What the hell is a private enterprise?

Chapter 650 Coastal Combat Ship

"A completely new weapon, the same aircraft used to intercept the B2, launched from the front of the submarine like the gnat, and equipped with solid propulsion."

Thanks to the large number of aircraft carrying out anti-submarine operations, one S2 anti-submarine aircraft was fortunate enough to capture the scene of the P13A being ejected from the submarine.

The aerial cameras on the military aircraft produced excellent images, and with optimizations specifically for high-speed capture, they clearly captured the entire "missile".

When the faxed photos were distributed to the members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Wayne immediately noticed something amiss:
Unlike the slender missiles one might imagine, the P13A in the photo is actually a short, stout triangle resembling half a starfruit, with the booster clearly located at the bottom. Its overall length is probably less than 5 meters, making it pitifully small.

Looking again at the triangular aircraft above... why is there a piece of glass reflecting light?
A retired Air Force staff officer suddenly felt that the face looked familiar:
"I feel like I've seen this somewhere before... Hans seems to have had an interceptor that he never managed to develop, and it looks something like this... I have a sketchbook on my desk!"

About ten minutes later, he returned, covered in sweat, carrying the books, and excitedly placed a black and white photograph on the table:

"It's the P13A! This isn't anything new, oh my god, how could it be it!"

Others also gathered around. Apart from some people in the Air Force who remembered this thing, no one else had ever heard of such an obscure aircraft. Fortunately, the brochure not only had photos, but also recorded some information about its development back then.

"A coal-fired...plane?"

Johnson, as if witnessing the dawn of a new world, asked incredulously:
"This thing can fly? And fly at supersonic speeds?"

According to the data in the brochure, Hans's design goal was Mach 2.5 flight, which perfectly matched his actual combat performance!

"Yes! In the 50s, the Air Force and NACA conducted a lot of research on ramjet engines. Solid powder ramjet engines are feasible. The calorific value of coal is not low. It's just that coal powder is prone to caking and incomplete combustion, so the research did not continue."

But how could Hans actually build this thing, let alone make it fly at Mach 2.5?! Good heavens, this is like hitting a target 1500 meters away with a crossbow! Hans actually succeeded!

The old staff officer kept shaking his head, his eyes wide open.

Johnson seemed to remember something as well:
"The report just now mentioned that the USS Stansson witnessed the scene before it was hit, with a clear black trail in the air."

"Damn it, didn't all the Han Chinese aeronautical scientists come to the Reich after the war? Why don't we have any projects in this area?"

"We didn't take everything. We took almost all the jet and rocket scientists. This project was considered a pipe dream at the time, and I guess the Russians didn't pay much attention to it. So the people involved in P13A may have stayed in Hans after the war, or they may have been taken away by the lost empire and completed the project."

After speaking, Huai En pinched the glass reflection in the photo, his expression becoming even more eerie:
"If it really is a P13A, then it is piloted, or it is a black box. Remember the B2's narration and avionics records? When these aircraft attacked, the bombers did not detect radar illumination, so we have always been puzzled as to how we found the B2."

"It couldn't be based on the naked eye, could it?"

Someone exclaimed in surprise, then immediately denied their guess:

"To find B2 at close range in the dark with the naked eye at twice the speed of sound, and then precisely control it to hit it, is simply impossible...bullshit!"

Everyone was reminded of Hans's extraordinary abilities once again. Since he could launch a low-altitude raid across the sea during a storm, it seemed only natural that he possessed superhuman eyesight and reflexes.

The Enterprise was attacked at night, on a stormy night when there was no moon!
"And these 20 P13As are still in groups of five... Do you remember? One pilot with four drones, a very typical combination."

The Joint Chiefs of Staff fell silent. In fact, the B2 crash made the Air Force suspect that there was a fatal flaw in the stealth fighter, or that the Lost Empire had used some particularly advanced technology, but in the end, no one expected that it was due to "visual perception".

Another fearless pilot, Hans, who is also suspected of being cloned!

Wayne's expression was strange, but he secretly breathed a sigh of relief. If it was detected visually, it would prove that B2 had no defects. After all, the Empire's technology was still far from being able to achieve visual stealth.

"That leaves one mystery: the radar that detected the B2 definitely exists, but why did it only operate for a few dozen seconds, and why did it only detect one B2 while ignoring the other?"

"Let's investigate this issue later."

Johnson rubbed his temples and said in pain:
"Now the enemy possesses weapons similar to supersonic missiles, and previous speculations have been confirmed: U-boats have full underwater communication capabilities."

After the Lancaster's coordinates were exposed, it was immediately targeted by aircraft launched by other U-boats. The Stanson was also discovered because it launched 'Standard Missile 2'. If it had been the Nimitz that was exposed, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

From then on, the Imperial Navy had to add one more rule when carrying out missions: any enemy warships/submarines discovered must be concealed as much as possible, otherwise a Mach 2.5 suicide plane might suddenly appear from nowhere.

"Meanwhile, the 'Standard Missile 2' is no longer sufficient. The USS Stanson experienced a situation where two interceptors failed to intercept the target. The Navy needs specialized low-altitude interceptor equipment for low-speed targets." Ramston's expression immediately changed.
"Standard 2 is enough; if two rounds aren't enough, then three will do."

Johnson immediately retorted:
"An Arleigh Burke can carry at most a few dozen missiles, which will soon be insufficient, and the fire control channels are also a problem."

Moreover, if the Lost Empire were to develop even faster aircraft, we would need to make even greater predictions.

But Rams clearly couldn't easily accept starting a new project:
"Then just add specialized performance indicators to the 'Standard 3' currently under development or to the 'Sea Sparrow' and increase funding."

Wayne immediately made a request:

"In any case, the Lost Empire's unknown radar did detect the B2. The Air Force needs to strengthen its research on stealth technology, as existing stealth coatings and reflection technologies may still have loopholes."

"Let the President decide."

Rams waved his hand impatiently, saying that these military leaders were insatiable and would reach for anything at any opportunity.

"Our primary issue now is how to resolve the subcontinental crisis. Not only do they show no signs of compromise, but they are also spreading the news all over the world that a Su-30MKI shot down a B-2!"

The Joint Chiefs of Staff fell silent. After the surgical strike, Prism Building was just waiting for India to come begging for mercy. Instead, the latter pretended to be dead on the international stage and then desperately spouted nonsense about how machine guns could take down the B2.

Domestically, news of the attack on Rajasthan was completely suppressed, with all internal propaganda ignoring it. Meanwhile, Anil frequently appeared in the media with the heroic pilot.

This performance left the whole world stunned. Among many options, India chose to be an ostrich, actually wanting to pretend nothing happened and continue to stubbornly resist.

But the military leaders were in a dilemma because the third brother's position was very special. This "punishment" was almost the limit of the Prism Building. If it were any more severe... they couldn't really fight, could they?

There is no concrete evidence of any connection with the lost empire, and if we were to actually take action, not only would the British not be able to stop us, but the Grand Master would absolutely not agree.

After an eerie silence, someone finally spoke:
"At the very least, Operation Shakti has been disrupted. Our experts expect this strike to delay the test by at least a year, and possibly as long as two years, given the economic difficulties."

"Wait, but what about the price we paid?"
Prism Building took a huge risk by selling a batch of CH-47Ds to Gaijin, who was causing us trouble in Southeast Asia. The Air Force lost $20 billion worth of aircraft, and the Navy lost a destroyer. Is the subcontinent worth such a high price?

If we convert these costs into US dollars, it would be enough to sway the vast majority of people within India to our side for a peaceful resolution to the crisis.

Rams did the math and realized that Prism Building had really messed up in this matter, putting in money and effort but getting no appreciation.

"At least, at least we have demonstrated the empire's resolve and strength."

Johnson spoke hesitantly.

Rams: "Gentlemen, haven't you noticed the problem? The Empire has too many things to deal with. Our equipment is too expensive. We are using the most advanced equipment in the world to wear down the enemy's outdated equipment."

The B-2 is too expensive, the Arleigh Burke is too expensive, and even the Perry-class is too expensive. We need to fill the gap in cheap, mass-producible, targeted equipment.

I went to watch the RF100's test flight a few days ago, and it's a very good aircraft. Could the Air Force replace the B-2 with drones? That way, even if it crashes, it won't matter. Could the Navy build some small-tonnage ocean-going vessels that can work alongside Arleigh Burke or Perry-class destroyers for miscellaneous tasks, while also undertaking land support, anti-submarine warfare, and other missions?

These large vessels, ranging from several hundred to over a thousand tons, have a shallow draft and employ a recently fashionable modular design. They can be equipped with land-attack fire support modules to assist overseas operations, anti-submarine modules to combat U-boats, and air defense modules to defend against suicide aircraft in conjunction with the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers via data links.

"You mean Streetfighter, right?"

Johnson understood Rams's thinking. The Navy had already considered the need for smaller, general-purpose warships when Congress cut budgets, but previously only considered land support as the primary function, though it still used a modular approach.

Rams's request was to add anti-submarine and anti-air capabilities against the Lost Empire... No problem!
“Your consideration makes a lot of sense. Every piece of equipment in the Navy is very expensive and needs cheap spare parts. Perhaps we should define the specifications for Streetfighter and then open up bidding to other companies.”

"Streetfighter sounds awful, let me think..."

Rams winked:

"Modular design, primarily for coastal and anti-submarine warfare, let's call it Littoral Combat Ship, LCS."

(End of this chapter)