What the hell is a private enterprise?

Chapter 692 Not fast enough
Prism Building
"We must take action."

Kazimirz speaks with the President's chief of staff, Leon Blaita.

According to the latest news on August 6, after driving the KLA to the border, the 243rd and 211th Armored Brigades split up to wipe out the remaining forces. Although many KLA members escaped by disguising themselves as civilians, they have effectively lost their organization and can no longer cause any trouble.

Within Europe, there are ongoing proposals to launch airstrikes to destroy important bridges and oil refineries—this is what was done in the original timeline.

On the evening of August 4, two fighter jets carrying several laser-guided bombs were conducting a probing mission. After evading the SAM 3/6 defense zone and just as they were descending, Sparrow and Rattlesnake fighters swarmed in as if they were free.

The performance of the AIM-7 Sparrow and the AIM-9 Sidewinder is not particularly good, and launching from the ground will further reduce maneuverability, but their sheer numbers make up for it!

The first reaction of the Southern Union after receiving 2 missiles was one of gratitude. After all, even if the Empire itself purchased that many missiles, it would cost several hundred million dollars, which is much more expensive than grain and pork trotters.

—Hans is actually quite nice to us.

Military experts then estimated that the 2000 missiles were sufficient to protect them in completing all their operations, allowing them to fire freely. They estimated that each aircraft could be dealt with by four to six missiles.

Even if the missile's hit rate was only 40%, according to probability theory, the hit rate of multiple missiles was still terrifying, and the two probing fighters were easily killed in a joint operation.

Of course, this is also inseparable from the air defense strategy of the Southern Alliance, which follows the requirements of "high speed", "short startup time" and "saturation attack", but it can even shoot down an F117!
There are certainly ways to deal with both types of missiles; electronic jammers and heat decoys are not difficult, but they require Imperial support.

The latter was temporarily unable to act in the original timeline, and in this timeline, it also faces the added pressure of the Lost Empire.

After confirming the possible presence of a fourth fleet in the Mediterranean, Johnson outwardly declared a decisive fleet attack, but within days he secretly met with Kazimirz and revealed the navy's true intentions:

The Mediterranean Sea is too small, with a maximum area of ​​less than a thousand kilometers, making it extremely dangerous for aircraft carriers.

On the open ocean, an aircraft carrier can certainly gain the upper hand by launching aircraft, but in the narrow Mediterranean Sea, it cannot make full use of its maneuverability and long reach. If it is trapped in a certain area of ​​sea, the situation will be extremely dangerous.

It's like a strong man being confined inside a phone booth to fight someone outside. Even if he has the physical advantage, he might still get injured or crash because of all the constraints.

Johnson sincerely stated that the Imperial Navy was not afraid of battle, but he couldn't just let the young men jump into the pit willingly, could he?
While the USS Kennedy was ostensibly maneuvering toward the Strait of Otranto, it was actually preparing to pass through Gibraltar into the Atlantic Ocean.

Without the aircraft carrier, the remaining warships can blockade the strait without much problem, but if they want to launch a surprise attack, they can't rely on that and can only rely on the air force.

The mobilization of the air force takes time, and with the Lost Empire potentially joining the war at any moment, the safety of each base must be considered. At least three months of preparation are needed to ensure that the bases are not disadvantaged by a surprise attack, and the missile stockpile depleted during the Christmas campaign has not yet been replenished.

Kazimirz approached Leon hoping that the President would prioritize using non-violent methods to quell the situation.

"I think Millersavich is someone we can contact."

Leon had clearly studied the situation beforehand, and said:
"He did not wipe out the KLA in one fell swoop, but instead drove them to the border of Abayani and actively pressured them to retreat into Abayani territory and become refugees."

This actually still shows that he is worried about the convention's intervention and wants to act like Tugman.

Similar incidents have occurred more than once or twice in the Balkans. Three years ago, during the Croatian storm, Tugmans was in the exact same situation as Miler Savage now. In the end, they spared the enemy and did not exterminate them, but instead used this opportunity to successfully negotiate a peace treaty with Europe and resolve the crisis.

"The Empire is not in a position to get involved in a large-scale battle right now. Go and talk to Millersavich. Let Richard Holbrook go."

Kazimirz: "What conditions will you bring?"

"That's it. Cut soldiers, keep only the police in the area, send an observer mission, and allow some supplies to be brought over. Johnson is very astute. The midterm elections for the president are just around the corner, and it would be unwise to wage war abroad."

Leon paused, then said:
"Since Millersavich didn't stand firm to the end, it means they haven't reached an alliance agreement with the Lost Empire. They'll soon, or even have already, sever ties. And as long as the Lost Empire doesn't support them, we can manipulate the situation at any time and find a reason to break the agreement."

What the President needs now is stability and funding. Rolls-Royce has made a fortune this time. GE and Pratt & Whitney are strongly protesting, believing the order should rightfully belong to them, and demanding an explanation from Prism. The President actually wants to give the Empire another large order from Gadgetzan, so that there will be some good news for the midterm elections.

The empire also values ​​both civil administration and military prowess, and compared to other regions, the people of the empire are less concerned with external wars and more focused on civil administration.

If Tang Wen had poured his $60 billion into the Empire, their support for Jefferson would certainly have increased significantly.

Moreover, Jefferson actually had a very good impression of Tang Wen and never gave up on getting him to immigrate.

Kazimirz: "Gaikin is indeed very rich. They maintained oil transport during the typhoon. Warships passing near the Spratly Islands saw oil tankers with knots of over 26 being chased by the hurricane. But this $60 billion order has almost depleted their recent payment capacity."

“Then let’s take out a loan… Tang must have something he needs in the Empire, and the bank will definitely be happy to lend money to Gaijin.”

……

Capital
"This is a grand vision for mass participation in air sports and the low-altitude economy. Applause, please!"

As soon as Tang Wen finished speaking, someone in a corner of the hall immediately burst into applause.

The person was from the sports department, and there seemed to be tears in their eyes as they clapped.

It's been so many years, and it's truly unprecedented that someone has remembered them again.

Others gradually began to applaud, but there were clearly still many questions to ask, which Tang Wen answered one by one.

The most frequently asked and most concerning question is, of course, the cost. The daily operating cost of the Qingfeng-1 small aircraft is almost equivalent to that of a Changjiang 750, but what about a small aircraft that operates on short-haul routes?

Tang Wen had anticipated this. Saab was particularly experienced in this type of market and, together with the Shanghai aircraft manufacturing plant, came up with a brand-new single-engine turboprop passenger aircraft solution. The total takeoff weight was less than 5 tons, making it much more comfortable and worry-free than the Y-5. Crucially, it was produced domestically and was not expensive.

After answering most of the questions, Tang Wen gestured for the last person to raise their hand to ask a question. However, the latter took the microphone and faced the audience, shouting passionately:

"Ladies and gentlemen, sports are no longer just about physical fitness. High-quality, knowledge-based sports are the future direction that aligns with the new era. Our development goal is to enable people to acquire advanced skills while improving their physical health!" "Well said!"

"That makes sense."

"I think the Children's Palace could be converted into a flight training program."

"..."

Tang Wen breathed a sigh of relief at the lively reaction below. It seemed that involving the sports department was not a bad idea; the acceptance rate had increased considerably.
He quietly slipped backstage, and just as he was about to leave and get into his car, he found Qian Lin'an's car blocking his way.

After getting in the car and arriving at the nearest institute, Institute 507, the two passed through the training area for the first batch of astronauts and entered a small conference room. Several people were already sitting inside, and upon seeing them, they quickly stood up to greet them.

A classic small conference room, and a trendy projector and whiteboard, with the Shenzhou-1 spacecraft as the slide cover.

"Interesting."

Tang Wen sat down with great interest; this was probably a pie-in-the-sky PowerPoint presentation prepared specifically for him (just kidding).

Holding the wireless remote control, Zang Furen was still a little nervous. Although he was confident in his academic and technical abilities, the commercialization of manned spaceflight... was a niche and novel field.

But they couldn't do nothing. After Tang Wen hesitated to speak last time, the others analyzed that he might try to find a solution from the Russians.

Considering that formal contact would most likely be met with setbacks or a severe betrayal by the Russians, it is highly probable that Gaijin will utilize the Dragon Group's private resources. Meanwhile, China desperately hopes that any internal turmoil within the Russians will affect them.

Furthermore, with Tang Wen's proposed Apollo lunar landing program already in the in-depth discussion stage, spacecraft and space stations are still relatively insignificant compared to it.

Zang Furen's task today is to prove that the space agency is capable of achieving its goals.

"Even based on the current production capacity, the maximum annual production capacity of the Long March 2F rocket can reach 6 rockets. In reality, after the first test launch, the annual production can be stabilized at around 3 to 4 rockets, so there is no constraint on the rocket's production capacity."

The Shenzhou spacecraft theoretically requires two launches for verification. After Shenzhou-3 completes a full-state test flight without errors, the production process can be formally established, with an annual production capacity of 2 to 3 launches.

The two spacecraft and one space station needed for Geiger were expected to be completed and launched between 2002 and 2003.

Zang Furen spoke from above, while Tang Wen flipped through the plan below and discovered that the Shenzhou Project (accelerated version) and his memories had undergone many changes.

神舟一号发射时间预计在99年6到7月，神舟二号发射时间00年2月，神舟三号00年9月发射，神舟四号预计01年5月发射，神舟五号预计01年9月发射。

Shenzhou-1 through Shenzhou-4 were all unmanned experimental spacecraft. Shenzhou-1 verified return technology and basic structure, Shenzhou-2 verified the entire cabin system, Shenzhou-3 simulated manned operation, and Shenzhou-4 tested reliability.

The first three spacecraft will be built in sequence. If Shenzhou III is completely successful, Shenzhou IV and V will be built simultaneously. Once Shenzhou IV has completed testing, Shenzhou V will be launched to carry out a manned flight mission.

The construction of the three orbiters for Gekin will begin at the end of 00. The standard version of the spacecraft is expected to launch in early 02, the enhanced version in early 03, and the space station will be launched at the end of 03.

Of course, this is a specially accelerated version after receiving investment from Gaijin. Overall, it is not risky; it is simply a reasonable acceleration of the original plan.

Even the accelerated version of the plan appears to be extremely cautious, even more so than the Empire and the Alliance, all to ensure absolute security, even if it requires an additional 20 billion yuan.

Zang Furen believes that the accelerated version of the plan has been significantly improved within a reasonable range, while still ensuring safety and significantly advancing the planned launch time. He is absolutely confident that it will gain Tang Wen's approval.

However, no one saw a satisfied expression on the latter's face; instead, they remained noncommittal.

What Tang Wen was thinking was:
At this rate, a five-year moon landing seems like wishful thinking. Is the G7 rocket concept just a hoax?
In fact, this schedule is not slow at all. Unless there is a crazy investment in sacrificing security like in the space race, it is really not going to be fast.

After he had the idea of ​​poaching the Soyuz spacecraft, he did some research. Back then, in order to seize the initiative, the Big Brother directly put the shells of 20 spacecraft into production at the beginning of the development, and then carried out 20 launches in three years. This was equivalent to compressing the number of launches of the Shenzhou program from 99 to 25 into a single launch within 3 years. At its fastest, it could launch 7 spacecraft in a year, and the closest interval was only 3 days.

Envy.JPG
Thumbs up for Korolev;
Thumbs up for OKB-1 and the 200 factories it directly manages;
Thumbs up for Corn Xiaofu!
There are actually more human resources and resources available in China now, but they certainly cannot be mobilized in such a frenzied manner.

Why not replicate the Saturn V and also launch the Apollo spacecraft? Just abandon the idea of ​​developing a complete replica, produce a few dozen, and launch them in Natuna in a series of gambles? At worst, we can have the system captain act as an astronaut to test them. If we wait any longer, interstellar warships will probably be so powerful that they won't need rockets anymore.

After Tang Wen came up with this purely cheat-like plan, he actually felt it was more reliable. So, under everyone's gaze, he pretended to think, picked up a pen, and quickly began revising the plan. After checking it once, he gently pushed it onto the table and said apologetically:
"I'm ashamed to say that I misjudged the difficulty and complexity of aerospace engineering. This is the actual schedule I had in mind."

Qian Lin'an put on his glasses and held the plan in his hand. Zang Furen also leaned closer and slowly read the text aloud:

"Complete the full-state test of the Shenzhou spacecraft before 2000? Launch three customized spacecraft in 2001? That's impossible. The Shenzhou spacecraft requires at least four test launches, which means that at least four spacecraft and four rockets need to be manufactured and launched within 18 months. That's impossible. We won't have that capability for at least 99 years."

Tang Wen had been waiting for these words, and immediately shrugged:
"If this cannot be done, then the moon landing program is out of the question. Actually, it doesn't matter if it can't be done. I can abandon the program and reconsider it when the technology matures in the future."

Apart from Qian Lin'an, the others looked at each other, their expressions a mix of disappointment and relief, falling into an eerie silence.

"can."

Qian Lin'an pushed up his glasses and said the most outrageous thing in the most calm tone:

"If the budget is sufficient, there is no need for phased experiments. Shenzhou-1 can fly directly in its full state, and components that do not require major modifications, such as the spacecraft frame, outer shell, and heat insulation materials, can be manufactured in 10 sets first. Shenzhou-2 to Shenzhou-4 can achieve intensive launch tests, and even if they fail, other spacecraft can immediately take over."

If the space station only requires basic life support and is theoretically at the same technological level as the spacecraft, requiring no additional development, then this plan is feasible. However, it is only worthwhile if a lunar landing program is launched simultaneously; otherwise, mobilizing the entire upstream and downstream supply chain would be a waste of resources and would not be approved.

Zang Furen was shocked. Three months had passed since the lunar landing plan was proposed, but it had remained in the stage of small-scale discussion and had not yet been finalized. Almost everyone in the know thought it was unlikely.

So, what was Qian Lin'an's intention in saying this?
After the meeting ended, everyone seemed to have forgotten about it and no one mentioned it again.

(End of this chapter)