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

Chapter 448 Military Parade Requires High Technology
The capital city, Nanyuan Airport.

On the wide airport runway, no airplanes could be seen, only the roar of modern vehicles.

Among them, a trailer team composed of heavy vehicles stood out the most.

In the first row, in front of it was an eight-wheeled Hanyang tractor, towing a cone-shaped object in its cargo bed.

Behind it was a trailer, and on the trailer was a large object that was cone-shaped in the front and cylindrical in the back.

In the second row, on three vehicles, soldiers stood ramrod straight in the truck beds, while a larger cylinder was being towed on the trailer behind them.

Both the cone and the cylinder were covered with camouflage netting, making it impossible to see what they were.

The convoy moved forward slowly, while on the roadside, people were holding walkie-talkies and shouting loudly.

"Car number three, you're going too fast, slow down!"

"Car number two, you're holding us back!"

The convoy drove all the way to the end of the runway and stopped.

The driver got out of the car; his brand-new green military uniform was already soaked with sweat.

"Report, old commander, I..."

"What do you mean, 'I'? Zhang Dalin, you've been training for months, how come you still can't control your speed? If you continue like this, don't blame me for replacing you!"

"do not!"

"Then why aren't you training properly?"

"Yes!"

Driver Zhang Dalin was still aggrieved. "Old commander, I don't know why the stopwatch in my car is a second slow!"

"Everyone remember this! Our speed is 600 meters per minute, moving at a constant speed. There can't be an error of even half a meter, let alone a one-meter error! The bumpers must be in a straight line, and the people in the vehicles behind must be aligned, in a straight line, with their eyes in unison! We are a vehicle formation, which is much easier than an infantry formation!"

The old regimental commander's eyes were filled with murderous intent.

"I've already promised my superiors that I'll bring the same spirit we had in the mountains to the parade ground, so don't let me down!"

"Yes!"

"Turn back and train again!"

It's already May, and although it's not yet the hottest time of summer, everyone is already drenched in sweat. White alkali seeps through their green uniforms, a heartbreaking sight, but…

The old regimental commander has always been on the front line enduring hardship, so how could the other soldiers complain about being tired?
Just then, a medium-sized bus drove up, its four round headlights gleaming, with the words "Red Flag" prominently displayed above them.

In the 1980s, the Hongqi CA630 was an absolute legend among tourist vehicles, and hotels, government agencies, and enterprises were all proud to own such a vehicle.

This vehicle, like the Toyota Coaster of later generations, was not for ordinary people.

Seeing the vehicle heading straight for them, the old regimental commander straightened his uniform and strode over.

"Mr. Qin?"

Upon seeing the first person get off the car, he quickly raised his right hand in salute.

"Report! The Second Artillery Corps troops participating in the parade are conducting vehicle formation training. Please provide instructions!"

"Old Li, no need to be so serious. We just came to see how the troops are training."

"Guaranteed to complete the mission!"

"Don't be so serious, is the military facing any difficulties?"

"Report: No problems!"

Seeing the attitude of the old regimental commander in charge of training at the Second Artillery Corps, Old Qin could only look at the soldiers behind him who were also standing ramrod straight.

"Are you having any difficulties? If so, please let us know!"

“Old Commander, I…” Zhang Dalin stepped forward: “I want to raise a problem…”

"You little brat..."

"Old Li, stop glaring at our soldiers. Young man, tell me, what's the problem?"

“Our vehicle formation relies on two methods: visual alignment and stopwatch alignment. However, our stopwatches… have errors, so mistakes may occur during training.”

Visual alignment means that once the driver has adjusted their seat and is in a fixed position, they will have a clear visual position of where the car in front of them is and where the car next to them is. Mastering this is enough.

The stopwatch being aligned means there's a stopwatch inside the car, and the constant speed of 600 meters per minute is calculated using this stopwatch.

"Yes, that's right. So... we invited the comrades from Northwestern Polytechnical University over. They brought us new equipment, which was originally intended to be installed in the tank units first. However... this is the Second Artillery Corps' first time participating in a military parade, so they came here instead!"

"Comrades from Northwestern Polytechnical University? Let's give them a round of applause!"

How popular is Northwestern Polytechnical University (NPU) in China now? Just look at these missile soldiers who train in remote mountain villages! They applauded enthusiastically, full of respect for NPU!
Qin Liang was also moved and walked up.

"Gentlemen, our equipment addresses these two issues. First, regarding self-positioning and timing, we will install a Beidou navigation terminal on each vehicle..."

Since the Beidou Navigation System proved its capabilities in the battle to teach the monkeys a lesson, it has been gradually promoted and used in the military. However, the initial equipment was provided to combat troops. Although some troops who were inspected returned from the front lines, their equipment was handed over to the next batch of officers and soldiers undergoing rotation training and was not brought back.

Upon hearing about the Beidou navigation terminal, everyone's eyes widened. We're going to be using it too!

In fact, equipping the Second Artillery Corps with Beidou terminals is also of great significance. After all, mobile missile launchers need to know their location at all times and calculate firing parameters so that they can be set up and fired immediately.

but……

Nowadays, mobile missiles are rare; most are launched from fixed silos.

Moreover, they are all liquid-fueled missiles, and there are preparations such as fuel filling before use. During this process, their own position can be measured by other means. In addition, they are usually launched from pre-set positions, and the coordinates of the launch positions have been measured in advance.

Once the giant waves reach the shore, there will be a demand for such satellite positioning devices, and by then, BeiDou devices will have been widely deployed and used.

Behind Qin Liang, teachers and students from the Department of Electronic Engineering at Northwestern Polytechnical University carried boxes of equipment they had brought and rushed toward a line of Hanyang tractor trucks.

"Comrade Qin Liang, this Beidou navigation terminal is good, but... even with ground differential stations, the accuracy is only at the meter level, we..."

Hearing the old regimental commander say this, Qin Liang's eyes widened.

"Old commander, you know so much about our BeiDou navigation system?"

"Yes, our Second Artillery Corps has been eagerly awaiting the distribution of Beidou terminals. If used for pre-launch missile positioning, it would definitely be no problem; meter-level accuracy is already very high. However, our training ground..."

Six hundred meters per minute, with an error margin of no more than one meter—that's a one-minute margin of error!

"BeiDou navigation is mainly used for vehicle positioning and timing. The driver just mentioned that stopwatches are prone to errors, right? Our BeiDou navigation timing service has an error level of nanoseconds, which is definitely sufficient."

What is a nanosecond?
The old commander genuinely didn't know, but it must have been very precise!
"As for the soldiers' formation training, it mainly relies on keen eyesight, while we use high technology to make it easier for the naked eye to see."

What?
Everyone stared wide-eyed at the work of the faculty and students at Northwestern Polytechnical University.

Right below the cab of the Hanyang tractor, in the center, was a yellow, concave object. This was...

“On our official parade ground, lines will definitely be drawn. With this, drivers can drive accurately along the lines.”

The 84 military parade relied on the drivers' skill level. These lovable soldiers, it is said, would practice pressing the accelerator with their right foot while sleeping at night, and then kick the person next to them off the plane...

By 99, high technology began to be used, and each vehicle formation had such a device, which made driving more precise.

“Our soldiers can’t see it!” The old regimental commander frowned. That place was definitely a blind spot. Even if the vehicle had a ground-view mirror, it would never be able to see that place.

"We will install cameras underneath, and a head-up display will be installed above the dashboard in the driver's cab, on the windshield..."

They even installed the head-up displays used on fighter jets! After all, drivers can't keep their heads down looking at the instrument panel all the time, otherwise how would they see the road!
This head-up display is attached to the windshield of the driver's cab, so the driver doesn't have to look down!

This……

"Don't worry, it will display normally even in strong light. Besides, the parade marches from east to west, so the light won't affect it." "No, I mean, what's a camera?"

In that era, cameras were all bulky, and even surveillance systems were the kind of large cameras used in later generations to capture people running red lights on the street.

A tiny camera? Nobody has ever seen one.

"The CCDs produced by our Northwestern Polytechnical University... are about the size of a bottle cap, and they can capture clear images. You don't need to understand the technical details; you just need to know that the images below will be clearly visible."

"Okay, now that's settled, the vehicle can drive straight without any problems. The longitudinal issue is resolved, but there's still the lateral issue..."

"A camera will also be installed on the roof to monitor vehicles to the side and keep them moving side by side."

One car, two cameras! That way you can know your exact location anytime, anywhere!

Even with waterproof and sandproof features added to the camera casing, it's still only about the size of a ping-pong ball!
Seeing this thing installed on their own vehicles, everyone's eyes were filled with excitement.

High technology, this is absolutely high technology!
"Okay, this car is ready!"

Zhang Dalin rushed to the car, taking three steps at a time, and turned the key before he could even close the door.

The newly installed head-up display in front of me doesn't obstruct my view at all. After a dozen seconds or so, it warms up and two images appear on it.

The underside of the car, the right side, is clearly visible!
In the upper right corner of the screen, there was a number display, and the constantly ticking clock was the display. But this number... there were many digits, but he didn't count them; it was definitely enough!

There is also a row of numbers showing his latitude and longitude coordinates.

"This equipment can not only help soldiers train, but also undertake assessment tasks. As long as the daily training data is entered into the computer, it will be comprehensively evaluated. Of course, the supporting software system is still under development, and it will be delivered to our troops in at most half a month."

"Great, that's wonderful!" The old commander's eyes lit up. "Now we have even more confidence in our training!"
"This is the power of high technology!" Old Qin exclaimed. "We first tested it in the Second Artillery Corps, and within a month, we expanded it to all vehicle formations! Comrade Qin Liang, Northwestern Polytechnical University has made the greatest contribution to this parade!"

"No, Elder Qin, our Northwestern Polytechnical University only has some trivial skills. Our soldiers are the ones who work the hardest. Every single one of them is a hero! Speaking of which, shouldn't our higher authorities also make a batch of medals to award to each of our soldiers who are inspected?"

Northwestern Polytechnical University is really generous; not only do they not steal credit, they also try to get credit for us!
Everyone present was deeply moved.

"Yes, you're right, our parade command will consider this plan!"

Two hours later, all vehicles were installed.

"Attention everyone, training continues! Tonight, we'll train for two extra hours to make up for the time lost during the day!"

"Yes!"

The roar of engines echoed over the airport.

Qin Lao and the others stood beside the runway, watching the vehicles drive by. Sure enough, this time the vehicles were in a straight line, perfectly timed!
When they reached the end of the road, Zhang Dalin jumped out of the car.

"Amazing! With this equipment, we're 100% confident! Old Commander, if I still can't drive it well, you can shoot me!"

“Shoot me? Shooting you would be too lenient. Northwestern Polytechnical University has given us so much high technology. If you make another mistake, you’ll kneel down at the gate of Northwestern Polytechnical University and stay there until the parade is officially over!”

The faculty and students from the Department of Electronic Engineering at Northwestern Polytechnical University stayed behind. During the equipment trial period, there would definitely be various minor issues that needed to be addressed. He, on the other hand, went with the others to the parade command post.

"The ground formation problem is solved. Now, shouldn't we move on to the air formation?" Old Lin couldn't help but ask in the car, "Shouldn't we also install Beidou terminals on our fighter jets?"

"Ahem, Mr. Lin, the new aircraft come with a Beidou terminal installed, but for fighter jets, a Beidou terminal alone is definitely not enough."

"How do we solve this?"

"Of course it's thanks to early warning aircraft. Doesn't our air force already have early warning aircraft?"

"That's right!" Old Lin's eyes lit up.

When disciplining the monkeys, the early warning aircraft played an important role. This time, the early warning aircraft will also be present at the military parade. However... everyone just regarded the early warning aircraft as equipment participating in the parade. They did not expect that the early warning aircraft could also play its own role!

"During the military parade, we will definitely have a large number of air formations. The airspace over the capital will be very crowded. This is the perfect opportunity to leverage the advantages of our early warning aircraft. By coordinating the airspace of each aircraft, we can ensure orderly passage without causing mid-air collisions..."

"Yes, that's right, you're right." Old Lin nodded.

Why bother going to the parade command post? We already finished talking on the way here in the car!
"At that time, all flights in the air will be managed by the air command and will communicate with the ground via data link to coordinate with each other, which will also facilitate the on-site commander to direct the parade."

Old Qin nodded: "Yes, the data link is a great thing! Since we got it, we feel that the entire combat command system is about to change."

“That’s for sure,” Qin Liang said. “Times have changed. If our army wants to improve its combat effectiveness, it must take the path of informatization…”

"Yes, a large army doesn't necessarily mean strong combat effectiveness. Our country has decided to reduce its military again!"

What? Disarmament?

Qin Liang then remembered that in 84, there was not only the military parade, but also the solemn announcement made by the old leader after the parade: a reduction of one million troops!

Actually, a lot of people had already been laid off when the announcement was made.

At its peak in the 1970s, the army numbered 7.5 million.

In 80, the number of military personnel was still as high as 602 million. 72 were laid off that year, reducing the size of the army to 530 million.

In 82, another million people were laid off, leaving 430 million. The total number of troops was still enormous. It should be noted that the two superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union, only had one or two million troops.

Therefore, even if the army is cut by another million, it will still have more than three million left, which is still a huge number.

The trend continued, and by 90, the military had reached 319.9 million personnel, still the largest in the world.

Qin Liang looked at Elder Lin with a meaningful gaze.

"What's wrong, Liangzi? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"it's okay no problem."

The million-strong troop reduction in 84 was accompanied by the establishment of the Army Aviation Corps. The helicopter projects supported by the Air Force would be transferred to the Army. The Air Force lost a piece of its flesh, Mr. Lin...

If Old Lin is all smiles now, then there's nothing to worry about!
"Comrade Qin Liang, what do you think? Should this helicopter unit belong to the Army, or should it remain in the Air Force?" At this moment, Old Qin spoke up.

"Ahem, Elder Qin, my ideas are useless. This is a matter for the country to consider, and it has nothing to do with me."

I wouldn't get involved in this mess!

"Liangzi, just say it! Why are your ideas useless? In our unit, your ideas are the most important thing!"

"Ahem, I really don't understand. At most, I've only looked at the Western world."

"Then tell me about the situation outside."

"Well... I haven't looked into it yet, so I don't know."

Abroad, armed helicopters are of course for the army. In the United States, the army has started assembling dedicated air assault divisions, making helicopters their main force, which provides greater mobility. The Russian Mi-24 is also for the army, needless to say!

“We’re going to the United States soon. Comrade Qin Liang, since you’re in the capital, why don’t you come with us on this trip?” Old Qin said.

"Alright. Old Qin, what's the purpose of this trip?"

"The Pentagon invited us to come and inspect the site. Of course, this was arranged last year."

On September 25, 1983, Weinberg led a delegation to the East. He was received by Professor Zhang. At the end of the visit, Weinberg sincerely concluded the conversation with the statement, "The role of the East is of paramount importance." He then invited the East delegation to visit the United States.

The date was June 9, 1984.

"Yes, recently, in the competition for the fourth-generation fighter jet, some Americans have already shown hostility towards us. We need to be prepared for this trip!"

In his memory, Mr. Zhang was subjected to unreasonable harassment. The other party brought up the Far East War, and Mr. Zhang slammed his fist on the table. Later, he met several American veterans from World War II who had been saved by Mr. Zhang on the battlefield, and the atmosphere eased.

this time……

"Yes, that's why I called you here! With you here, we can really put a good blow to the arrogance of those Americans."

A smile appeared on Qin Liang's face.

Showing off? We're experts at that! We can pull off anything, the key is how powerful our backers are! Following these leaders, we can show off all the way to the Milky Way!

(End of this chapter)