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

Chapter 483 We've bought the airborne radar, but we also need to buy missiles from the East?
The Su-27's wheels gently touched the ground, it landed, deployed its parachute, braked, and then slowly glided to the parking apron.

Varisi looked at the returning fighter jets with a grim expression.

Eight went up, and seven came back!
On the very first day of combat, they lost one aircraft. Moreover, it wasn't lost in air combat with the enemy, but due to pilot error, causing it to crash into a mountain!
How much vodka did Sergei drink before he went up there?

Has Sergei returned?

"They've been picked up by Langtuo's helicopter and should be back before dawn."

"Alright, all pilots, gather in the flight preparation room for a meeting to summarize the lessons learned from this incident!"

In the conference room, everyone launched into a long and enthusiastic discussion.

"The airborne radar performs well and can still detect targets even under complex electromagnetic interference."

"If our radio communication equipment is inadequate, we need to fully deploy frequency-hopping radios!"

"Missiles are also very important. All of our radar-guided air-to-air missiles missed their targets! If I'm not mistaken, it's because the seeker's ability to resist ground clutter is too poor. So, when it gets close to the target and lowers its altitude, the warhead is facing the sea or land, and it can't detect the target it was previously locked onto."

"Yes, inform Moscow of all of this!"

They came to the battlefield to learn from their experiences and identify their shortcomings!

Now, these practical experiences are being passed back for the next stage of improvement!
The roar of a helicopter could be heard outside; Sergei had returned.

"Sergei, how are you feeling?"

"Sergei, is this your first ejection? It's alright, with the experience from the first time, you'll be more skilled in the future..."

What kind of talk is that!

In the world of Russian pilots, ejecting once is really nothing special!
Varisi frowned: "Sergei, how's the plane?"

"It has crashed and there is no possibility of repair."

If the collision occurs during landing, there is still a possibility of repair. However, if a collision occurs in flight at speeds of several hundred kilometers per hour, the aircraft will be completely destroyed, and there will be no possibility of repair!
"Since there's no way to repair it, let's just scrap it..."

Varisi was considering whether he should send a plane over to drop some bombs and completely destroy the fighter jet, so that the secrets on board wouldn't be discovered.

"Langtuo said they would fire several shells to completely destroy the wreckage."

what?
Valish's expression darkened: "They dared to damage our Soviet property without our permission? Send someone to supervise them immediately!"

"I had just left in a helicopter when they started firing artillery shells."

"Did you see the situation with the plane?"

"I saw it, it was blown to pieces."

Varisi breathed a sigh of relief. Langtuo's actions had crossed some lines, but... since it had been completely destroyed, the objective had been achieved.

"Write down the details of this accident and report it to me!"

"Yes."

Moscow.

"Our radar-guided R-27 missile uses outdated electronic technology. Although it no longer uses vacuum tubes, it still uses analog circuits that combine transistors and small-scale integrated circuits, which have very poor anti-jamming capabilities. The reason it can be used in complex jamming conditions this time is because the radar behind it is good enough."

Simonov began his speech.

"Therefore, I believe that the radar-guided R-27 missile must be improved as soon as possible, using advanced anti-jamming digital circuits to replace analog circuits, in order to achieve better performance."

Viktor Groshin, an engineer at the Pennant Design Bureau, shook his head.

"We are certainly aware that radar-guided models may be jammed on the battlefield, which is why we developed two different seeker models simultaneously. Our infrared seeker has achieved a good hit rate in actual combat, which is something to be proud of."

Viktor Groshin, a key figure at the Pentagon Design Bureau, designed many missiles, and his ideas for the triplane layout and modular seeker were proposed.

Three types of seekers led to the development of three types of air-to-air missiles: the R-27R with semi-active radar, the R-27T with infrared, and the R-27P with passive radar. On paper, their performance even far surpasses that of the West.

But... once you put it into actual use, you'll realize just how terrible it is!
"That's right, infrared guidance is more effective, but infrared seekers have high drag and short range. Internationally, radar guidance is the trend, especially for long-range air-to-air missiles. We are already lagging behind, shouldn't we work hard to improve it?"

The R-27 missile's combat performance was appalling, comparable to the early Sparrow missiles. Thankfully, no large-scale war broke out; otherwise, these designers would be committing crimes! They would all be sent to the Siberian mines!
Simonov was furious when he heard Viktor's attempt to shirk responsibility.

"Our domestic electronics technology level is just like this! It's already quite good that we've achieved what we have on our own! If we really have to make changes, then we can only import advanced guidance heads from the East! Our Triangular Flag Design Bureau doesn't want to stoop so low as to cooperate with people from the East!"

This statement is a veiled criticism of Simonov.

The most critical avionics on the Su-27 are manufactured in the East. Originally, we wanted to import a batch to copy them, but we found that... it was impossible to copy them. Now we can only import them in large quantities.

"We cannot entrust our country's main equipment to foreigners. In particular, missiles are not the same as fighter jets; they are consumables. No matter how many we produce now, it will be useless. We need large-scale production capacity during wartime. If the Easterners turn against us then, won't we be left without missiles?"

This explanation actually won the approval of many people!

Simonov was so angry he laughed.

"What's wrong with importing equipment? Importing equipment will enable us to win battles. If we continue to use outdated equipment, we'll only be vulnerable to attack! Gentlemen, closing ourselves off from the world will only lead to falling further behind. The world's advanced levels have long since left us far behind!"

"Hmph, that still can't compare to the ability to mass-produce during wartime. The experience of World War II tells us..."

"World War II is over; now it's time for high-tech, modern warfare!"

Simonov was furious. What era are we living in? There are still people clinging to the experience of World War II!

On the scene, Marshal Olgakov took a deep breath: "Yes, this is high-tech warfare, and we... must have modern equipment."

"Marshal, this is betrayal!"

This guy is really good at talking!
There were people in the army who supported Marshal Olgakov, but there were many more who were conservative and stuck to the old ways!
Simonov looked helplessly at the group of old fogies, and then... he thought of something.

"Since you are so conservative, then... let's try carrying Eastern missiles up there and let the pilots on the front lines evaluate them and see if they are effective!"

"How can our fighter jets carry missiles from the East?"

"The radar and fire control system are from the East, so why can't it carry Eastern missiles?"

Simonov knew that nothing he said mattered; it all depended on the pilots on the front lines. They didn't care whether the missiles were domestically produced or imported; what they cared about was whether they could win the battle!

This time it was just intercepting cruise missiles, but what about next time? Who knows, we might actually engage them!

Without advanced missiles, it's suicide!

“Okay, I think that’s a good idea!” Olgakov nodded.

East, capital, airplane terminal.

"The advantages of heavy fighter jets are still enormous," Old Lin remarked. "They can carry numerous missiles, take off once, and participate in multiple battles... Liangzi, our fourth-generation fighter..."

"Fourth-generation fighters have internal weapons bays, capable of carrying up to six medium-range and two short-range missiles. However, fourth-generation fighters are used to perform critical missions, such as hunting down enemy early warning aircraft and seizing air superiority. Once air superiority is achieved, aircraft without stealth capabilities can fly anywhere. Even stealth aircraft can carry external missiles if the Air Force doesn't mind."

"Isn't there a way to become invisible using cheat codes?"

"That's just a hoax for Europeans, don't take it seriously. Even if it were possible to add it externally, it would still affect aerodynamics. Would we still have the supersonic cruise capability?"

"Report!" Just then, a voice came from outside.

"Tell me, what's the good news?"

"Langtuo said that both AL-31 engines have been removed and will be delivered to us soon!"

In this night battle, the Russians lost one Su-27.
Everything else is secondary; we absolutely must get our hands on this engine!

"Great!" Qin Liang exclaimed with a broad smile. "You rascal, after all that trouble, it's just for these two engines. Don't we already have the WS-10?"

“That’s right, we have it, but we also need the third uncle. We need to combine the strengths of the East and the West, especially the afterburner, which we designed ourselves. We can see how the Russian third uncle does it, and maybe we can do better.”

"Ok."

"Report: Langtuo also said that they have also obtained the K-36 ejection seat."

"Okay, bring it over to us!"

During the Cold War, it was unthinkable to import such advanced ejection seats from the Russians!

Although it's a used one, its basic structure is still intact, and it can still provide us with a lot of inspiration!
"Liangzi, is this Russian ejection seat any good?"

"That's for sure!" Qin Liang said. "Overall, we're miles ahead of the rest of the East."

"It seems that the development of this brand-new ejection seat will be entrusted to Northwestern Polytechnical University."

Qin Liang was taken aback: "What are you talking about? Don't underestimate this chair; it involves all sorts of things, from aviation and aerospace to electronics..."

"That's exactly what Northwestern Polytechnical University excels at!"

Qin Liang was speechless.

In the early days of propeller planes, there was no need for ejection seats. Pilots would take off without even closing the canopy. In case of an accident, they would simply turn the plane upside down, push off with their legs, and get out of the cockpit—a very quick and easy process.

Therefore, some brain-dead aircraft designers, for example, when designing the P-39 fighter jet, actually designed doors like those on a car. No pilot wanted to open them and kept grumbling. So it was sent to the Soviet Union as military aid. As a result, the Russian pilots were very satisfied. The engine was powerful, the plane was fast, and the maneuverability was good!

parachute?

Russian pilots never even considered parachuting. For them, if they ran out of ammunition, they'd just crash into the enemy!
In the later stages of World War II, as aircraft speeds increased further, parachuting became increasingly difficult.

As you leave the cockpit, a powerful gust of air blows you backward, and behind you, the massive, sword-like tail fins await!
The famous German night fighter pilot was shot down in this way even though he had already left the cockpit.

Therefore, the need for ejection seats became increasingly urgent. Finally, the Germans installed ejection seats on their jet aircraft. Early attempts using compressed air failed, but later they succeeded by using solid rocket propulsion technology.

During the Cold War, many companies also developed ejection seats, but many disappeared as time went by. In the end, only Martin-Baker was left as a manufacturer of ejection seats in the West, and the Russians only had Red Star Design Bureau.

And we in the East...

We in the East are independent of both East and West, and we also have our own ejection seats!

No matter how powerful the French are, they can't claim to manufacture every single component of their fighter jets, including ejection seats! The Americans have a highly developed aerospace industry, yet they still source their ejection seats from Britain. Even if solid rocket propellant is missing, Martin-Baker's ejection seats are still considered the best in the world!

The development of ejection seats in the East began with the introduction of the MiG-17, and the corresponding ejection seats were also introduced and produced at the same time.

At that time, ejection seats had very limited functionality; you couldn't even dream of using them unless you were flying.

After the MiG-21 was introduced, the ejection seats that came with it were too complicated, so the success rate of ejection was almost zero. Under the leadership of Tu Lao, Factory 132 began to improve the ejection seats. This first generation of ejection seats developed in China was named HTY-2.
Zero altitude is acceptable, but the minimum speed for level flight catapult launch is still limited to 250 kilometers per hour.

So if something goes wrong during takeoff, don't hesitate, accelerate! As long as you reach 250 kilometers per hour, you can pull out the ejection seat!
This ejection seat was developed in 1974, finalized in 1979, and equipped on the J-7 fighter jet.

The one used on the J-8 is the HTY-3 model developed by Institute 601. It is rare, and the Air Force is not very confident in it.

Currently, China's ejection seat technology is at this level, lagging far behind the world's advanced levels.

As a result, for export-oriented aircraft, customers may like the aircraft itself, but they are not comfortable with the ejection seats and specifically request Martin-Baker ejection seats.

This defect should be addressed, and Northwestern Polytechnical University should take the lead!
Qin Liang was somewhat... after accepting this task.

"Alright, since you all value Northwestern Polytechnical University so much, then let us take on the task of developing the brand-new ejection seat."

Back then, in order to develop the J-10 fighter jet, the relevant domestic unit 610 developed the HTY-5 ejection seat, which was the first time that zero-zero ejection capability was achieved, but that was in the 1990s.

"Great, are you planning to survey and replicate the Russians?"

"The Russian ejection seats are indeed advanced, but they also have some outdated aspects. For example, the control system is outdated and we need to replace the hydraulic control system with an advanced electronic control system. They are also quite heavy and we need to use advanced materials to reduce their weight. This... Air Force, don't rush it, it will take a few years."

"Okay, no rush, we can wait."

"report!"

More news has arrived!
"The Russians and the Russians are discussing the possibility of mounting our exported Lightning-9 and Lightning-10 missiles on their fighter jets!"

This……

Everyone frowned.

This is our most advanced missile. What if it falls into the hands of the Russians and they use it to copy and replicate it?
However, the Russians can send Su-27 fighter jets over, which is helping Lang Tuo. How could Lang Tuo refuse?

"It's alright, leave it to them." Qin Liang was nonchalant: "The Russians' electronics technology is outdated. Even if they disassemble our missiles, they can't replicate them. Let them know how backward we are, and maybe they'll obediently come to us to buy them, that way..."

Export-type medium-range missiles still use semi-active radar seekers, while those used domestically already have active radar guidance, putting them a generation ahead!
Export versions of short-range missiles still use an array of four infrared sensors, while domestically produced ones already use infrared focal plane arrays! This puts them two generations ahead of the Russians' single-guided missiles!

Therefore, what the Russians received was all outdated technology, not to mention that they couldn't even produce it!

"Okay, tell Langtuo that they allow the Russians to use it!"

Langtuo, an air force base.

Minuseper's expression was rather unpleasant.

"Gentlemen, we do have missiles that we purchased from the East, but... we are not allowed to show them to others. It's like if you flew your Su-27 fighter jet over, we wouldn't let others see it."

"Hmph, you dare!" Vasily glared at him. "We're here to help you! So what if we use a few of your missiles? Since we've sold them to you, they're yours. We're not going to take them back to study them. We Soviets don't bother copying other people's missiles!"

"Then you can continue using your own! We'll reimburse you for every missile you fired and every amount you spent."

"It's because... the factories in the rear can't produce it."

Just then, someone walked in and whispered something in Minuseper's ear.

Minuseper finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Alright, since you insist, we'll give you a batch. However... matching the missiles is a huge undertaking."

"No problem, our engineers can handle it!"

Eagle Air Force Base.

When Warisan returned, he was followed by several trucks.

"Gentlemen, I've gotten the missiles back!"

"Okay, great!"

"Come on, let our Lightning Design Bureau take a look!"

"Hmm, the Triangle Flag Design Bureau doesn't care, but our Lightning Design Bureau does! Show us the short-range air-to-air missile first!"

The Russians mainly have two air-to-air missile design bureaus: the Pentagon Design Bureau, which is more established and unwilling to use Eastern technology, and the Lightning Design Bureau, which is different!
Currently, their main focus is on the Buran, and the development of the R-73 missile is already stretched thin. If they cannot make a breakthrough soon, the Pennant Design Bureau will take it away.

If they could learn from Eastern technology and quickly improve the R-73 missile... then the R-73 missile would be theirs to have developed!
When the milky-white Lightning 9 missile was unpacked, the Russians were stunned when they saw the inside of its glass bulb seeker.

"Four guidance heads, four guidance heads! Aren't these Easterners being a bit too extravagant?"

"These four seekers, when matched with a specific algorithm, can better capture targets and improve the hit rate!"

"How did they manage to miniaturize the seeker head? This technology... is incredible!"

(End of this chapter)