novelaction Chapter 864 Let's give it a few shots!
Chapter 864 Let's give it a few shots!
Just as Lao Zhou and the operator were each lost in their own thoughts on the deck, high in the sky, "Airborne Early Warning and Control System No. 1" was piercing through the thick clouds and circling in the designated airspace.
Inside the cockpit, the radar operator stared intently at the screen and reported to Jiang Xia: "Airborne Early Warning System No. 1 reports. The radar signal characteristics of the 'Yuejin' have been confirmed, and the target's course is stable... Wait, the target's speed is detected to be decreasing!"
Inside the communications section of the North Sea Fleet, Jiang Xia, who had been on edge the whole time, was taken aback when he heard the news. He subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief: "They've slowed down? Could it be that the people on board have finally discovered the problem with the course and started to deal with it?"
But before he could even catch his breath, an even more terrifying thought suddenly popped into his head, making his heart skip a beat: "Wait! Slow down? Slow down suddenly under high-speed, full-load conditions... Could it be... could it really have triggered that 'resonance risk' I made up?"
Is there really a problem with the propulsion shaft system or the hull structure? I'm such a jinx!
The thought sent a chill down his spine. He hurriedly pressed the microphone, "Airborne Early Warning and Control Unit 1! Can you confirm if the 'Yuejin' is in normal condition? Is there any unusual smoke, listing, or visible damage?"
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the channel, clearly the crew was trying to observe, and then the communications officer replied somewhat helplessly: "Engineer Jiang, the clouds are too thick, like a blanket, we can't see the sea at all. The radar can only determine its movement, not confirm the visual details."
"However, based on our radar's continuous tracking of the trajectory, about 5 nautical miles ahead of the 'Yuejin' at its current course, our sea search mode has detected a dense, stable area of strong echoes! The echo characteristics show that it is a complex area of micro-disturbances on the sea surface caused by a rapid change in underwater topography. The area is not small, and the reflected signal is strong and stationary, which is definitely not a ship or ordinary waves!"
Based on the echo pattern and intensity, a preliminary assessment suggests it is highly likely to be a large area of underwater reefs or shoals! If the 'Yuejin' continues on this course, the risk of it running aground or striking a reef is extremely high!
"Jiang, we can't connect to the communication system either! It seems there's a problem with the cargo ship's digital radio..."
Bad news comes one after another.
The "strong echo area" mentioned by the correspondent was the dangerous waters that would later be known as "Suyan Reef." It was not a real island, but a typical underwater reef located in the northern East China Sea, on the southern edge of the Yellow River, and part of the continental shelf extending outside the Yangtze River estuary.
Its main body is actually a series of basalt reefs formed by underwater volcanic eruptions. The shallowest part is still several meters deep from the sea surface. It lies submerged underwater all year round, completely submerged at high tide, and only some reefs are vaguely visible at low tide.
The surrounding waters are characterized by dramatic changes in depth, numerous reefs, and turbulent currents, making them an extremely dangerous no-navigation zone for deep-draft vessels.
It's thanks to the upgraded equipment on the KJ-1 that we were able to see this dangerous area clearly. Otherwise, you can't expect the Air Force to carry a nautical chart with them every time they fly...
Are you forcing the KJ-1 to descend?
But wouldn't that just turn into "Saving Private Ryan"?
Why would they risk having what may be the world's first airborne early warning aircraft warn them just for a cargo ship?
Jiang Xia had flown several times before, so he naturally knew what thick clouds meant. He wouldn't issue such an unreliable order as to send the plane flying through the clouds.
However, just as Jiang Xia was struggling with this decision, a crew member's voice, though not loud, came through the background noise on the channel: "Captain, the cloud base is estimated to be less than 300 meters high. The airflow below is turbulent, and visibility is almost zero. Forcing a descent through the clouds is too dangerous..."
"Danger?" another voice rang out, carrying the ruggedness unique to soldiers who had been tempered by war. "Opportunities to fight alongside Engineer Jiang are rare!"
Which of our brothers on "KJ-1" hasn't been through countless battles? When have we ever been afraid of danger?
A mission is a mission; there's no such thing as an unachievable one! If you can't see clearly, descend a little further! We can't just stand by and watch the ship crash into the reef!
These words were like a pebble thrown into a still lake, instantly stirring up a surge of excitement within the crew.
"Jiang, we're prepared to risk descending through the clouds for visual confirmation! Don't worry!"
Extremely conflicted, Jiang Xia could only say, "Be careful."
The massive fuselage of the "KJ-1" began to adjust its attitude, resolutely plunging into the thick, heavy clouds below.
Severe turbulence struck, and warning lights flashed in the cabin, but all crew members remained focused and composed, performing their duties diligently. After a difficult journey through the clouds, the plane finally broke through the cloud cover, revealing the grey-blue sea below!
"Report to Beihai! I have passed through the clouds and am visually observing the 'Yuejin'! Repeat, visual observation! The hull is intact, with no obvious damage or listing, and the deck is normal!"
When the news reached them, Jiang Xia and everyone in the communications department breathed a long sigh of relief. At least the ship was alright!
Unbeknownst to Jiang Xia, at that very moment, in front of a house facing the sea on Qingdao Island, where spring is warm and flowers are in bloom, several elderly people also breathed a sigh of relief.
"Good lad, this counts as a joint air-sea operation!"
"That's why I say young people are our future. If we delegate some authority and give them more responsibility, they will give us satisfactory results!"
"Just like the purpose of our meeting this time, isn't it to create a situation that has both... and..., both discipline and autonomy!"
"They have the will, but also a cheerful and lively disposition..."
"Ha ha ha ha……"
"Come on, let's drink tea instead of wine, bottoms up!"
"Dry!"
Okay, case solved. No wonder the kid didn't try to get on the Air Force bigwigs' good side; the Air Force Command in Shanghai let KJ-1 go...
It turns out someone had covered for him...
Moreover, the base is made of titanium alloy!
……
After a burst of laughter, the elderly man in the lead looked at the naval leader again:
"Also, the eggplant with sesame sauce and the stir-fried duck with bitter melon were really good this time. This home-cooked meal was quite enjoyable!"
"Tomorrow, I plan to go to the Second Bathing Beach and swim again!"
"Okay! I'll go with you!"
"Hmm...it's a bit far. Perhaps calling one of the kids over would be a good idea..."
"Hey, it's not far, not far... I'll let you..."
Before the naval leader could finish speaking, a tense conversation broke out on the radio next to him.
"Report! Engineer Jiang, we still can't establish contact! I suspect the Yuejin's digital radio is really malfunctioning!"
groove!
Forgot that the core command of the "Dumb Hairy Boy" was not yet completed—warn the Leap Forward that their course had deviated!
How could they warn them? The radio had called countless times, but the Yuejin was as if it were deaf, offering no response whatsoever.
Are you suggesting we use a megaphone to shout? What kind of early warning aircraft carries a megaphone around everywhere? That idea is just too far-fetched.
Just when everyone was at a loss, the captain stroked his chin and said, "How about a low-altitude flyby? It's been a while since I've done it, I kind of miss it!"
"Are you sure?"
"Of course! Little Jiang, don't look down on us. Back in the day, our crew flew right up to the enemy's sheepskin rafts and threw grenades!"
The warplane continued to descend.
On the lookout tower of the "Yuejin" ship, Second Officer Zhou was chatting casually with the old telephone operator.
Hearing the noise in the sky, Old Zhou looked up: "Sigh, look at them..."
"Those that fly in the sky are protected from the wind and rain, and their treatment is much better than ours. Unlike us, we spend our whole lives in the sea, earning the meager wages of selling cabbages while worrying about selling opium..."
"Hey, speaking of which, about going to Japan to become a sailor..."
Just as the veteran operator was about to respond, a deep, powerful engine roar suddenly came from afar, quickly becoming deafening!
The two instinctively looked up and saw a huge plane painted with bright red stars emerging from the low-altitude clouds with an extremely imposing posture, almost touching the height of the mast, and roaring past overhead!
A strong gust of air swept across the deck in an instant, and Old Zhou's old ship's hat was swept away with a "whoosh," tumbled a few times in the air, and floated gently into the sea.
"Hey! My hat!" Old Zhou reached out in vain, only to find nothing, and shouted in frustration.
The veteran operator standing nearby was startled at first, then pointed at Old Zhou's bald head and the plane turning in the distance, and couldn't help but joke, "Old Zhou, you just talked badly about someone, and now you're getting your comeuppance, huh? Serves you right for being so talkative! These pilots have sharp ears and narrow minds! See, your hat's ruined!"
Old Zhou scratched his head dejectedly, looked at the plane, and muttered to himself: What is this big iron bird trying to do by flying so low?
Just as he was wondering what was going on, something even more astonishing happened! As the plane flew past again, the side door was suddenly and recklessly pulled open!
A crew member wearing a flight suit and goggles leaned out, gripping the safety rope tightly with one hand and waving the other hand vigorously and repeatedly toward the lookout deck of the "Yuejin" with exaggerated movements, clearly trying to attract the attention of the crew!
"My God!" Old Zhou saw it clearly, his heart skipped a beat, and his face turned pale instantly.
"They...they heard me! They really heard me say that they were well-treated and petty! This...this is them coming to settle scores with me!"
A surge of intense embarrassment and a hint of fear made him instinctively shrink his neck, turn around, and rush towards the cabin, wishing he could find a place to hide immediately, muttering to himself, "You can't see me, you can't see me..."
At the door of the No. 1 air marshal cabin, the communications officer who had been waving was so angry at the figure on the deck who had been standing there but was now hurriedly dodging away that he almost fainted.
He shrank back into the cabin, ripped off his goggles, and complained to the captain, "Captain! Is that guy down there stupid?! I waved my arms until they almost broke, and he didn't react at all. He even ran away like he'd seen a ghost!"
The captain looked down through the windshield at the giant ship still heading in the wrong direction, his brow furrowed. His final attempt at direct communication had also failed.
He took a deep breath, a trace of determination flashed in his eyes.
"Regular calls are ineffective, and visual signals are being ignored. We can't wait any longer!" He grabbed the walkie-talkie, quickly reported to Jiang Xia, and asked for instructions:
"Jiang Gong, all non-lethal warning measures have been tried, but to no avail! The target vessel is still sailing along the dangerous course."
Request authorization to execute the final warning plan: conduct a warning shelling at a safe distance ahead of its course!