Courtyard House: I Rely on Time-Space Trade to Build a Nation

2:30 p.m., Military Commission meeting room in Haili.

The long table was filled with people. Commanders of the major military regions, heads of the army, navy, and air force, as well as several leaders from the General Staff, the General Political Department, and the General Logistics Department. Huge combat maps hung on the walls, and several demonstration boards stood in the corners.

The meeting had been going on for over an hour. Each branch of the military reported on their New Year plans: the Navy said it would strengthen coastal defenses, the Air Force said it would increase training intensity, and the Army said it would reorganize its forces. It was all routine stuff, nothing particularly noteworthy.

Zhao Ping'an sat by the window, twirling a pen in his hand.

"Next, please let Comrade Zhao Ping'an, the head of the Equipment Department, report on the equipment work," the comrade presiding over the meeting called out.

Zhao Ping'an stood up and walked to the demonstration board on the wall. Since most of the people present were acquaintances, Zhao Ping'an was not reserved or shy.

"Let's start with the army."

Write a few words on the board.

"The T-72 tank officially began production last year. The first batch was equipped to two regiments, and the feedback from officers and soldiers was positive. This year, we plan to equip four more regiments with it, gradually replacing the aging Type 59 tanks."

"The BTR-86 armored vehicle, a new generation of wheeled armored vehicles, has begun to be deployed to the troops in large numbers." He paused, "The power has been enhanced, it can cross water, and its protection and firepower are also much stronger than the old Type 80."

With it, many units transitioned from light infantry to semi-mechanized units. Transport capacity and mobility were enhanced, while mechanization levels also increased.

"In terms of conventional equipment, artillery, machine guns, and ammunition factories are all operating normally, and the troops' daily consumption is not a problem. At the same time, some commonly used medicines have also begun to be stored."

The old weapons captured earlier have been gradually distributed as aid since last year. There is demand in several surrounding areas, and they have been exchanged for a considerable amount of industrial raw materials, which has helped to offset some of the funding for equipment production.

Some people in the audience nodded.

"Let's talk about the Air Force next."

"The large transport aircraft project is under full-scale development."

The bomber research team has been established, but it is still in the data familiarization and design phase.

The new fighter jet model has only just been initiated.

Air Force Commander Liu looked up at him but didn't say anything.

"It is expected that there will be results in a few years." He ended the conversation hastily after saying a few words. There was no other way, after all, Zhao Ping'an in the Air Force really didn't have many talents. He had barely managed to reverse engineer the two types of fighter jets using the processing tools and materials that were a generation behind. He couldn't do it this way with the current J-2 and printer.

"Finally, let's talk about the navy."

Zhao Pingan turned around and looked at the audience.

"The Navy has just received 10 3000-ton frigates."

Commander Xiao sat there, his back ramrod straight.

"The follow-up plan is that within ten years, the Equipment Department will vigorously build shipyards and upgrade equipment to build another 20 frigates of the same type on its own."

The meeting room fell silent for a moment.

Someone asked, "Where did this money come from?"

Commander Xiao took over the conversation.

"This money was originally intended to purchase four warships from the Red Empire."

The first batch of 10 ships cost only 20 tons of gold.

The remaining 50 tons will be used to upgrade equipment at the shipyard. We have enough money; building the ship ourselves is more cost-effective than buying it.

The Commander-in-Chief spoke up: "How is the combat capability of this batch of warships?"

Commander Xiao stood up and faced the Commander-in-Chief.

"Reporting to the leader, this batch of warships is epoch-making."

Two years later, when the crew had completed their training and achieved combat readiness.

I am confident that by then, we will be able to keep any invading enemy out of our coastal waters.

The meeting room fell silent for a few seconds.

The Commander-in-Chief nodded, gesturing for Commander Xiao to sit down.

The commander-in-chief looked at Zhao Ping'an.

"Comrade Ping An, you did a good job."

Zhao Ping'an stood still.

The Commander-in-Chief continued, "Our principle must be based on self-reliance."

In special circumstances, purchasing is acceptable, but one should not rely on it.

Only what you can create yourself is truly yours.

Zhao Ping'an nodded: "Yes, the leader is right. Our equipment department has been doing this all along."

The T-72 has already been domestically manufactured, and both types of fighter jets have long been fully indigenized.

They also developed their own transport planes and bombers.

The navy's subsequent 20 ships will also be built domestically, and we are confident that we will reach world-class standards within 5 to 10 years.

The meeting ended, and people gradually left.

Commander Liu didn't leave; he followed Zhao Ping'an to the office.

As soon as the door closed, he spoke.

"Comrade Ping An, regarding the three directions you mentioned at the meeting..."

I heard transport planes, bombers, and fighter jets.

What's the deal with the bomber? When will it be put into production? When will we see a prototype?

Zhao Pingan gestured for him to sit down, then walked to the filing cabinet, took out a drawing, and spread it on the table.

"Commander Liu, the issues concerning bombers and fighter jets are currently stuck in one place—the wind tunnel."

Commander Liu was taken aback.

Zhao Pingan pointed to the aerodynamic layout on the blueprint.

"Modern fighter jets are already supersonic."

Our Type 2 is what we're developing next; it's a fighter jet with speeds exceeding Mach 2.

The F-100 is already in service in the United States, while the MiG-19 of the Soviet Union is undergoing test flights.

"We need to develop bombers, not subsonic ones; they'll just be sitting ducks."

"To develop a supersonic bomber, we need to solve the aerodynamic problem."

How to reduce drag, how to increase lift, and how to ensure stability—all of these questions need to be answered in the wind tunnel.

Without a wind tunnel, it's all just blind speculation.

Commander Liu frowned: "When will the wind tunnel be ready?"

Zhao Pingan said, "The satellite has already been launched, so some of the people in the Northwest can now focus on other tasks, and things are already underway there."

Professor Ma, who works in the military industry, started his research in 1953.

The first low-speed wind tunnel was completed at the beginning of this year.

However, low-speed wind tunnels are not enough; what is needed are transonic and supersonic wind tunnels.

Once the wind tunnel is built, progress will be much faster.

Commander Liu was silent for a few seconds, then asked again.

"Where's the transport plane? What's going on?"

Zhao Pingan then pulled out another drawing from the cabinet and spread it on the table.

"An-12. We already have three."

Commander Liu leaned over to take a look.

"What are those three planes doing now?"

"Reverse engineering. Dismantle it, survey it, digest the blueprints, and tackle the material and process challenges."

Zhao Pingan pointed to the parameters on the drawing.

"It has a payload of 20 tons, a range of 3600 kilometers, and can transport 60 paratroopers at a time, or two artillery pieces plus a trailer. The tail hatch can be opened in the air for direct airdrop of supplies."

Commander Liu's eyes lit up.

"When will we be able to build them ourselves?"

"The first domestically produced aircraft will be put into trial production this year. Starting this year, we plan to deliver 5 to 10 aircraft annually."

It will be used first for air force training to establish paratrooper units.

Commander Liu nodded and then asked.

"Is this finished?"

Zhao Pingan pulled out another drawing.

"The An-22, a heavy transport aircraft, has already been approved for research and development."

The blueprints were a size larger than those for the An-12, with parameters densely marked on the side.

"A four-engine turboprop aircraft, currently the largest turboprop aircraft in human history."

With a payload of 80 tons and a range of 5000 kilometers, the cargo hold is 33 meters long and 4.4 meters square.

Tanks, missile launchers, and rocket launchers can all be installed inside.

Commander Liu stared at the blueprints for a long time.

"If we can develop this, we won't have to worry about air freight."

Zhao Ping'an nodded.

"Take it one step at a time. First, thoroughly understand the An-12, and once you're familiar with it, then build a larger one."

Commander Liu put down the blueprints and asked another question.

"I remember you mentioned helicopters to me before?"

Zhao Pingan took out a stack of documents from the drawer for the third time and turned to one of the pages.

"We have the data. We plan to create two categories."

"A transport vehicle, with a dozen or so people, capable of delivering troops directly to the mountaintops or behind enemy lines, or picking up our soldiers from deep within enemy territory."

"The armed version is equipped with machine guns and rockets to clear the way for our transport brothers. It can also fire at enemy ground fire positions from above. In fact, this kind of aircraft is the nemesis of modern tanks."

Commander Liu asked, "When can we expect to see the prototype?"

Zhao Pingan thought for a moment.

"If all goes well, within two or three years."

Commander Liu was silent for a moment, then stood up and patted Zhao Ping'an on the shoulder.

"Comrade Ping An, hurry up..."

"Commander Liu, I know you're anxious, but scientific research follows physical principles. Unless you can get me some experts, I can only arrange for the experts I have to do their best to study it. That's the fastest I can do." Zhao Ping'an could only reason with the hot-tempered Commander Liu, because this matter really couldn't be rushed.

After seeing Commander Liu off, Zhao Ping'an couldn't help but smile wryly. Finally, he was gone.

This morning it's industry, this afternoon military, and tomorrow it's agriculture. I've unknowingly stumbled into the core of this; it's truly a bittersweet experience.

The good thing is that, with his current abilities, as long as he doesn't make enemies, basically no one will cause him trouble.

On the other hand, the equipment advantage from the previous northern battlefield

The fact that the various bigwigs in the military were constantly pleading poverty and demanding new equipment, acting like debt collectors, gave Zhao Ping'an a real headache.