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

Chapter 453 I was just kidding, did the US Navy really agree?

South of Washington lies Virginia, and southeast of Virginia, next to Chesapeake Bay, is Norfolk Naval Base, the largest naval base in the United States and one of the largest in the world.

Four to six aircraft carriers are often docked here, accounting for almost half of the total number of aircraft carriers in the U.S. Navy. At the same time, the command center of the Atlantic Fleet is located here, and affairs in Europe, Africa, and even South America are handled by them.

At the same time, because of its proximity to Washington, D.C., it also frequently undertakes some visiting missions.

For example, today, just as the sun rose in the east, a uniquely designed passenger plane landed on their runway.

When an aircraft carrier returns to port, its carrier-based aircraft must land on land in advance. After spending several months at sea, returning to land allows for better maintenance and upkeep. Only when the carrier leaves again will the aircraft carrier take off to catch up with it and get its first landing opportunity.

Today, this base, filled with F-14s, A-7s, and a few F-18s, welcomed an Eastern passenger plane.

"Welcome, everyone, to Norfolk Naval Base!" Base Commander Louis, accompanied by a large group of naval officers, stood at the aircraft door to greet the group disembarking from the plane.

Weinberg and the elder walked side by side, and he was filled with emotion along the way.

This aircraft flies incredibly smoothly and at high speeds! The navy and air force should also purchase a batch to use as aerial refueling tankers; of course, the order will definitely go to Boeing.

"Louis, next, please take our most distinguished friend on a tour of our aircraft carriers. What kinds of aircraft carriers are currently docked in the port?"

Louis stood tall and proud: "Reporting, the USS Eisenhower is ready to receive visitors!"

This is the US Navy's main Nimitz-class aircraft carrier!

With a full-load displacement of nearly 100,000 tons and a hull length of over 300 meters, it can carry hundreds of fighter jets and is the most powerful war machine in the US military!
The Americans didn't hold back. If you're going to watch, watch the most powerful one and let the Easterners feel inferior!

Qin Liang smiled. He seemed to see images on the Red Sea: the US carrier strike group intercepting missiles and drones launched by the US Navy, and the USS Eisenhower billowing black smoke.

This Nimitz-class aircraft carrier is carrying a burden it shouldn't have to bear. If it weren't for the Ford-class carriers' poor performance, the USS Eisenhower would probably have been decommissioned long ago.
The vast flight deck was empty, making it appear even larger. A strong sea breeze blew across the deck, and Louis's voice carrying his introduction drifted through the air.

"The deck we are standing on now is 332.8 meters long and 76.8 meters wide. There are two C-13-1 steam catapults, each 99.01 meters long, on the bow and the angled deck. They can accelerate a 34-ton fighter jet to a takeoff speed of 185 knots..."

"An old steam train."

Upon hearing this remark, Louis was first taken aback, then couldn't help but get annoyed: "This is the most advanced steam catapult in the world, do you even have one?"

“Louis, watch your manners, these are our most distinguished guests!” Weinberg quickly reminded him.

Louis was even more furious. "Weinberger, what do you mean by this? Our U.S. Navy is the most powerful in the world! How can you grovel before Easterners? How utterly shameful!"
Weinberg was equally annoyed. These guys were all muscle-bound, simple-minded idiots. What was the point of their verbal sparring?
The Easterners possess a lot of intelligence, and I hope to glean some information from them!
Last night, Steiner went to talk to Qin Liang and managed to extract information about the Russian spaceplane project. Although it's unclear how the Easterners found out, comparing it with CIA intelligence confirms it's true.

We're eager to know more, which is why we brought them to visit the aircraft carrier. Can't we just let them have a comfortable tour? Why do they have to cause trouble?

Would it kill you to say less?
Weinberg then looked at Qin Liang with a smile: "Mr. Qin, you don't think much of our steam catapult?"

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's already the 1980s. Maglev trains have already started commercial operation in Britain, Germany, and island nations. This steam catapult is just like the old steam train. Shouldn't it be thrown into the trash heap?"

Old Zhang, standing to the side, was somewhat...surprised.

I thought you wanted to see the aircraft carrier so you could broaden everyone's horizons, but it turns out you're here to bash the Americans! You didn't inform us beforehand because you were afraid we wouldn't agree, right?
Old Lin was speechless. "Liangzi, I did say before we left that I could back you up, but you didn't have to be so arrogant, did you?" Sigh...

Everyone was prepared for the Americans to be angry and to clean up Qin Liang's mess, but to their surprise, the Americans' expressions... were no longer angry, but rather shocked.

Although the Americans officially began using electromagnetic catapults on the USS Ford aircraft carrier, this does not mean that the development of electromagnetic catapults was late. In fact, the Americans began researching electromagnetic catapults as early as World War II.

It was an era of flourishing innovation: pneumatic catapults, hydraulic catapults, gunpowder catapults, inertial flywheel catapults...

Electromagnetic catapults are also a research direction, but they are simply aircraft launched by electric motors and are not particularly advanced.

In 1945, Westinghouse Electric Company built a linear motor catapult in Hawaii that could accelerate a four-ton object to 180 kilometers per hour at a distance of 178 meters, which could be said to have met the takeoff requirements of propeller aircraft at that time.

After World War II, fighter jets entered the jet age, and the technology of linear motors was no longer sufficient. Moreover, there were various technical problems that could not be solved.

However, the U.S. Navy has not given up on its pursuit of electromagnetic catapults and has always hoped to restart research.

Now, Qin Liang's suggestion hits the nail on the head!
"Steam catapults sound very advanced. As you just mentioned, they can launch four fighter jets into the air in thirty seconds. Theoretically, these four catapults can launch all the carrier-based aircraft at a rate of two per minute. However, because steam catapults consume a lot of steam, even if the aircraft carrier is moving at a speed of thirty knots and launches eight carrier-based aircraft at high speed in succession, the speed will drop to 22 knots. At this point, we have to wait for the boilers to pressurize."

Qin Liang continued, "Not to mention, each catapult launch requires a large amount of fresh water, and the aircraft carrier boilers also have to expend power to desalinate the seawater. In addition, there is the problem of icing in frigid regions... With so many problems with steam catapults, how has your US Navy tolerated them for so many years?"

Everyone lowered their heads.

The U.S. Navy could not tolerate the shortcomings of steam catapults, so in 1988, it restarted the development of electromagnetic catapults, and the first company it chose was Karman Electromagnetic Systems, whose main project at the time was ultra-high-speed elevators.

After more than a decade of this process, the U.S. Navy officially decided that its next-generation aircraft carrier would use electromagnetic catapults, and Northrop Grumman and General Atomics were tasked with developing a scaled-down prototype, while Kaman was excluded.

Later analysis suggests that the Ford-class aircraft carrier's miserable life began at this time. General Atomics, which ultimately won the bid, was also working on maglev trains, but at that time, the linear motor power of maglev trains was only a few hundred kilowatts, while the peak power of electromagnetic catapults was over a hundred megawatts!

"Qin, do you mean that if we have the technology for maglev trains, we can build electromagnetic catapults?" Louis asked.

"Of course, the maglev train uses a linear motor, and our electromagnetic catapult also uses a linear induction motor as its key technology. The two are completely interconnected! I believe that we have now fully entered the era of electromagnetic catapults!"

"That's right, the key technology is the linear motor, but the power required for a maglev train is not even in the same order of magnitude as the power required for an electromagnetic catapult!"

Qin Liang smiled and said, "Yes, it definitely needs to be upgraded, but what's so difficult about that? We can just build it according to the power required by the electromagnetic catapult. For example, the length of the catapult can be increased to 120 meters, divided into four sections, each with a 30-megawatt linear motor, so the four sections would be 120 megawatts..."

"What's with your mouth agape? Do you find it unbelievable? You dare to dream of Star Wars, but you can't even imagine something as simple as a linear motor? What are you trying to say? Are there technical difficulties? Okay, let's analyze it briefly. The most technically challenging part is the high-power cyclic inverter."

You think I'm bragging? Then I'll explain it with specific technical details.

“We need four AC generators, and they are 24-phase generators. Each phase needs to output 1520 volts and 6400 amps of current, which needs to be accurately input to the correct module port so that the linear induction motor charges the electromagnet 0.35 seconds before it moves and stops supplying power 0.2 seconds after the moving part passes, and then supplies power to the next module. This technology seems difficult, but it is not insurmountable.”

They actually knew!

"The next challenge is the power supply. The power demand is huge at this moment, and the power provided by the nuclear reactor is not enough. Therefore, we also need flywheel energy storage technology. Now we have advanced composite materials, so it is not difficult to manufacture such a large flywheel..." With a peak power of hundreds of megawatts, the power generated by the nuclear reactor is not enough to power the catapult, let alone propel the warship forward!
Although the power is high, the time is short, so it is enough to store a portion of the energy in advance. This is where the famous flywheel energy storage system comes in. Before use, the electric motor drives the flywheel to rotate and store the energy inside the flywheel. When needed, the flywheel drives the motor to rotate in the opposite direction and outputs electricity.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's already the 1980s. Civilian flywheel energy storage technology, electronic power conversion technology, control technology, and so on have all made great progress. It's time to develop electromagnetic catapult technology! With it, it's like going from an old steam train to a modern maglev train in an instant!"

Qin Liang continued his charade: "Besides electromagnetic catapults, electromagnetic arresting gear can also be installed at the rear. This way, when the plane lands, the enormous kinetic energy will be converted into electrical energy and stored, which can also provide energy for the catapult in front..."

This is similar to a regular gasoline car, which consumes more fuel when going uphill and has to brake when going downhill to burn off energy. An electric car, on the other hand, doesn't need to do that. When going downhill, it converts kinetic energy into electrical energy and stores it. It can even fully charge the battery while going downhill.

If an aircraft carrier uses an electromagnetic catapult, it would be best to pair it with an electromagnetic arresting system. This would allow the enormous energy generated during aircraft landing to be utilized, reducing the burden on the nuclear reactor.

Everyone's eyes widened.

Nowadays, it's not easy for people to even think of electromagnetic catapults; no one would think of electromagnetic arresting gear, since that's something that's only considered after an electromagnetic catapult project is actually launched.

Now that Qin Liang has said this, it's like opening a door to a whole new world for them!

"Everyone, Northwestern Polytechnical University has the relevant technological reserves. If you have any ideas, you can allocate funds to us, and we will help with the research and development..."

Qin Liang is promoting his products and trying to drum up business!
Of course, this was destined to be fruitless; how could the Americans allow such crucial equipment to fall into the hands of the East?

Lockheed's collaboration with the East was excluded from the fighter jet bidding process. Now, if the Navy directly collaborates with Northwestern Polytechnical University, Lockheed will definitely protest—strongly protest!
Qin Liang's words were interpreted by the Americans as an attempt to make money and get business from the Pentagon!
Qin Liang's real purpose was simply to plant a seed of hope in the Americans, a seed that would gradually take root and sprout, and then... the Americans would be ready to make up their minds to build it.

The initial prototypes will progress quickly, giving them hope, and then they'll rush to upgrade the aircraft carrier. But once the carrier undergoes sea trials, all sorts of unreliable aspects will be discovered...

If we start now, and the Americans start working on electromagnetic catapult aircraft carriers in the 1990s... then by the 1990s they will find that they don't have enough aircraft carriers. How will they then show off their power?
This is going to completely fool the Americans!
“Thank you for your kind offer, we will look into it carefully,” Weinberg said.

After saying that, he glanced at the others. These naval officers seemed genuinely interested.

If we really need to develop it, the US Navy can do it itself! Why rely on the East?
Is American technology really inferior to Eastern technology?
"Ahem, there's nothing to see on this deck, it's too outdated. Can we go inside the island superstructure and take a look?"

"Of course, everyone please!"

Inside the aircraft carrier's bridge, Qin Liang looked at the circular radar screens and shook his head again: "The electronic systems here are too outdated. They need to be upgraded. Our Northwestern Polytechnical University..."

After a barrage of boasting, the Americans listened passively.

They've come to accept the fact that their electronic systems are outdated; being outdated is being outdated, and that's undeniable. Listening to their complaints might even provide suggestions for improvement.

"You should install our Beidou navigation system on every single aircraft, so that the position of each aircraft can be seen on the large screen on the bridge..."

"Qin, we have our own. GPS will soon complete its global network."

"But your GPS doesn't send signals! It has to go through a data link system, which isn't as convenient as BeiDou..."

Everyone endured it.

After seeing the bridge, they went inside the ship. Although they couldn't touch it, seeing everything inside and out was still very impressive for the leaders from the East who had never seen an aircraft carrier before. They now had a direct impression of this kind of combat machine.

It can carry more than 80 modern carrier-based aircraft, and can be expanded to more than 100 during wartime. This is almost the strength of a medium-sized power!
Standing in the spacious hangar, looking at the empty scene, Qin Liang began his sales pitch again.

"We've already entered the era of stealth aircraft. Hasn't your navy considered stealth carrier-based aircraft? Grumman's project is quite good. Even if they ultimately lose the Air Force's bid, they can still be used by the Navy..."

In the distant Grumman headquarters, Pellehac sneezed.

"Of course, Lockheed's F-117 is also good. With slight modifications, this aircraft can be deployed on carriers. Although it had some problems recently, I think the F-117 is definitely a good choice..."

"You mean, our navy needs to address the need for stealth attack aircraft first?" Louis's eyes suddenly lit up.

The navy and air force have always been competitors, and in many cases, the navy looks down on the air force.

The Air Force is already working on the ATF project, so the Navy definitely needs one too!

However, the navy doesn't have that much budget, after all, the cost of the navy's dozen or so aircraft carriers is astronomical!
Instead of developing fighter jets, which are the most technically challenging, it would be better to start with attack aircraft, which are less technically difficult!
"That's right. The F-14 fighter jets are sufficient for naval air defense. For a long time, the US Navy has lacked offensive capabilities. To be honest, your A-6 carrier-based aircraft are outdated and need to be upgraded. F-117s..."

At the distant Lockheed Corporation, Ben Ritchie kept sneezing.

Qin Liang was absolutely right. Historically, after the US Navy's A-12 program was cancelled in the 1990s, Lockheed Martin did try to market a naval version of the F-117, codenamed F-117N, to the US Navy, but the Navy didn't select it.

"Are there more advanced models?" Louis asked.

"Yes, the F-117 has too short a range and is too difficult to control, making it unsuitable for the Navy. It would be better to have a more advanced aircraft!"

"No problem. Your U.S. Navy can commission Northwestern Polytechnical University to produce a design for you, and we guarantee you'll be satisfied!" The design of the A-12 had already appeared in Qin Liang's mind.

The A-12 attack aircraft, nicknamed "Zombie," was a vanguard stealth flying wing fighter project from General Dynamics, which failed to win the bid for the ATF fighter project.

Its shape is a large triangle, with a flying wing layout and no vertical tail. How could such an aircraft possibly meet the maneuverability requirements of the US Air Force? But as a stealth attack aircraft, it is beyond doubt!

Its stealth capabilities are far superior to the F-117, its combat radius is 60% larger than the A-6, reaching 1,200 kilometers, and its payload is increased by 40%...

It's safe to say that if the A-12 were successfully developed, it would be a major weapon of mass destruction for the US Navy...

However, it turned out to be a huge trap!

The cancellation of the A-12 project was not only due to the end of the Cold War, but more importantly, it was because various design specifications could not be met. Its weight alone was 3.6 tons overweight, not to mention the stealth problems caused by too many openings. In the end, it had to be cancelled.

Now, if the Americans are willing to pay...

“Okay!” Louis nodded in agreement!
(End of this chapter)