Back in 1978, I was admitted to Northwestern Polytechnical University.

Chapter 134: We can do without the J-8 fighter jet, but Northwestern Polytechnical University must support it!

The J-8 is no longer irreplaceable! The Air Force also has the Super-7 as an option!

The Super-7, a project developed by Factory 132 with its own funds, has not cost the country a single penny since its development began, yet the Air Force is extremely satisfied with its performance!
With its double delta wing, it boasts high maneuverability and can even dogfight with the F-16! Its pointed nose also allows for the installation of an airborne radar, although its smaller caliber limits its search range and other performance characteristics compared to the J-8. However, for the Air Force, the most important thing right now is to solve the problem of having such a radar!
Moreover, the Super 7 also uses a modified version of the RB199, which will significantly increase its range!

Shenyang wants to use imported goods? Don't imported goods cost money? Where does the country get its foreign exchange?

Besides, are imported products necessarily better? Europe is using radar antennas exported by Northwestern Polytechnical University!
If you don't need it, then our Air Force won't want this aircraft either! As the country opens its doors, the Air Force's standards are getting higher and higher, and it no longer looks down on pure interceptors like the J-8!
Everyone's heart skipped a beat.

Old Gu smiled wryly: "Old Lin, we just find it unbelievable. We never expected Northwestern Polytechnical University to have achieved such success. Of course, we have to support them! The second J-82 fighter jet we are building will be equipped with radar equipment from Northwestern Polytechnical University, serving as a test platform for them, so that our fighter jets can gain all-weather combat capabilities!"

Old Lin nodded: "That's more like it."

Beside him, Lin's secretary hesitated before speaking up: "Lin, Northwestern Polytechnical University said that the test platform should ideally be modified from a large aircraft, such as the Y-7, Y-8, or Y-10..."

Radar testing requires a variety of equipment and a large number of radar engineers, which fighter jets simply cannot accommodate!

There is no precedent for this in China. The 204 radar was manufactured and directly installed on the J-8 fighter jet. The pilot had to fly and test it all by himself. He would come down from the air and explain his operation process to the radar engineers, who would then analyze the reasons for the failure. This was very tedious. It would be more reliable for the radar engineers to operate it directly from the air!

The locals present looked grim and had mixed feelings. They wanted it, but Northwestern Polytechnical University might not give it to them; the university wanted other aircraft to modify and test the platform!
"Great! Our Air Force will allocate a Y-7 transport aircraft over there! It will serve as their testing platform. We will fully support the Air Force in developing this radar, which was jointly developed by Northwestern Polytechnical University and the 607 Institute! With Northwestern Polytechnical University, our Air Force will have no shortage of advanced equipment!"

Old Lin's words were meant for everyone! The leading force in military aircraft development is actually inferior to a mere Northwestern Polytechnical University!

"The J-8 fighter jet here has completed its maiden flight. Let's go to Northwestern Polytechnical University and take a look at the radar!" Old Lin said to the people around him.

What were the Air Force's most pressing needs in the late 1970s?
Airborne radar and medium-range missiles give us medium-range interception capabilities! We can't rely on other research institutes; we still have to depend on Northwestern Polytechnical University!
"Old Lin, I'll go with you!" Old Gu said.

"Yes, I'll go too!"

"I am coming too!"

These people realized that their words had offended the Air Force, and they had to make amends!

Anyone who dares to look down on Northwestern Polytechnical University will have their job taken away by the Air Force!

"Old Gu, you can go. Everyone else, just do what you're supposed to do! The first flight of this plane is over, but there are still other tests to do. The rear fuselage has been modified. We need to check if the fuselage temperature will still be high at high speeds, and whether the wings will vibrate. You guys have a lot of tasks to do. Don't let the radar test be completed before the airframe platform still lets us down!"

We've already given them enough of a reprimand; now we need to give them some support.

Northwestern Polytechnical University, conference room. "Currently, we have completed the debugging of all subsystems," Engineer Zhu said, standing in front of the projector and pointing to the slides as he introduced the system to a large group of Air Force leaders. "Although it's a reverse-engineered sapphire radar, our improvements are significant. From the front-end airborne radar antenna to the later digital processing circuitry, everything is brand new… Next, we need to conduct flight tests to verify the performance of various components, especially the pulse Doppler function…"

When you hear a train whistle on a train platform, you'll notice that the sound changes as the train moves. The horn itself remains the same, but the frequency of the sound changes because the train is moving. This is called the Doppler effect.

Pulse Doppler radar uses this effect. By performing spectrum analysis on the echo signal, it can detect targets at different speeds, especially from stationary echoes!

Nowadays, ultra-low-altitude penetration has become a common attack tactic. When airborne radar scans the ground, the screen will be filled with snow. This is complex clutter reflected back from the ground. Mountains, rivers, houses... even a power transmission tower can reflect clutter!

Without filtering, it's impossible to search for ground targets from the air! To filter, you need to use pulse Doppler technology!
Now, airborne radar in the East has finally entered the pulse-Doppler era! Everyone in the conference room was filled with genuine joy; our country's skies will become an impregnable fortress!
"Good, excellent! Our Air Force will give it our full support!" Old Lin waved his hand. "No matter how much it costs, we don't care!"

Qin Liang chuckled to himself, "The most expensive part is the research and development process. Your Air Force didn't contribute a single cent. Now that it's going into space for testing, it's just burning some fuel. You're not short of money now, are you?"
"Thank you so much for the Air Force's support!" Engineer Zhu said excitedly.

"Old Lin, we need to make this clear beforehand. This radar was developed by Northwestern Polytechnical University, and its production will also be handled by the university's affiliated factory. The Air Force and other ministries' factories and research institutes should not be eyeing this lucrative opportunity again!"

Institute 607 is just a research institute; they don't have production capabilities. Therefore, they don't value intellectual property rights. What they want is the sense of accomplishment from research and development.

The mathematics department has a school-run factory, and the electronics department needs one too, not only to produce radar antennas, but also to produce complete radar systems!
The aeronautics department is building a new building, the mathematics department is about to build one, and the electronics department will have to build one too! We'll never have to worry about not having a place to do research and development again!

Old Lin nodded: "Of course it's yours, we trust Northwestern Polytechnical University! If anyone comes looking for trouble, just come to me, and I'll give them a piece of my mind! We have the radar, now all we need are missiles!"

Radar is only responsible for searching for targets; attacks still require missiles. Currently, the East does not have any mature air-to-air missiles, which is like having guns but no cannons!
You can't rely on anyone else, you still have to rely on Northwestern Polytechnical University!
Sure enough, under Elder Lin's expectant gaze, Qin Liang spoke up: "Elder Lin, we will also solve the missile problem..."

Before he could finish speaking, someone rushed in excitedly: "Liangzi, Liangzi! The Super-7 at Factory 132 has already had Marconi avionics installed and is about to go to Pakistan to mount missiles. Tu Lao sent a telegram asking if you're going..."

"Missile?" Old Gu's eyes widened.

"That's right, the Skyflash missile, the world's first third-generation radar-guided air-to-air missile, with downward firing capability..."

"Can you attach it to our J-8 fighter jets?"

"Well, no rush, let's match Super 7 first."

　PS: The picture shows the airborne radar antenna and the associated circuitry.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)