Xiaomi Heavy Industry, its first entrepreneurial venture!

Chapter 574 A Real Shot! (Third Update!)
"What are you firing at? Do we even have any shells? I'm just simulating the operation!" Liu Nanqiao rolled his eyes at Shen Weihua, then turned back to frantically control the turret's rotation and the gun barrel's up-and-down movement.

As he turned the gun barrel toward the target, the fire control system quickly aimed, analyzed, and locked onto the location of any potential enemy targets.

Corresponding operational suggestions were also provided.

Unfortunately, there were no shells inside the tank.

The only solution is to repeat the above steps and lock the device repeatedly.

Seeing that Liu Nanqiao wouldn't let him operate the tank, Shen Weihua got anxious, turned around, and continued to drive the tank.

This time, however, he floored the accelerator.

The speed suddenly increased, and it began to sway left and right, meaning that as long as I swayed quickly, the shells wouldn't hit my head.

He had a lot of fun because he had never had the chance to play with tanks so wildly in the previous research institute.

He had a lot of fun, and the law of smile transfer proves that smiles can only be transferred, not disappear.

The smile shifted to his face, and Liu Nanqiao's smile vanished. The tank was moving at high speed, and the terrain was already uneven. With the added swaying from side to side, even though he was wearing a seatbelt, he couldn't help but sway uncontrollably.

The fire control system in front of him was very efficient; every time the gun barrel was aimed in a new direction, it would quickly lock onto the location of a potential threat.

Then, corresponding operational suggestions are given.

After running for about 20 minutes, Cao Bin's voice suddenly came through the tank's communication channel:

"Hello, can you hear me?"

"The boss is here, bring the tank over!"

Upon hearing the order, Shen Weihua deftly turned the steering wheel, causing the tank, which was moving at high speed, to suddenly turn sharply, making a beautiful drift and kicking up a trail of yellowish-brown dust as it sped towards the workshop gate.

In front of the workshop, a group of people stood there, only to see the tank, trailing a long, tan-colored line, charging towards them.

The tanks drew closer, their roar growing louder.

Just when everyone thought the thing wouldn't be able to stop, the rapidly advancing tank executed another beautiful drift, accompanied by the sound of metal tracks rubbing against the ground, and came to a steady stop in front of them.

The crew hatch opened, and Shen Weihua jumped out. A while later, Liu Nanqiao covered his mouth and crawled out through another hatch. After crawling out, he immediately lay on the armor plate and vomited profusely.

After vomiting, he wiped his mouth and glared menacingly at Shen Weihua:
"Don't give me a chance!"

Ignoring their argument, Lin Yi walked to the tank, climbed onto it using the handrails, and sat down on the turret. He then looked down at the two men, his gaze finally settling on Shen Weihua.

"Let's talk about the handling!"

Shen Weihua nodded: "The handling is better than the Type 96 tanks we are currently equipped with."

"At least the high-speed maneuver I just performed is something the Type 96A tank can't do."

"Or rather, it is possible to do it, but it is definitely not something that a manufacturing engineer like me can do; it requires years of training."

"But now, look, even an engineer like me with little training can operate this tank with ease under such intense driving conditions. A professionally trained tank driver would certainly be able to do even better."

The Type 96A tank still uses a dual-lever control system, where the left lever controls the left track and the right lever controls the right track.

Pushing both control levers forward simultaneously moves the tank forward. Pushing the left control lever backward and the right control lever forward turns the tank to the left. Pushing the right control lever backward and the left control lever forward turns the tank to the right.

If one side remains stationary while the other moves forward, then you simply turn in the same direction.

The advantages of this operating method are simple mechanical structure, low maintenance cost, adaptability to harsh battlefield environment, and direct distribution of track power, resulting in fast steering response.

But the downside is that it makes you a useless person.

Tanks do not have rearview mirrors. When a tank moves forward, the driver must pay close attention to the feel of both hands. If the power distribution on both sides is inconsistent, the tank will veer off course.

If it's just a single tank, it doesn't matter if it veers off course.

However, if the team is moving forward in coordination, veering off course could result in collisions with infantry units coordinating with Butan, or even with tanks on the other side.

With steering wheel operation, coupled with driver assistance systems and satellite navigation, it's impossible for the car to veer off course.

The fact that Shen Weihua gave such an evaluation at least shows that the driving experience of this tank is very good.

Sell ​​it to the Middle East, sell it to those princes, at least they won't suffer from the driving experience.

But this thing is a tank, not an armored vehicle. Driving experience is secondary; firepower is more important.

His gaze shifted from Shen Weihua to Liu Nanqiao:

"Mr. Liu, tell me how you feel."

"I don't think the seats are very good; they're a bit hard. And I think they should have full-coverage seats," Liu Nanqiao said, commenting on the seats, then looked up at Lin Yi very seriously.

"I just played with the artillery controls, and from what I saw on the computer, this fire control system is excellent."

"But the problem is there are no shells, no shells being fired, and no machine guns being fired, so I can't give my assessment."

"After all, we can't just talk nonsense!"

Faced with such an explanation, Lin Yi could only helplessly touch his nose.

The artillery is 125mm L55 caliber, equipped with special ammunition produced by Xiaomi Heavy Industry. According to the system blueprints, its direct fire limit is 5 kilometers.

If it weren't Suzhou, but some other city that's a bit closer to the mountains, he could find a place to get a site, drag the tanks into the mountains, and fire a few shots at the mountains.

The problem lies in Suzhou, in the Yangtze River Delta region.

This place is incredibly valuable, and people are everywhere, even in the most remote and obscure corners.

Let alone finding a shooting range that's 5 kilometers in a straight line.

Just driving this thing out there will attract a huge crowd.

This is a brand new Western gadget!

How can a tank not fire shells?

After hesitating for a while, Lin Yi jumped off the tank, took out his phone, walked to a corner, and called Guo Song.

Guo Song was probably working when the call was answered; the phone rang for only two seconds before he answered.
"Is there a problem?"

"I'd like to ask you for help in coordinating a firing range. Our old tanks are out, and we're ready to test the artillery!"

"Any requirements?"

"There are no special requirements, except that the maximum direct firing range of the tank armor-piercing projectile is 5 kilometers!"

After that sentence, the person on the other end of the phone didn't speak. There was only the crisp sound of the microphone being placed on the table, followed by a series of footsteps.

The footsteps faded away, then quickly returned, followed by the sound of something being placed on the table with a heavy thud.

The sound of pages turning was very soft, a gentle rustling.

Soon, Guo Song's stern voice came: "I remember your ammunition hasn't been tested, has it?"

"Are you sure that the ammunition you produce, when paired with your artillery, can achieve a direct-fire range of 5 kilometers?"

"OK!" Lin Yi replied decisively.

Tanks and mortars, artillery, and other artillery have different indirect fire capabilities. When a tank charges head-on, the first thing to consider is the straight-line firing range.

It means I've aimed, fired a shot at you, and hit you directly at that distance.

Then comes indirect fire, which refers to the distance at which high-explosive anti-personnel rounds are used for fire support.

The straight-line firing range of most armor-piercing projectiles is around 2-3 kilometers. 5 kilometers...

To achieve a straight-line firing range of 5 kilometers, a tank with a 3-kilometer range must first cross that 2-kilometer distance.

Given the speed and reloading speed of modern tanks, this 2-kilometer distance allows for at least 6 consecutive shots.

If all six shells miss, then the tank crew can be fired.

Purely vegetable!

Having a longer range gives them an advantage, whether launching a surprise attack or engaging in a direct confrontation.

Moreover, modern tanks are not limited to firing armor-piercing shells; they can also fire guided projectiles.

5 kilometers, no one else saw it, just shot and ran.

Even if you can't kill them, run!
After a long silence, Guo Song on the other end of the phone said softly, "I'll go and coordinate a venue for you..."

"It's probably in Jinling. There might be more people going there. Hmm, you... never mind, you just take the stuff over there, fight it out, and leave!"

"I'm hanging up now!"

After hanging up the phone, Lin Yi remained silent for a moment, then turned and walked towards the main entrance of the workshop:

"Go pack your things. The higher-ups have arranged a firing range for us. Get your stuff ready, and we'll set off as soon as the phone rings!"

Upon receiving the order, the others turned to pack up, while Liu Nanqiao came up, rubbing his hands together: "Um... can I fire a shot later?"

“Okay!” Lin Yi nodded and pointed to a workshop in the corner next to the special vehicles.

The special ammunition company has obtained its production license.

However, since there was no suitable site, they had to apply for temporary approval and allocate a workshop in the special vehicle area to produce ammunition.

Fortunately, the explosives were battery materials that had undergone special treatment and could not be detonated under normal circumstances.

Otherwise, safety would be a real problem.

Moreover, this workshop only undertakes assembly work.

The shell casings and bodies come from a special alloy company, where they are cast and then transported here for assembly.

The primer was manufactured under a contract with the China North Industries Group Corporation (NORINCO), who provided the blueprints and then transported it over.

Keeping these items separate significantly improves security.

Now, to see what's really going on, we need to take these things out and load them onto the truck.

The workshop engineers acted swiftly upon receiving the order.

They ran to their respective posts, bringing with them relevant records and data sheets, as well as various tools.

I also brought a few sets of repair parts with me.

The remaining people went to the ammunition workshop to move ammunition.

Sixty rounds is the maximum load capacity for this tank.

On the battlefield, if a tank can fire all 60 shells and still escape unscathed, it would be at least a first-class merit, or even a special-class merit medal.

The ammunition was transported to the location, but it was not loaded.

During the transport of these military equipment, unless it is for a special mission, the weapons and ammunition are always separated in order to avoid safety accidents.

Shortly after, two trucks drove into the factory through the newly opened gate, one after the other.

Behind the two trucks were several cars and buses.

The truck on the left is responsible for transporting ammunition, while the truck on the right is a flatbed truck specifically used for transporting heavy equipment.

Loading and unloading the tanks and ammunition took some more effort.

While he was setting up the cable, Lin Yi received a call from an unknown number.

He tentatively answered the call, and a very serious voice immediately came from the other end:
"Excuse me, are you Director Lin of the 80515 Research Institute? I am Xu Youtang, the person in charge of the Jinling 2nd Artillery Logistics Training Base."

"We've arranged a training ground. I'll send you the address now. I'll be waiting for you there with my men. Please get there as soon as possible!"

"Director Guo said that they have already informed the checkpoints along the way, so you can just go directly."

Xu Youtang was decisive when he made the call; he hung up immediately after saying what he wanted to say.

Immediately afterwards, an address was sent over.

Lin Yi frowned deeply as he opened the text message and looked at the address.

Because that address isn't in Nanjing, it's next to Nanjing, in Fatty's territory.

[Except for the Yellow Chestnut Tree Training Base in Chuzhou]

It's not that far, about 300 kilometers.

After receiving the address, Lin Yi sent a message to the other party to confirm that he had received the information.

After giving the address to the driver and members of the security department, he waved his hand dismissively:
"boarding!"

At a command, the engineers boarded the vehicles one after another, while Lin Yi climbed into his own car. As soon as the door closed, Shen Weihua and Liu Nanqiao also got in.

With the accelerator floored, the long convoy headed towards Chuzhou.

Just as Xu Youtang said, when the checkpoint staff saw their convoy, they only glanced at it symbolically before letting them pass.

They covered a distance of 300 kilometers and arrived at their destination in 4 hours.

As soon as the convoy arrived at the base entrance, they saw several people standing by the roadside, and these people also looked surprised when they saw the approaching convoy.

As soon as the lead car stopped, someone ran up, looked him over, and then, upon seeing Lin Yi, raised his hand in salute.

"Director Lin, I am Xu Youtang, the head of the Jinling Second Artillery Logistics Training Base. Welcome to our work."

"This gentleman next to me is Kang Xiaozhen, the head of the Huanglishu Training Base!"

After a brief exchange of courtesies with the two, Lin Yi led them to the flatbed truck transporting the tank, lifted the tricolor tarpaulin covering it, and revealed the tank.

Then, pointing to the tank, he said:

"The main problem is that this thing has a maximum direct range of 5 kilometers, and we can't find such a suitable place in Suzhou."

"That's why I have no choice but to ask you for help!"

After hearing this, Xu Youtang turned around and looked at Kang Xiaozhen, who pointed to the training base behind him:

"Coincidentally, there is a mountain valley behind our training base called Qiligou."

"From the entrance of our training base to the very top of the hill, the length is about 5 kilometers."

"There are some targets that we buried during our recruit training on there, which should be enough."

It's a mountain valley that's exactly five kilometers long!
Lin Yi quickly reached out and grabbed Kang Xiaozhen: "Thank you so much!"

"Director Kang, when would you like to begin?"

Upon hearing the question, Kang Xiaozhen raised his left hand, checked the time, and nodded: "Now!"

(End of this chapter)