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

Chapter 499 Missile Boat No. 3213
On the Red Sea, aboard an Iwo Jima-class amphibious assault ship.

Commander Garcia listened to his subordinates' report with a grim expression.

"Have we still not made contact with those two rescue helicopters?"

"Yes, I contacted them after landing, but then I lost contact with them."

This……

what's the situation?
Were they detained by local armed forces?

Those damn flip-flops shouldn't have been trusted! But... the situation was urgent at the time. It's a tradition in the US military to risk the lives of more people to rescue a few wounded comrades. Even if a few people die to retrieve a body, it will be publicized.

This is the spirit of the US military.

just now……

"report!"

"what happened?"

“I received a radio message from northern Yemen.”

"How to say?"

“They protested that we were carrying guns during the rescue operation, believing that we were violating our previous agreement, so…”

"So what?"

"They detained two helicopters and the people on board."

Sure enough!

"Damn it!" Garcia gritted his teeth. "They don't know how powerful we are. Next... call the navy! Their carrier-based air force should be deployed and bomb all those suspected targets!"

In the whole world, only Americans act like scoundrels. How dare a local organization act like a scoundrel? We must take action!

If we can't teach Lang Tuo a lesson, can't we teach you all a lesson?

"General, we also have carrier-based aircraft on our warships. They're just dropping bombs anyway, so we..."

"They have shoulder-fired missiles. If we send AV-8Bs there, are we just sending them to their deaths?"

In later generations, the U.S. Navy was very powerful, and the Marine Corps was also very strong. A 40,000-ton amphibious assault ship, coupled with F-35B vertical takeoff and landing fighter jets, was definitely a powerful force.

But... that's in later times.

What does the Marine Corps have now?

The amphibious ships they have are only about 10,000 tons in displacement and carry helicopters and Harrier carrier-based aircraft. They can only land on the ships after the naval air force has gained air superiority; otherwise, going there would be suicide.

The guerrillas in those mountainous areas are always elusive, and with advanced anti-aircraft missiles, they pose an even greater threat to fighter jets.

If there's danger, of course the navy should be sent. They call themselves the first class, and they take so much taxpayer money; it should be spent where it's needed!
"Yes."

Upon receiving the news, the navy did not hesitate and quickly launched a wave of A-6 attack aircraft. Although they could not find the caves where the weapons and equipment were stored, it would be good to bomb a few suspicious tribal settlements first!
A group of guerrillas from the mountains actually thought...

and many more!

I received another message!

"Report: Locals claim that the prisoners have been dispersed to every village, and the ordinary villagers have been evacuated, leaving only the prisoners behind..."

If they go and bomb indiscriminately, the only ones they'll likely hit are their own people!
The Americans were completely dumbfounded. Shameless, shameless! These guys in flip-flops are just too shameless!

What's next?
The fighter jets were forced to return before they even reached their destination.

On the amphibious ship, Garcia looked at the latest intelligence and felt a headache coming on.

"They demanded a batch of weapons and equipment in exchange for the release of the prisoners. The transaction process was the same as what the islanders did last time."

Listening to his subordinate's report, Garcia gritted his teeth: "Damn it, these guys' ultimate goal is to get equipment. Once they have enough equipment, it will be even harder for us to deal with them!"

There's no military industry here; everything is procured. For the US to equip these people is tantamount to aiding and abetting a tyrant, but…

It seems they have no other choice now.

Aerial bombing won't solve the problem, and deploying ground troops will result in casualties. They haven't yet emerged from the shadow of the Vietnam War and are very resistant to large-scale armed intervention, after all, that place is in the mountains!
Look at the Soviets, they're still hitting roadblocks everywhere in Afghanistan!
They were caught in a dilemma!

The East, the capital.

"Distinguished leaders, I've already reported on the cooperation with South Korea two days ago, why are you still delaying my departure?"

“Liangzi, something big might happen in Yemen recently. You can come over and we can discuss it together.”

"Me? What can I possibly figure out?"

"Don't say that. You've got a lot of experience. If Afghanistan became the graveyard of the Soviet Union, then will Yemen become the graveyard of the United States?"

"will not."

"What?"

"Because the Americans definitely won't get involved."

It was only the 1980s, how could Americans possibly go to the mountains and play whack-a-mole with some people?
That's definitely impossible!
The Americans didn't have the guts, and they still didn't have the guts when they became the world's policeman. How could they have the guts now?

Qin Liang was very certain.

"Alright, in that case... how will the situation develop further over there?"

"There's not much to analyze. If the 'slipper army' over there wants to develop, they'll definitely stick to developing on land. Last time they were pirates just to make their first fortune. Now that they have money, they'll definitely grow stronger, expand their territory, and maybe even occupy most of Yemen in the future."

"Okay, is the sea route over there completely unobstructed?"

"That depends on whether Somalia can provide support."

The real pirates are Somalia!
Somalia is a unique country. It faces Yemen across a strait and has a land area of ​​only 63 square kilometers, but its coastline is incredibly long.

Most Somalis used to be fishermen, and they could make a lot of money by fishing.

Unfortunately, weak nations have no diplomacy. Western pirates, with their modern fishing boats, emptied the waters off Somalia, leaving not even small fry alive. As a result, the fishermen went hungry.

If you can't catch fish, then rob them! There's such a long coastline, why not rob some? One rob and you'll be set for life.

Especially after the Somali civil war in 91, the country was in chaos, the central government had little power, and the provinces were all acting independently.

but……

To be fair, Somalia is actually quite stable right now.

Somalia was a colony before World War II. After the colonists left, Somalia began to gain independence, but the country was still in chaos until 1969 when Siadbaré stepped forward, seized national power, dissolved various political parties and parliament, and suppressed local tribal armed groups.

As a result, Somalia entered a period of stability.

It has been proven that the Western system is simply not applicable to underdeveloped regions. In such barbaric and violent places, the rule of power must be used.

During the rule of Siadbaré, Somalia made contact with the Soviets, introduced Soviet industrial products, and carried out infrastructure construction, ushering in a period of rapid development!

The national system also began to change, and various tribes were repeatedly brainwashed. Tribalism was the root of poverty, and they had to go to school to learn modern knowledge...

It can be said that this period was the best time for the Somali people, until the regime was overthrown by anti-government forces, and then... Somalia fell into chaos again.

Is there any piracy in Somalia now that it is in a period of peace?
Probably, after all, the slipper army set a good example!

The country has become powerful, but what about ordinary people?

Still poor!
beep, beep...

Just then, rapid footsteps came from outside.

"Report! Something's happened! Something's happened!"

"Are Somali pirates on the move?"

"No, missile boat No. 3213 went to the Yellow Sea for training with five other missile boats. After the training, the other missile boats returned normally, but this missile boat... went missing!"

"Immediately deploy air force to begin the search!" Number 3213?
Upon hearing this name, something suddenly came to Qin Liang's mind.

The 1980s were too far removed from the era before his rebirth, and he couldn't remember many things. Only now, upon hearing this familiar number, did he realize what it meant.

Look at the time, it's already the evening of March 21st!

It's difficult to search at night. By tomorrow morning, the torpedo boats will have already reached the South Korean waters. If our warships go there, it will only cause friction, or even a more terrible conflict.

Fortunately, we've already made contact with the South Korean military; all they need is a short message via BeiDou satellite...

and many more!

Qin Liang suddenly realized something: "Is this torpedo boat equipped with the BeiDou navigation and positioning system?"

"Installed!"

"That's no problem. Send our warships, preferably those with shipborne helicopters, eastward from the exercise area to catch up. Our Beidou ground stations will keep a close watch on them. They've been drifting at sea for several hours, so they definitely need to be located. As long as we activate Beidou positioning, we can find their location!"

"Comrade Qin Liang, you mean..."

"That's right, there are definitely scoundrels at the top, at least two!"

Everyone looked grim.

In recent years, there have been many similar cases, especially among air force pilots. For each pilot who flew over, they could receive several thousand taels of gold, which was an irresistible temptation for everyone.

Many of them chose to go to South Korea first, as it was the most convenient.

just now……

Old Lin took a deep breath: "Liangzi, we must fully support your proposal and get it approved as soon as possible. As long as we cut off the connection between the South Koreans and the other side of the river, we can block the path of those scoundrels!"

Qin Liang nodded: "This kind of thing requires attention from both sides, especially the ideological education of officers and soldiers, and their treatment."

Since we've come across this, we should say something.

The peak period in the 1980s was due to a variety of reasons. With the opening of the country, people saw the dazzling world abroad and naturally felt that their treatment was too low. This led to a tendency to admire foreign things and want to live abroad.

Actually, this can be considered a purification process. Those who are not firm can run away. Otherwise, if they stay in the country, they will become collaborators, leading the charge and praising the West all day long.

However, you can go on your own, but if you want to take equipment with you, you will die!
Execution serves as a warning to some, but treatment must also be improved; after all, times have changed.

“That’s right. Once our mobile network is built, the military can slow down a bit. Profits shouldn’t just be used to buy equipment; we should also improve the benefits.”

The group started discussing the matter again, their feelings mixed, while at sea, torpedo boat 3213 continued its relentless race.

Inside the cockpit lay six corpses, the floor stained red with blood, and two wounded soldiers lay nearby.

"Du Xinli, think about your family, your parents, your sister, your younger brother and sister. They will all be ashamed because of you!" After slowly waking up, Deputy Captain Zhang Weigong said this.

He still couldn't believe what had happened half an hour earlier.

At 7:20 p.m., the exercise ended. It was already dark, and the other speedboats had all returned to port. They were the last ones to arrive.

Torpedo boats are fast boats with small displacement and short range, so they usually go out early and return late. The cockpit and the rear cabin are connected. There were eight people on board at the time, and they were discussing how to rest after going ashore, but...

A person climbed up from the lower compartment, holding a fire poker.

Da da da……

Everyone fell into a pool of blood.

Du Xinli turned the rudder around, accelerated to full speed, and headed east.

Upon hearing Zhang Weigong's voice, Du Xinli turned his head, his eyes bloodshot and terrifying.

“What family? I have no family. They are all burdens. All the income I earned during my years in the army was sent to my family. Now, I don’t even have a girlfriend. I don’t want to be poor anymore. I want to go to the West. I want to live the life of the upper class!”

"Then think of your comrades-in-arms, you eat together and sleep together every day..."

"Stop talking! Anyone who gets in my way will die! Captain Zhang, I know you've been good to me, that's why I didn't kill you. Once we reach South Korea, they'll treat you and you'll survive. If you keep nagging, I'll only force you to kill me right now!"

At this point, Du Xinli had made up his mind. Besides, having killed six people, he had no way to turn back!
"Alright, then hurry over to South Korea. Our current flight path... has encountered some problems..."

"I checked the compass, it's absolutely right! Old Wang, Old Wang, come up here for a second!"

Wang Zhongrong, an electronic naval aviator, was transferred to torpedo boat No. 3213 with him last November. The two hit it off and started making preparations. After planning for so long, they finally had the opportunity today!
Everyone takes turns managing the gun cabinet, and today it's Du Xinli's turn!
To avoid being discovered by others, they chose to strike on their return flight after the exercise ended, and they succeeded in their attack.

Now, the other crew members have been taken to the cabin and locked up by Wang Zhongrong. The two of them did not want to kill more people, after all, their purpose was to make money.

Upon hearing Du Xinli's call, Wang Zhongrong stepped forward.

"Old Wang, take a look at our compass, is there something wrong with it?"

Wang Zhongrong looked down and examined the area for a few minutes: "It seems... there's nothing wrong with it."

“Of course there’s no problem. How would you know about the problem? If you don’t believe me, take a sextant and go to the deck to measure it.” Zhang Weigong continued, “Only Lao Zhang and I know about the problem with the compass. It’s just in case… in case of an accident.”

He was shot and bleeding profusely; he was very weak, but he still mustered all his strength.

Turning his head, he saw Acting Captain Zhang Xiaosheng, riddled with holes in his body; he was probably beyond saving!

We absolutely cannot let these scoundrels succeed! We must send a message back to the rear!
As for how to send messages, of course it's... using BeiDou navigation!

Those below wouldn't know the inside story; only the captain and first officer would know. As long as the Beidou navigation system is activated, the rear will know our whereabouts!
only……

Knowing this isn't enough; they also need to be able to catch up. As they spend more time away from the exercise area, the probability of them being caught will decrease. You have to understand, this is a speedboat!

"Old Wang, do you know how to use a sextant?"

Whether in navigation or aviation, besides the compass, there's also the sextant. Unfortunately, only professionals can use these. Wang Zhongrong's profession is operating electronic equipment, not these kinds of things.

Wang Zhongrong took a deep breath: "No."

"Will there be any problems using BeiDou navigation?"

"Well... we talked about this during our training. Beidou navigation has communication capabilities, but as long as you don't actively send messages, it should be fine."

"Okay, let's activate the BeiDou navigation system and check our current position to see if we've deviated from the course..."

"it is good."

Once the BeiDou navigation system was activated, electromagnetic waves were transmitted via the antenna to the satellite, then to the satellite ground station in Chang'an, and finally back to the capital at the speed of light.

Yellow Tower.

"Reporting to the leader, we've located the speedboat!"

"where is it?"

"Sailing eastward, South Korea lies ahead on the route!"

"Damn it, there really is a scoundrel among them!" Navy Commander Zhang said gravely. "What do we do now? Can our speedboats catch up?"

"Report, the speedboat is chasing at full speed, but it's still lagging behind, however..."

"But what?"

"However, our No. 105 is already on its way to pursue them. This warship can carry two Z-20 helicopters and two squads of marines..."

"Alright, then what are we waiting for? Deploy the helicopters immediately!"

Speedboats are fast, reaching speeds of 40 to 50 knots, while warships can only reach around 30 knots. So, under normal circumstances, they definitely can't catch up. But they can't compare to helicopters, which can easily fly over 150 knots, or even 200 knots...

The 105 destroyer was officially launched and commissioned in 1971. As the lead ship of the Type 051 destroyer, its most important task was to conduct experiments and provide a basis for the modification of subsequent warships.

Therefore, after the Z-20 helicopter was successfully developed, the Type 105 warship entered the shipyard for modification, removing the main gun and anti-aircraft gun on the aft deck and adding a helicopter platform and hangar.

Compared to the planned Z-9, the Z-20, a medium-sized helicopter, can carry more equipment and has stronger combat capabilities, making it the mainstay shipborne helicopter of the Navy in the future.

In fact, the 105 ship is still in the exploratory stage, providing materials and compiling training outlines for the Navy's shipborne helicopter force. Recently, it has been training with the Marine Corps.

Although nighttime takeoffs and landings are very risky, soldiers are meant to fight! Upon receiving the order, they immediately began preparations for takeoff!

(End of this chapter)