal for Xu Shenxue to say that.

The world's richest person has so much money they don't know what to do with it, so it makes perfect sense for them to spend money on space exploration...

Other super-rich people play with yachts and private jets, so it's perfectly reasonable for Xu Shenxue to play with a private space station, a private interstellar spaceship, and even build a lunar base!
They're rich and willing to do this, so outsiders can only feel envy, jealousy, and hatred. They can't really say anything, right? And if they really do talk about it, they'll have to swallow their disgust and say: "Thank you, Mr. Xu, for your contribution to humanity's journey to the stars!"
There are plenty of super-rich people, but there is no other super-rich person who is willing to spend so much money to promote the development of aerospace technology without expecting anything in return, and who is single-mindedly focused on the moon and Mars.

Even Elon Musk of SpaceX is involved in commercial spaceflight, reusable rockets, and the Starlink project—all of which are aimed at making money. And most importantly, SpaceX is a publicly traded company; telling a good story can boost the stock price, and boosting the stock price means making money for shareholders!

Musk is also very good at storytelling, but most of the stories he tells can't come true!
Xu Shenxue is even better at storytelling. The problem is that most of the stories Xu Shenxue told have come true. If Nanmen Aerospace, which Xu Shenxue created, were to go public, and Xu Shenxue were to tell another story, it might very well achieve a very high market value.

However, Nanmen Aerospace is not listed on the stock exchange...

Meanwhile, apart from the reusable rocket and the Zhiyun satellite network project, none of Nanmen Aerospace's other space activities are profitable. In particular, projects like space stations, interstellar spacecraft, and lunar bases offer virtually no economic return. Unless they develop controlled nuclear fusion and decide to mine helium-3 on the moon, they really can't see any economic returns from these projects.

Controlled nuclear fusion... Don't be ridiculous, this is a real black technology, and the scientific community doesn't even understand the basics of it yet.

Furthermore, I've never heard of Xu Shenxue working on any controlled nuclear fusion project... He's completely out of his element! Asking someone who makes mobile phones and chips to work on controlled nuclear fusion is just ridiculous!
Since there is no controlled nuclear fusion, mining helium-3 on the moon is also nonsense...

After looking at it all, people can only admire Xu Shenxue's investment in the aerospace industry, his plan to build a base on the moon, and his future plans to build a Mars base: he's definitely a great victim!
These days, people are building lunar bases, Mars bases, and talking about mining resources from the entire solar system and humanity leaving the solar system... What are they if not the biggest idiots?

Of course, that's not the right way to put it, so people generally say: Xu Shenxue made tremendous and selfless contributions to the development of human spaceflight...

(End of this chapter)