For more than a month, just when Li Hai and others thought that there was no further progress regarding the New Flying Shark flight control system, the Equipment Development Department and Haisi jointly decided to extend the actual trial training time of the New Flying Shark.
It's obviously not good news.
The next day, the order came - the actual combat trial training team transferred to Shuilingchang Station and went to sea with the USS Leonin aircraft carrier for a six-month actual combat trial training.
The superiors decided to use a complete combat readiness mission to conduct a comprehensive test on the new Flying Shark, so as to sharpen the sword without losing sight of the woodcutter.
In early June, Li Hai led the flight test training team to fly six J-15Ts to Shuilingchang Station, waiting for orders to board the ship.
(The J-15S after Chapter 300 should be J-15T, which has been corrected.)
Three days later, Li Zhan flew to Shuilingchang Station and convened a meeting of the flight test training team. He clearly proposed the specific content of the flight test training and required the flight test training team to complete all content within six months.
The equipment department will determine whether to finalize the J-15T based on the results of this test flight training.
It is related to the interests of the manufacturer, so this time the manufacturer and related major accessories manufacturers jointly sent a huge technical support team, more than 100 people, carrying a large amount of maintenance and support equipment. At this moment, they are all waiting at a port on the eastern coast.
The aircraft carrier Aoning docks at the port.
Two days later, Li Hai led the flight test training team to take off in six J-15Ts, successfully found the mothership on the vast South China Sea, and successfully completed the landing.
The escort fleet consisting of ships 101, 102, 165, 175 and 907, guarding the aircraft carrier Leonin (16 ships), set sail in the western part of the South China Sea and headed for the Strait of Malacca. Their goal was the western Indian Ocean and the waters of Somalia.
, Gulf of Aden.
This formation is scary, because except for the 175th ship, the other four are all new ships within three years of age, which means that most of them have only recently formed combat effectiveness.
Needless to say about the first two, the Type 055 10,000-ton cruise ship is brand new and has just passed the running-in period. The 165 ship is a new ship that will be commissioned within two years of inheriting the hull number. The 907 ship is a comprehensive supply ship that was commissioned two years ago.
They are all nearly new ships.
Only the 175th ship was commissioned six years ago.
This 175 ship is also not a simple character. It once went for a stroll on the east coast of the Pacific alone, earning the nickname "Street Walker".
The mission code of this aircraft carrier formation is Group 16. It should be said that since the 16th ship was put into service, this current lineup is the most powerful among the formations formed with it as the core.
Just two 055 cruisers can make the world's most powerful warships retreat.
In fact, Li Hai and others felt helpless because, for no other reason, the number of carrier aircraft on the 16th ship was too few. In order to carry their test flight training team with six J-15T fighters, a squadron on the 16th ship had to
Instead of transferring to the airport on shore, free up space.
In addition to the test flight training team, Ship 16 also carries a fighter brigade, eighteen J-15 carrier-based fighters, and more than 40 pilots, half of whom are newcomers who have just obtained night landing qualifications.
On June 7, Formation No. 16 entered the Indian Ocean through the Strait of Malacca and headed for the Red Sea. At the same time, the troops organized training according to the plan, and the flight test training team organized the flight test training according to the plan. Everything was going on step by step.
On June 13, Formation 16 arrived in the southern part of the Arabian Sea, that is, the sea area between Somalia and the Maldives. It is 1,700 kilometers from Somalia to the west and 1,200 kilometers from the Maldives to the east.
At 8 o'clock sharp, the test flight training team carried out today's flight mission as planned.
Ship No. 16 launched two J-15Ts in succession, and Li Hai and Dangwei people implemented partners to refuel the test. This subject is already quite mature, but the J-15T is a new model. Before it is commissioned into the army, all the prescribed subjects are
To complete the test.
Partner refueling is an aerial refueling method in which the tanker and the oil-receiving aircraft are of the same type. This refueling method plays an extremely important supporting role in long-sea training. It can even be said that carrier-based fighter jets do not return during long-sea training.
In the case of a mothership, it is the only way to extend the airborne time of the fuel-receiving fighter aircraft.
For our People's Navy, which does not have overseas military bases, partner refueling is even more important. And with the powerful fuel-carrying capacity of the J-15 series fighters, fighters performing air defense ranges can carry out air defense operations without returning to the mothership.
The radius extends to eight hundred kilometers.
The J-15 is the only heavy-duty carrier-based fighter in active service in the world (Russian Kurdish warships have been dormant for several years). Because the aircraft carries a huge amount of fuel, it is also the refueling aircraft with the largest partner refueling capacity in the world.
machine.
In this docking and refueling test flight, Dang Weimin is the tanker and Li Hai is the tanker.
There is no doubt that during the refueling process, higher requirements are put forward for pilots flying oil-receiving aircraft. The propaganda department describes aerial refueling as threading a needle. To be precise, it is a threading of needles between non-stationary and non-stationary aircraft in high-speed motion.
Not only does it require the pilots of the two aircraft to refuel and receive fuel to form a tacit understanding, but it also requires a very in-depth understanding of the characteristics of the aircraft types they fly.
As an old partner, Li Hai and the Party for the People undoubtedly have the best understanding.
Dang Weimin piloted a tanker to take off first. Since it could only take off by ski jump, his plane was not equipped with weapons and ammunition.
When Li Hai took off later, he actually carried four air-to-air missiles, and they were live ammunition. This is an extraterritorial sea area, and there is no telling what sudden situations might happen. It is necessary for the preparation fighter planes to carry live ammunition, let alone take off to perform training missions.
fighter plane.
The weather was very good and the visibility was ideal. Everyone was very confident in completing the refueling and docking.
Li Hai and Dang Weimin did not form a formation, but flew separately, leaving a distance to simulate the relative positions of the battlefield, and then merged and docked.
It is not easy to find the mothership on the vast sea, and it is even more difficult to find smaller friendly aircraft. It is also a test of the pilot's ability.
Anyone who has flown a plane knows that it sounds easy for several planes to take off from different airports and arrive at the designated airspace to join the formation at the same time. It feels similar to setting a position while driving.
In fact, in such training, it is not uncommon for each other to lose sight of each other after arriving in the designated airspace, even though the current positioning system is becoming more and more accurate.
Therefore, when Air Force transport planes took off from several airports in the southeast, northwest, and northwest to carry relief supplies and medical personnel to Wuhan, they were able to land at Wuhan Airport within five minutes of each other, which is a reflection of their strong combat capabilities.
Unfamiliar airspace, unfamiliar seas, no landmarks, no navigation stations, and the distance is extended to more than 100 kilometers. It is indeed a big test for Li Hai and the party and the people.
The flight tower gave the coordinate parameters and airspace altitude to guide the two aircraft to merge.
Who would have thought that the weather would suddenly change.
Li Hai clearly saw a large group of dark clouds approaching from the south, moving relatively fast. At the same time, he also saw the party serving the people.
The meteorological department immediately reported to Zhu Wei. The report predicted that there would be heavy rainfall in about an hour, and the weather would turn sharply.
Zhu Wei immediately asked Li Hai, "Dongyao, we must return within forty minutes. The weather forecast has been synchronized to the intelligence platform."
Li Hai made a quick calculation and answered affirmatively, "Tower, I have no problem."
"Let's start docking." Zhu Wei concentrated on watching the real-time images captured by the cameras installed on the two machines.
The No. 583 J-15T driven by Li Hai and Dang Weimin quickly completed the formation and maneuvered smoothly to the rear of the tanker. They cooperated very well.
Immediately, the refueling pod of the No. 585 J-15T driven by Dang Weimin released the refueling hose, and the chrysanthemum unfolded. The No. 583 J-15T driven by Li Hai stretched out the fuel receiving pipe and slowly approached the chrysanthemum.
The frontal camera image suddenly shook, and the attitude of the tanker was also unstable. It was obvious that the fighter plane was affected by the strong crosswind.
Zhu Wei called, "Dongyao, don't force it, safety is the first priority."
"I understand, I'll give it a try." Li Hai's voice was steady, even though he had already felt the emergence of a strong crosswind.
He carefully controlled the joystick, combined with the throttle and rudder, and used very slight movements to adjust the attitude of the fighter plane.
You must avoid the tail flame emitted from the tanker's engine nozzle, avoid the wake formed when the tanker flies, and at the same time find your position correctly.
In fact, the channel that allows the tanker to approach is extremely narrow. Once it deviates from this invisible channel, the flight attitude of the tanker will be affected by the wake and flames of the tanker and become unstable, making docking and refueling impossible.
The chrysanthemum head is about the size of an 11-inch display screen, the fuel pipe is as thick as a child’s forearm, and the fuel port is even smaller. It’s harder than an eighty-year-old man to thread a needle to fit such a small fuel tube mouth into such a small fuel port.
And it’s not just a matter of hitting it in. When docking, the airspeed of the tanker must be slightly greater than that of the tanker. The moment it hits, it must immediately maintain the same airspeed as the tanker. This requires the pilot’s control skills of the fighter jet.
, putting forward extremely high requirements.
Therefore, it is generally believed that those who can successfully land a fighter jet on an aircraft carrier are only one in ten thousand, and on this basis, those who can complete refueling and docking at sea and in the air are only one in ten thousand, and then there is another one in a hundred.
Of course, very high requirements are also placed on the performance of fighter aircraft.
This is a double test for man and fighter aircraft.
A strong crosswind hit, and the left wing of No. 583 J-15T rose uncontrollably, and the flight attitude was immediately destroyed. Li Hai reacted quickly and immediately carried out remedial measures to stabilize the fighter. The distance between the fuel pipe and the refueling hose was
It got bigger all of a sudden.
The party for the people was also affected, and the course deviated a little. He also immediately made corrections and stabilized the fighter plane again. The tanker must remain stable, this is a basic condition.
"Dongliang, the second docking, it is stable." Li Hai reminded the party for the people.
The Party for the People replied, "Understood."
No. 583 J-15T slowly approached again. The fighter plane moved up and down with the increasingly unstable airflow, like a boat floating on the water. Li Hai just swayed over and let the tower
The person couldn't help but sweat.
Li Hai's eyes seemed to have turned into sights. He focused on the relative position of the fuel receiving pipe and the chrysanthemum of the refueling hose. He relied entirely on skillful blind maneuvers and the feeling of man-machine integration to adjust the attitude of the fighter aircraft.
The head of the oil receiving tube has already entered the anus, and it is gently rubbing here and there, but it is not pushed in. The distance is almost within 20 centimeters.
A relatively stable window appeared in the airflow. Li Hai keenly grasped it and used gentle force to push the round end of the oil receiving tube into the oil filler port in the chrysanthemum. The oil filler port immediately sucked the round end of the oil receiving tube.
"Start refueling!" Party Weimin reported immediately when he saw the light turning from red to green.
Next, even if there is a slight change in the attitude of the two machines, it will not have a big impact, because the refueling pipe is a hose, allowing some slight changes in the attitude of the two machines.
The high-speed oil pump was working, and aviation kerosene was injected into the fuel tank of the receiving aircraft through the pipeline. Two minutes later, Li Hai called to the party for the people, "Refueling is complete, leave!"
Dang Weimin immediately pressed the release button, and Li Hai gently broke the joystick to complete the separation. He then increased the accelerator to open the distance and retracted the oil receiving pipe.
"Returning, the two caves will fall first." Zhu Wei breathed a sigh of relief.
At this time, the sky in the south was already dark, and the weather at sea could change very quickly. The latest report from the meteorological department showed that the clouds were moving faster and would cover the airspace where the fleet was located in ten minutes.
Ten minutes was enough for Li Hai and Dang Weimin to return to the mothership.
After Dang Weimin landed, a storm had formed under the clouds in the south. Violent storms were visible to the naked eye, and the surrounding area began to have an impact on the sea area where the fleet was located.
Li Hai entered the landing route and aimed at the runway.
Zhu Wei looked at the time. In two minutes at most, Li Hai's No. 583 J-15T could be parked and put into the warehouse smoothly. Previously, all the fighters on the deck had been moved to the hangar, and at this time, the rescue helicopter was circling nearby.
We are also preparing to land, just waiting for J-15T No. 5832 to hang up the arresting cable.
If it were anyone else, everyone might still be a little worried, but that was Li Hai, the trump card among trump cards. He could succeed in much worse weather than now. A ruthless man who has never failed to intercept and land a ship. The current wind and waves are simply not enough.
Nothing.
Suddenly, the Tactical Intelligence Center reported, "Mr. Zhu! The outpost ship's radar detected an unknown air target approaching at high speed from a direction of 270 degrees! The target parameters are online!"
Zhu Wei was startled and immediately saw the details of the synchronized arrival of the outpost ship.
The outpost ship is the 165 ship, the latest 052DL, updated phased array radar, and lengthened flight deck. This ship is at the front, and the early warning radar starts searching to provide air defense warning for the fleet.
"Dongyao! Go around!" Zhu Wei immediately ordered.
At this time, Li Hai's tail hook had been extended. After receiving the order, he immediately throttled the lever and retracted the tail hook. The No. 583 J-15T actually made a pass at a high elevation angle.
Zhu Wei had no choice but to give this order.
Ship 165 has used a phased array to illuminate unknown aerial targets. Two batches of four, one in front and one in back, are flying at an altitude of 6,000 meters and an airspeed of 1,000 meters. The course is aimed at the fleet.
This was obviously a fighter jet, and it was well prepared.
The only fighter plane that our fleet can use immediately is Li Hai.
Zhu Wei continued to order, "The fighter jets are ready to take off!"
He immediately picked up the phone and reported the information to the fleet commander. The fleet's frigates all had extremely strong long-range air defense capabilities and had several sets of air defense plans. In fact, even if fighter planes were not dispatched, there would be no problem with air defense.
There are 101 and 102 two 10,000-ton anti-aircraft vehicles stationed there.
The problem is that this is not a question of whether to dispatch fighter planes, but a question of whether we have the ability and courage to dispatch them!
If others dare to fight in bad weather conditions, but you don't, that is a sign of weakness.
Furthermore, warships are a mobile country. If people come straight to your mobile country's airspace, if you don't send fighter planes to intercept them because of bad weather, then they will dare to go to your inland areas next time!
This is why all the officers and soldiers from Zhu Wei down did not hesitate.
After receiving the order, the hangar ground crew towed the fighter aircraft to the lift and immediately entered emergency takeoff status.
Not to mention the wind and rain, even if a knife is used, fighter planes must be launched to intercept it!