Chapter 2833

Lushun Port Bay is divided into east and west parts by the inbound and outbound channels. The larger bay is called West Port, where most of the military ports and base facilities are located. The smaller East Port is where the Lushun Shipyard is located.

The history of Lushun Shipyard can be traced back to the time when the Haihan Army first entered Liaodong. It is also the only government-run shipyard in Liaodong. It is not only responsible for the task of building and maintaining warships for the North Sea Fleet, but also undertakes some orders for civilian ships.

to subsidize expenses.

When Baikes and his party came here to visit, they quickly noticed a Majestic-class battleship under construction on the slipway. Although this class of battleship has been in service in the Haihan Army for more than 20 years, its construction plan is still

It is a high-level military secret, and the steam power system used on the ship can only be provided by Sanya. Currently, there are less than ten shipyards in Haihan that are capable of building such warships, and Lushun Shipyard is one of them.

.

The person in charge of the shipyard is named Nie Xinghuai, a relatively rare southerner in the local area. He was transferred to Lushun from Sanya Shipyard in his early years. It is said that he studied under Zhang Tiangui, a master shipbuilder, and is definitely considered an expert in the northern region. However, Lushun Shipyard is not a military institution.

, but belongs to the Shipping Bureau under the Ministry of Industry, so Nie Xinghuai is not a military personnel.

At this time, Nie Xinghuai saw that Bai Kesi and others showed interest in the warship on the slipway, so he introduced it like a treasure: "The keel laying of this majestic class warship started at the end of last year, and the construction period needs to span two winters, so it will probably wait until

We won’t be able to go into the water until spring next year.”

"This battleship is the latest improved model of the Majestic class. Its displacement has increased from more than 1,700 tons to 2,000 tons. The power of the power system has increased by 20% compared with the previous model. All the ship's artillery have been upgraded, and the artillery deck has been upgraded.

It was changed from three layers to two layers, and the number of doors was reduced from fifty-two to thirty-two, but the firepower output intensity is much greater than the old model."

"The upgrade of the weapon system has improved operational efficiency, and the number of crew members has also been reduced, from the original rated 388 people to 302 people. The space saved by streamlining the weapon system and personnel has been used for

By increasing the reserves of fresh water, coal, ammunition and other supplies, the endurance capability during combat missions will also be improved."

This type of Majesty-class warship is actually nothing new. The first ship was launched at the Sanya Shipyard in 1648 and delivered to the South China Sea Fleet the following year. Currently, both the East China Sea and South China Sea Fleets have several warships of the same type in service. However, the replacement progress is slow.

This is only the first ship of the relatively backward North Sea Fleet.

This is not because the Ministry of Industry intends to choke the Lushun Shipyard. It is simply because the construction speed of new power systems and naval guns cannot keep up with the demand for shipbuilding. And Chen Yixin does not want to use precious shipbuilding quotas to build older models.

of battleships, so I would rather wait a few more years and spend more money than directly launch a new ship.

As for whether the extra construction funds and the increase in combat effectiveness after such a long wait are really worth the money, that can only be left to the test in actual combat. However, Nie Xinghuai is extremely optimistic about the new warship on the slipway and believes that after it is put into service

This will further enhance the strength of the North Sea Fleet.

Ning Zijing said: "Director Nie, you know that the Donghai Region has built a type of warship called the Glory class. Perhaps that is the development direction of naval warships in the future."

Nie Xinghuai responded with a smile: "To be honest with you, Zhang Qianxiang, the director of Zhoushan Shipyard, is my senior brother. I know a little bit about the situation of this Glory-class battleship. The tonnage and combat capabilities of that battleship are indeed better than the majestic ones."

The Majesty-class warships are much stronger, but have you ever understood how much more expensive they are than the Majesty-class warships? I can tell you that if the same funds are used to build Majesty-class warships like this on the slipway, there will be more than three of them.

.As for the research and development expenses during the period, it is estimated that they will not be much cheaper than the cost."

"Perhaps the Glory-class warship is indeed the future development direction, but for now, it is not actually suitable for the actual needs of the North Sea Fleet. What we need now is combat ships with reliable performance and easy maintenance. As for the development and construction of new ships, Lushun Shipyard still has

If you don’t have the corresponding technical conditions, there is no need to follow the trend and participate.”

Nie Xinghuai obviously has a very clear understanding of the current situation and does not intend to blindly follow the trend of developing large warships. The maritime industry in the East China Sea region is developed, and Zhoushan Shipyard has a large number of orders for civilian ships every year. The proceeds from building civilian ships can be used to subsidize the development costs of new warships. This

This is exactly what Lushun Shipyard does not have.

Bai Kesi said: "Director Nie's words make sense. The development and construction of new ships, especially combat ships, should be based on local actual conditions and needs. We should not blindly rush forward and start work quickly."

Lushun Shipyard did not develop new warships on its own like Zhoushan Shipyard. The reason is of course not as simple as what Nie Xinghuai said. In addition to financial considerations, related technology is the real reason that limits the research and development work of Lushun Shipyard.

The northern region is subject to the objective environment. The navigation and shipbuilding-related industries are already lagging behind those in the south. The experience of Lushun Shipyard in building large ships is far inferior to that of its southern counterparts. If there is no industrial chain required for manufacturing large ships, then even if there are drawings

There is no way to draw a scoop from a gourd.

Not to mention high-tech gadgets such as power systems and ship-borne weapons, as well as shipboard infrastructure such as canvas and anchor chains, as well as large-scale lifting equipment required for shipbuilding, the northern region will have to rely on supplies from the south for a long time.

Now being able to independently build the Majestic-class warship is already a great progress for Lushun Shipyard.

The reason why the Executive Committee previously acquiesced to the Donghai Region's development of Glorious-class battleships was not only considering the future development needs of the Navy, but also a very important point, that is, the Executive Committee has decided to move the capital to Hangzhou. In the future, the entire Hangzhou

The Gulf region belongs to the Gyeonggi region, and the Zhoushan Shipyard and the East China Sea Fleet are naturally under the nose of the Executive Committee, so there is no need to worry about any uncontrollable risks.

In the opinion of the Executive Committee, the Northern Region currently has two shipyards in Lushun and Zhifu, and a shipyard in Qingdao Port is under preparation. In the future, even if the northern region has objective needs for military expansion and war preparations, these shipyards

As long as it can build warships of all levels currently in service with the navy. If the Northern Region wants to independently build some combat ships that are not included in the navy's development plan, the Executive Committee will not be happy to see that situation.

Chen Yixin did not question this. The North Sea Fleet is now strong enough to control the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea. What is needed more is the ability to project troops and inland river operations. There is indeed no objective need to build larger warships.
Chapter completed!