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

Chapter 362 At 10,000 meters altitude, 60 kilometers away, dropping a bomb into a ventilation shaft.

"Mr. Lin, does our Air Force have female helicopter pilots?"

"That's for sure. In 1951, our Air Force's first batch of female pilots graduated from flight school and officially joined the military. These two female pilots were the elite of our Air Force. In 1963, they were the first to be converted to helicopters..."

With the roar of the engine, two female helicopter pilots took to the skies in the latest Z-20 helicopter! Women are just as capable as men!

Two helicopters flew in the sky, forming a formation, a common special operations deployment in the West: one armed helicopter provides cover while the other, a utility helicopter, is used to airdrop special forces...

"If we use these, wouldn't that be a bit unfair to the monkeys?"

"Of course not, this is nothing. Actually, there's even more advanced equipment, but our current electronic technology isn't advanced enough yet. We'll see in the future..."

If we're talking about the most suitable weapon in the south, it's not attack helicopters, it's not ground attack aircraft, it's drones!

A high-tech multi-rotor drone, carrying mortar shells, flies over and can drop them on enemy positions; the scene is absolutely spectacular!

Even if the enemy has air-raid shelters, they cannot defend against drone attacks. The later fight between the two Maos fully demonstrates the formidable combat power of drones on the battlefield!
Currently, the level of electronic technology is still too poor. For one thing, we can't develop lightweight CCD sensors and can only use extra-large TV cameras, so drones cannot perform their corresponding functions. Not to mention, the price of electronic systems is also very high, so it is somewhat wasteful to use them as disposable consumables.

We still have to wait for technological advancements!

"Hmph, you little brat, trying to talk big again. We're not looking at the future, we're looking at the present. By the way, how's the development of that precision-guided bomb you promised coming along?"

"Once the satellite navigation system is fully debugged, we can begin testing. If our twin-engine Q-6 bombers drop bombs from an altitude of 10,000 meters, they can launch an attack from 60 kilometers away..."

"What did you say? A bomb or a missile?"

"Of course it's a bomb, a product modified from the Air Force's 500-kilogram bomb..."

"Then what are we waiting for? After watching the helicopter's maiden flight, let's head to the Northwest firing range!"

"This... the satellite navigation system hasn't finished testing yet!"

"Even if the testing isn't complete, we can still see the results! A bomb only costs a few hundred yuan, which our air force can afford! By the way, how much does the modification cost?"

"When the cannons roar, gold flows like water"—this is no joke. In the early 1980s, the prices of various military products were still very cheap. Even so, an ordinary 152mm howitzer shell cost two or three hundred yuan, and the brass shell casing alone was worth 60 yuan.

By the late 1980s, a typical 152mm shell cost over a thousand dollars!

When it comes to war, money is the deciding factor.

If this is the case for artillery, then it's even more so for the air force. An air force fighter jet costs 800 yuan for a single takeoff and landing. In comparison, the cost of an ordinary iron bomb, a few hundred yuan, is negligible for the air force. They are more concerned about the modification costs for Northwestern Polytechnical University.

Precision-guided, long-range attack; even if the cost of such a bomb is seven or eight times that of other bombs, it's acceptable. If it's any higher…

"The modification cost... around two or three hundred yuan."

The cost of adding a hang glider is not included in the calculation, and it may increase slightly, but it will not exceed one hundred yuan at most.

Old Lin's eyes widened: "So cheap? What else is there to say! As long as the test is successful, all the iron bombs in our air force will be replaced with this kind!"

The cost of one bomb increases by less than half, but the bombing effect is equivalent to eight bombs or even more! This is a great weapon, of course we should equip it in large numbers!
Our Eastern Air Force is about to enter the era of precision bombing!
"Could our H-6 bombers, the kind that carry dozens of bombs at a time, drop them all at once and have them attack their respective targets separately?" Old Lin thought of something else.

"Of course, as long as you use low-drag bombs."

Iron bombs come in two shapes: streamlined ones that fly far, and ordinary cylindrical ones that have high drag and short range, but are perfect for carpet bombing by bombers. If bombers could do that, the effect would be...

"Great! This launch of BeiDou marks a new era for the military!"

With a roar, the two helicopters slowly landed.

"Reporting to Elder Lin, the maiden flight mission has been successfully completed!"

"Good, well done!" Old Lin looked at the two planes in front of him: "The basic flight is fine. Next, shall we conduct long-distance flight tests?"

"Yes."

"Perfect timing, let's fly to the Northwest firing range and take advantage of the tailwind..."

"No!" many people shouted in unison.

Are you kidding me, Mr. Lin? This is a newly developed aircraft. Although everyone is confident in its quality, there are bound to be many uncertainties in a brand-new aircraft. You actually want to fly on this kind of plane? If something really happens, we can't afford the responsibility!
"Mr. Lin, let's arrange for a Black Hawk to come over. You can ride in the Black Hawk." An Air Force leader said from the side.

"Yes, our two planes can accompany you there, so you can keep an eye on things along the way..."

"Ok."

Old Lin didn't insist, otherwise it would put those around him in a difficult position. Since everyone had already offered other methods, then they would use those other methods.

Qin Liang also breathed a sigh of relief.

The Northwest Firing Range, whose exact location is never marked on maps, is like the Eastern equivalent of Area 51, where all sorts of top-secret weapons are tested.

The arrival of the three helicopters attracted the attention of the range personnel, especially the armed helicopter, whose imposing and powerful appearance exuded a sense of strength. As for the other two, they were nothing special.

"Two more Black Hawk helicopters came?"

“Something’s not right. One of them has a three-piece windshield, and the other has a two-piece windshield.”

"Look at the rotors, one of them is a five-rotor aircraft!"

"This...could it be a replica of ours? Impressive, they can even replicate the Black Hawk!"

To the astonishment of the range staff, three helicopters landed one after another.

"Mr. Lin, welcome to the Northwest Firing Range! Oh, President Qin, you're here too? Welcome back to the Northwest Firing Range! These helicopters are all advanced products from your Northwestern Polytechnical University, right?"

Seeing Liu Zhiqiang, the person in charge of the shooting range, chatting excitedly with Qin Liang and ignoring him, Old Lin's face showed a complicated expression.

No matter where you go, as long as you're with Qin Liang, you'll always be ignored!
"Yes, this helicopter was jointly developed by Northwestern Polytechnical University and Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics. However, our visit this time is not entirely for the target practice of this weapon..."

"What? There are other weapons? What are they? Made by Northwestern Polytechnical University, absolutely top-notch, like the HQ-16 from last time..."

The last time Qin Liang came here, it was for the HQ-16 target practice test, which amazed everyone. This Northwest Target Range is looking forward to seeing even more advanced equipment from Northwestern Polytechnical University!

"Old Liu, how's the target model coming along?"

"That's about it... President Qin, tell us, what other advanced weapons do you have?"

"Ahem, what did Elder Lin mean by the target model just now?" Qin Liang knew that if this continued, Elder Lin might really get angry. Elder Lin was the backbone of the family.

"This is the target we're going to attack this time. We've made models of the key targets at our Northwest firing range. After practicing here, we'll be better prepared for actual combat. This plan is based on our experience from foreign countries, especially the Davids... President Qin, what kind of advanced weapon is it?" "Let's go take a look."

"it is good."

The shooting range was huge, and you had to drive everywhere. It took Qin Liang half an hour to finally see a hexagonal building in front of him.

This……

"This building was the command post behind the monkeys. It was built by our Eastern engineers, but now it has become..." Liu Zhiqiang's face was full of anger when he talked about this.

"This building looks very sturdy."

"That's natural. To protect against air raids, the reinforced concrete structure on top is a full ten meters thick. Since there aren't any solid granite mountains over there, they could only use reinforced concrete. We..."

Ten meters thick!

Old Lin frowned: "I'm afraid our existing conventional aerial bombs won't be enough to destroy it!"

Even if you add a guidance system to a 500-kilogram bomb, it still won't be able to collapse such a thick fortification. Even a 1,000-kilogram bomb wouldn't be able to do it!
“Yes, ordinary aerial bombs definitely won’t work. Such a fortification must have enough ventilation openings. We built a ventilation opening with a diameter of one meter on the side of this fortification. As long as we drop the bombs into the ventilation opening, the bombs will roll in and explode inside, which will definitely destroy the fortification completely,” Liu Zhiqiang said.

"Currently, our Northwest firing range is studying the dive-bombing tactics of the Q-6 to see if we can control the accuracy to within one meter..."

Dive bombing is the most effective way to improve accuracy. During World War II, the German Stuka bombers were able to drop bombs through the chimneys.

However, those were propeller planes after all. With the advent of jet aircraft, as the speed of aircraft increased, the danger of dive bombing also increased. If one was not careful and pulled up too late, one could crash directly to the ground and die.

Using twin-engine Q6 missiles is quite dangerous, and the accuracy may not be up to standard. It's like risking lives!
"No need for dive bombing anymore, we have new equipment," Qin Liang said. "Once the BeiDou system is fully tested..."

"BeiDou? BeiDou has already been tested and debugged!"

What? So fast? Qin Liang was full of excitement: "Great! Let's set up a ground calibration station here and test the power of our precision-guided weapon!"

To achieve an accuracy of one meter, it is necessary to add ground calibration stations. However, these are not complicated; they can even be mounted on vehicles. Once the location coordinates are accurately determined on a mountain in the south, satellite navigation calibration can be performed, and the accuracy will be improved by an order of magnitude, easily reaching one meter.

That afternoon, a Y-10 transport aircraft flew to the Northwest test range, and a large number of personnel and equipment disembarked. Faculty and students from the Department of Electronic Engineering at Northwestern Polytechnical University were busy with preparations.

Many projects at the base are classified and cannot be discussed privately under normal circumstances, but this time, the range staff couldn't resist.

"To drop a bomb from 60 kilometers away and have it fit through that ventilation shaft... this is simply a joke!"

"Yes, that's even more difficult than Khrushchev's claim of shooting down a fly in space!"

"If someone else said that, I would really think they were bragging. But since it's Northwestern Polytechnical University saying it, in my experience, no matter how unbelievable it seems, if it's Northwestern Polytechnical University, it will definitely come true."

"Of course we know we should believe it, but decades of experience still make it hard for us to believe!"

Amidst everyone's discussions, the three days of preparations flew by.

On the runway, the twin-engine Q-6 completed preparations for loading bombs and takeoff. On the pylon under the fuselage, the 500-kilogram bomb looked nothing special, just an ordinary aerial bomb. However, everyone knew that this bomb was different from the previous ones; it had eyes!

The bomb has two clamps on its body, and the foldable wings are attached to them. It's very primitive, but also... practical!
With a roar, the fighter jet quickly taxied and took off under the powerful thrust of the WP-15 turbojet engine. The wings swept back and began to climb rapidly. No other aircraft in China can match the power of this plane. It is an absolutely heaven-defying existence!
However, this is not the time to marvel at the plane. Everyone looked at the bomb on the belly of the plane. Next, it was up to it to create a miracle!

At 10,000 meters altitude, the pilot aligned with the course, and the weapons operator skillfully operated the equipment in front of him, switching to bombing mode and performing a bomb self-check... For the first time in his life, he was performing a bomb self-check!

After the self-test was completed, the satellite navigation signal was tested again. Everything was normal, and the countdown to throwing began.

For the pilots before them, this test flight was unprecedented. Dropping a bomb from 60 kilometers away at an altitude of 10,000 meters? An error of 10 kilometers was normal. Now, the required error was less than one meter!
"Three, two, one... Throw!"

Bang!
The rack came off, and the iron bomb wobbled and fell a few meters. Then, two wings unfolded on the back of the bomb, and instantly, the bomb was supported by the air and began to glide!
The pilot pushed the control stick and followed behind the iron bomb. He was not only responsible for dropping the bomb, but also for recording the entire flight process of the bomb. If it veered off course, it would be recorded and transmitted back to find bugs and make corresponding improvements.

The bombs enjoyed the beautiful scenery in the sky, weaving through the blue sky and white clouds. It felt very pleasant, with the tail fins occasionally tilting slightly to adjust their trajectory.

On the ground, high-precision tracking radar was also monitoring the bomb's trajectory.

"Giving wings to bombs, what a brilliant idea! How did you come up with that?" Liu Zhiqiang couldn't help but ask.

"Yeah, this head is simply not..."

The base staff member standing nearby stopped mid-sentence.

It's nothing! It's something no human could have come up with! Qin Liang didn't feel offended much. It really wasn't something one person could have come up with. He was standing on the shoulders of giants. All the advanced technologies of later generations, even if they were just theories, would be groundbreaking in this era!
"Even if our first experiment fails, it doesn't matter. We'll find the problems, continue to improve, and it will definitely work in the future," Old Lin said.

Obviously, even Elder Lin wouldn't dare to imagine dropping a bomb into a ventilation shaft with a diameter of one meter from 10,000 meters in the air, 60 kilometers away. It doesn't matter if it fails!

Qin Liang nodded.

If that fails, there are other alternatives, such as laser-guided bombs, which are more accurate, but they are expensive. The cost of headphones, laser transmitters and receivers is hundreds of times that of this satellite navigation terminal.

A bunker buster would be a better option; so what if it's ten meters deep? We can even drill through fifty meters!

In the sky, the bomb continued to glide, getting closer and closer to its target.

"This thing is truly amazing. So far, it seems to be able to land within 100 meters of the target without any problem!" The pilot on the Q-6 was very impressed. To fly such a long distance and still maintain such high accuracy is already quite remarkable!

As for one meter... I guess it depends on luck.

"No, I think it's fine within ten meters." The weapons operator looked at the radar screen in front of him. In synthetic aperture mode, the target was clearly visible, and the trajectory of the bomb was constantly being adjusted, becoming more and more precise.

Amazing!
One hundred meters is not the limit of BeiDou, nor is ten meters!

Above the bomb, a satellite receiving antenna continuously receives and transmits electromagnetic waves, and through the calculations of the ground station, its own position signal is continuously transmitted back.

Relying solely on this method would be insufficient to successfully hit the target. It also requires its own calculations. The internal Loongson processor, in its high-speed computation, must take into account trajectory changes, target distance, and even signal delays, in addition to the calibration from the calibration station...

Because of the full-power calculations, the chip started to get slightly warm, but fortunately, the target is getting closer and closer!

“Following this trajectory, the bomb will fly over the ventilation shaft…” Before the weapons operator could finish speaking, the pilot in front shouted in alarm: “It’s diving!”

The bomb was 100 meters from the target and at an altitude of 200 meters. At that moment, the tail control surfaces propelled the bomb into a dive, while the side wing surfaces retracted. Instantly, the bomb changed from a horizontal glide to a dive, with the angle increasing: 30 degrees, 60 degrees, 80 degrees...

Near the target, a high-speed camera quickly recorded the scene. The falling bomb appeared to sway from side to side, but in reality, it was being precisely adjusted.

Boom!
The bomb landed, but there were no traces of it around, nor any signs of the massive impact it would have had upon hitting the ground. This bomb had somehow... gotten into the ventilation shaft?
One meter accuracy, that's incredible! At the Northwest firing range, there was no cheering, everyone stared wide-eyed, wondering if what was happening right before their eyes was real.

　PS: Lei Shi-6 and two images of dual-shot powerful six-shot attacks generated by a fellow reader using AI.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)