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

Chapter 190 C801 Missile, Attack!
On the bridge of the May 25th ship.

"Radar detected suspicious clutter!"

With the radar officer's shout, the atmosphere on the bridge instantly became tense!
"Altitude, speed, and direction?" Garcia asked.

“These data… Damn it, the target has vanished!” the radar officer shouted. “But… I’m sure I wasn’t seeing things!”

"Attention all fleet, strengthen lookout! Hercules, turn towards the direction of the incoming target and release electromagnetic interference!" Guillermo gave the order. Judging by the timing, it should be that Super 7 that launched the attack! Of course, this was based on the premise that they already knew that the Super 7 was coming to attack. Without this warning, they would most likely have ignored the radar echo as clutter.

The fleet's swift response demonstrated their high level of training, or rather, the importance they placed on this exercise.

A 4,000-ton destroyer painted in navy gray quickly sailed out. Faint blue smoke billowed from the funnel in the middle of the hull, and its distinctive whistling sound indicated that it was a gas turbine-powered warship. The 114mm naval gun at the bow stood tall with its barrel raised, and behind the gun, the twin-mounted Sea Dart anti-aircraft missile launchers gave it a powerful presence.

Anyone who has seen British equipment will recognize it at a glance: Type 42 destroyer!

That's right, it's the British Navy's main destroyer, the Type 42, which is called the Hercules-class in the British Navy.

In the early 1970s, when the British Type 42 destroyers had just begun construction, the British Navy took a liking to them and placed an order to purchase two.

The first ship, HMS Hercules, was laid down in 70 and commissioned in 76, only one year later than HMS Sheffield, the lead ship of the British Type 42 fleet! As for the second ship, HMS St. Tridanni, it was laid down in the UK's own shipyard and did not officially enter service until 81.

This time, the crying country's navy requested that Eastern fighter jets directly attack their carrier battle group, which also has the implication of testing the air defense capabilities of the 42nd destroyer!
On the bridge of the Hercules, Captain Sanchez looked proud.

"Our warship is the most advanced air defense destroyer in the world. We will definitely find those two damned anti-ship missiles and shoot them down! Has the radar detected the target?"

"Report: The radar has not yet detected any targets."

"Don't worry, keep searching! As long as they fly over, we'll definitely find them! It's also possible that the fleet made a mistake."

They detected an echo only once, and then couldn't find it the second time. This might be a problem with the ship's radar, perhaps mistaking a large wave for an echo! At this moment, Sanchez was very confident.

"Report! Report!" Just then, the lookout on the mast suddenly shouted into the radio: "Two plumes of white smoke spotted on the sea! Approaching from the twelve o'clock direction!"

Unfortunately, solid propellants of this era cannot be completely eliminated. The thick smoke produced upon launch could even choke and shut down an aircraft engine. Fortunately, anti-ship missiles are relatively large and are jettisoned before ignition. If they were to ignite directly on the pylon, the carrier aircraft would not be able to withstand it.

The white smoke revealed the presence of two anti-ship missiles!

However, upon receiving this news, the Weeping Nation's navy was even more shocked. So far, their radar had not detected anything, yet the target had already arrived.

What happened? The radar is broken? That's impossible, we checked it after we set sail!

Sanchez picked up his binoculars, quickly adjusted the focus, and looked straight ahead. Sure enough, there were two targets above the waves!
Whizzing!
By the time he saw it, it was too late. Two C801 missiles flew past its left and right sides at Mach 0.9, as if showing off.

"This... the altitude is probably less than ten meters, this missile is practically flying on the crest of a wave!"

"That's right, the radar can't lock onto this missile at all; it's completely filtered out as ocean clutter. This..."

Amidst gasps of surprise aboard the Hercules, Sanchez stared in awe as the missile hurtled past.

Is this really an anti-ship missile produced in the East? I doubt there's anything this advanced anywhere else in the world.

Back then, when we heard that high-ranking naval officers went to the Paris Air Show and ended up purchasing a large amount of Eastern equipment, these officers and soldiers, who were used to Western equipment, actually had a lot of complaints. They felt that the people who made the purchase must have lost their minds. Although they dared not say it outright, they strongly suggested that Eastern missiles be used to attack their aircraft carrier battle group and demanded that the tests be conducted in close combat!
Actually, the intention was to embarrass the Eastern equipment, but now...

"Quickly, warn the fleet, the missiles are coming!" Seeing two missiles flying towards the fleet five kilometers behind him, Sanchez remembered his mission and quickly shouted.

The aircraft carrier May 25.

"What?" Guillermo's eyes widened. "Hercules didn't stop it? It didn't even detect the target? How is this possible? Damn it, quick, increase the power and release the electromagnetic interference! Gunners, get ready!"

In this era, there were no close-in weapon systems. This aircraft carrier, built during World War II, relied on machine guns for air defense. It was more like using these to shoot down slow propeller planes, but using them to shoot down missiles was simply wishful thinking. But... what if you got lucky?

There's no other way now.

On one side of the aircraft carrier, the cruiser General Belgrano.

With a full-load displacement of over 12,000 tons, it is second only to aircraft carriers in the navy of the United States, and is also a legacy of World War II.

Originally the Brooklyn-class cruiser USS Phoenix, it served as General MacArthur's flagship and emerged unscathed from the harbor during the attack on Pearl Harbor. During World War II, it was bombed multiple times, hit by torpedoes, shells, and even attacked by kamikaze pilots, but it survived like a phoenix.

After being decommissioned in 1950, this warship was exported to the Crying Country. With modifications, the total cost was less than five million US dollars. It still retains the 152mm main gun, but Seacat anti-aircraft missiles were added.

Now, seeing two anti-ship missiles flying towards them, Captain Sabaloz immediately ordered: "Sail over!"

Aircraft carriers are the most valuable asset. In critical moments, escort warships must sail to the sides of the aircraft carrier to shield it from missiles!

Moreover, he was confident in his warship. After all, warships from World War II were equipped with armor protection! The front of the bridge where he was located had an armor thickness of up to 190 millimeters, and even the waterline on the hull had an armor protection of 152 millimeters.

As long as the incoming missile doesn't carry a semi-armor-piercing warhead, it won't be a problem even if it crashes directly into his warship without slowing down!
The two C801 missiles have reached the final stage of flight. Their flight altitude has dropped from the initial twenty meters to below ten meters. Their seekers are still able to firmly capture their targets and select the target with the largest reflected echo from the fleet of warships!

Five kilometers, three kilometers, one kilometer!

At this moment, countless people stood on the deck, watching the two incoming missiles. Their red and white paint scheme stood out against the backdrop of the azure sea.

Guillermo's eyes widened, and he roared, "Quick, stop them!"

No sooner had the words been spoken than the machine guns opened fire, a barrage of shells flying toward the incoming missile target. Flames erupted aboard the General Belgrano as the Seacat anti-aircraft missiles took to the air.

"Oh, damn it, what are they doing!"

To everyone's astonishment, the two anti-ship missiles on the sea surface began to turn, to the left, to the right, and then to the left again... they actually began to perform S-shaped maneuvers!

With this added trick, no one can defend against it!
Guillermo fell silent, watching as two anti-ship missiles bypassed the General Belgrano and hurtled towards him. Five hundred meters, three hundred meters… Damn it, weren't they supposed to detonate them beforehand? At that moment, Guillermo suddenly felt a sense of impending death. If this were actually on a battlefield, even if these two missiles didn't send his warship to the bottom of the sea, they would cause heavy losses, rendering it unable to continue fighting.

One hundred meters! The last one hundred meters!
The missile's body, wings, and even the C801 markings are clearly visible, as if the image has been frozen in that moment.

boom!
As the explosion rang out, the two missiles self-destructed at the last moment, scattering white powder and missile fragments that surged toward the May 25th.

A crackling sound rang out, and the ship's hull seemed to be amplifying these vibrations, stimulating the retinas of everyone present.

On the nearby cruiser Belgrano, countless people stared wide-eyed at the aircraft carrier, half of which was painted white, as if it were a white flag of surrender.

Yun-10.

"Two missiles, hitting the target perfectly! Our choice was definitely right!" Anaya was extremely excited: "Don't worry, the second payment will be transferred soon! I hope you can produce the remaining aircraft for us as soon as possible! By the way, besides leaving these equipment, you also need to leave some instructors to help us train pilots and ground crew!"

Having an airplane doesn't mean you can fly it immediately. Flight training takes a long time, and ground crew also need training. It takes at least a year and a half before a plane can be operational.

"Okay, no problem! Can we go back now?"

"Not yet, there's one last test," Anaya said with a smile. "We'll be sending out a C-130H aerial refueling tanker to refuel the Super 7 in mid-air!"

These guys are really persistent, putting us through all sorts of tests. But our Eastern equipment has always been able to withstand any test!
The C-130 transport aircraft, a four-engine turboprop multi-purpose tactical transport aircraft developed by Lockheed in the 1950s, has undergone various tests since its inception and has attracted an increasing number of users. As of 2020, this aircraft is still in production and has become a mainstay of the international medium-sized transport aircraft market.

Dongfang also has a comparable model, the Y-8, but its annual production is often in the single digits, making the two completely incomparable.

Some of the C-130s in the Weeping Country's equipment have been converted into aerial refueling tankers to refuel their own fighter jets. Although the Y-10 can also refuel, the Weeping Country naturally hopes to integrate it with their existing equipment.

Over this period of time, the Super-7 has conducted aerial refueling multiple times, so it has become a routine task. Lu Guotang operated the Super-7, flew towards the aerial refueling airspace, located the C-130H transport aircraft, slowly approached it, and then suddenly thrust the aerial refueling probe into it.

Fuel gushed into the Super 7's fuel tank. On the other side, the observer at the rear of the transport plane gave Lu Guotang a thumbs up. Impressive!
On the aircraft carrier on May 15th.

Guillermo took a deep breath: "I never expected, I never expected, that this anti-ship missile produced in the East would be so powerful!"

"Report! The Commander has ordered the fleet to return to port. Senior fleet commanders, assemble at the Freedom Tower!"

Freedom Tower, the headquarters of the Weeping Nation Navy.

"Gentlemen, I am very sorry that you have just arrived and are still jet-lagged, and we have asked you to conduct a naval combat exercise. Our main purpose is to test the combat capabilities of this aircraft. Now, we are very satisfied with the performance of the aircraft! On behalf of the Navy of the Crying Nation, I thank the East for sending us such powerful weapons and equipment!"

"Over the years, we in the East have had little interaction with the outside world. Due to deliberate propaganda by some media outlets, we have become synonymous with poverty and backwardness. In reality, our Eastern technology is very advanced, and our military industry is particularly sophisticated," Manager Liu said with a smile. "We are also very happy to sell powerful weapons to the crying country, helping you enhance your strength and cope with any future threats!"

If Qin Liang hadn't given prior instructions, Manager Liu really wouldn't have dared to use such exaggerated language to introduce the company.

"Gentlemen, let's review this attack again, learn from it, and welcome your navy's valuable feedback." Qin Liang stood up: "The attack unfolded as follows..."

After listening to the whole story, the officers from the weeping nation who had returned from the sea all had complex expressions.

"In that case, even our newest Type 42 destroyers would be powerless against such an attack!"

"Yes, fighter jets can penetrate at an altitude of 100 meters, and missiles at 10 meters. When the sea is calm, radar can detect them at a range of about 10 kilometers. But if the waves are rough, they are almost impossible to detect!"

These people, who once looked down on Eastern equipment, are now filled with emotion, realizing that Eastern technology is indeed powerful!
"The Type 42 destroyer is still stuck in the mindset of high-altitude defense. This type of warship is indeed outdated. The Sea Dart missiles it carries are mainly for high-altitude targets and are completely incapable of dealing with sea-skimming anti-ship missiles," Qin Liang said. "Currently, we are developing a medium-range air defense missile, and there will also be a shipborne version of this missile. If your company needs it, it can be installed on your warships in the future to improve your ability to intercept sea-skimming anti-ship missiles."

It is common to modify air-to-air missiles into local air-to-air or ship-to-air missiles. For example, the Sparrow missile has the Sea Sparrow variant, and the Russian R-77 has also been incorporated into the vertical launch system of warships to enhance their interception capabilities.

To date, the East has not yet developed a mature and reliable shipborne air defense missile. Even if the HQ-61 missile were developed, it would be outdated by now. For a long time, the Eastern Navy could only rely on the HQ-7, a copy of the French-imported Sea Crotale missile, as its main air defense weapon.

Now, we can equip the PL-10 with boosters and use it as an air defense missile on warships!

These projects haven't been taken care of yet, but we'll get them done later!
The three departments of Northwestern Polytechnical University have already started taking on projects from the Navy, and this number will continue to increase!
Qin Liang is saying all this with a purpose: to shift the focus from aviation equipment to naval equipment, to show these people that we are not only powerful in aircraft, but also in warships, so... let us see your aircraft carriers too, maybe we can make some modifications!

“We’ve heard that Britain is selling Type 42 destroyers to your East to solve your navy’s air defense problems…” Just then, an officer spoke up.

This... The Easterners present started to pound with fear. Liangzi, you're about to blow your own horn!
At this moment, Qin Liang said without batting an eye, "That's true. The British wanted to sell us the Type 42 destroyer, but... our navy wasn't interested! How could our Eastern navy possibly want such outdated warships!"

In fact, the Eastern Navy really wanted it, but the price was too high. They even thought of just getting the Sea Darts and equipping them on their own Type 051 destroyers to turn them into Type 051S destroyers specifically for air defense. Unfortunately, they didn't have the money, and after the Falklands War, the Navy completely lost interest.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief; Qin Liang had smoothed things over with just one sentence.

"This Super 7 fighter jet is really good, but it's a pity it's only a land-based fighter. If only it could be installed on our aircraft carrier..." Garcia was tempted.

When the USS May 25 first arrived, it used F9F fighters, Grumman's first jet carrier-based fighter, which was based on technology from the late 1940s. It was later upgraded to the A4 Skyhawk attack aircraft. These were the mainstay aircraft of the U.S. Navy and Air Force, but they only had simple avionics and were mainly used for dive bombing.

Qin Liang was overjoyed. Great! He had been worrying about how to ask to visit the aircraft carrier, and now the opportunity had come!

The people from the East were also very excited, their wish was about to come true! But they saw Qin Liang frowning.

"Converting a land-based fighter jet into a carrier-based aircraft is no easy task. The landing gear needs to be strengthened, the wings need to be folded, and a tail hook needs to be installed... It will probably require a large investment."

You still disagree?
"However, the Crying Country is our friend in the East. Since you have this need, we are willing to try to improve it. However... we still need to examine your aircraft carrier to see if it is capable of carrying it. Otherwise, if we spend a lot of money to improve it, and then the aircraft carrier is still unusable, wouldn't that be a waste?"

“That’s right! We should go take a look!” Anaya nodded. “After the meeting, we’ll go to the Belgrano Naval Base!”

"Ahem, no rush. We've come all this way, so after the meeting, we should enjoy the scenery of this 'Little Paris of South America'."

Although everyone was eager to go, Qin Liang still had to deliberately delay, showing that we weren't really interested in the Crying Country's aircraft carrier. It was only because the Crying Country had invited us that we went up to take a look. We spent three to five days looking at it, which was because we were serious and responsible about our work, not because we wanted to survey and copy it.

　PS: Argentine Navy's Type 42 destroyer.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)