Rebirth of the 1980s: The Military Industry Empire

The classification of air defense missiles is based on their range. Generally, those with a range of a dozen kilometers are called short-range missiles, while those exceeding twenty kilometers can be called medium-range missiles. If the range exceeds forty kilometers, they can be called long-range or area air defense missiles.

Of course, with the advancement of technology, the standards are also getting higher and higher. In later generations, sixty or seventy kilometers is also considered a medium-range missile, and only a range exceeding one hundred kilometers can be called an area missile.

How to turn a medium-range missile into an area air defense missile?

Simply put, it's about increasing the engine thrust! If the range is not enough, it's because the engine thrust is insufficient. Increasing the thrust will naturally increase the range.

However, with greater thrust, the missile's own weight also increases. When it increases to a certain extent, the increased thrust is just enough to propel itself, so the range cannot be further increased.

This is like electric cars in later generations. Worried about insufficient range? Then add more batteries! Doesn't more batteries mean you can drive further? Of course, it's not just that. The more batteries, the heavier the car. When it reaches a limit, the added electricity is just enough to carry the added weight, and at this point, the range reaches its limit.

Therefore, this method can be used, but it is definitely not the best. What is the best way? Of course, it is to improve the technology. For electric cars, you can increase the energy density of the batteries. If you can increase it by a factor of two, the weight remains the same, and the range doubles.

For air defense missiles, it is to improve the propellant. Using a more advanced propellant can increase the range without changing the missile body.

The composition of this propellant is very complex. Back then, rockets all used liquid engines. After transitioning to solid-state engines, the first-generation propellants were carboxyl-terminated polybutadiene (CTPB) propellants, hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) propellants, cross-linked double-base (XLDB) and composite double-base (CDB) propellants.

In the 1980s, foreign countries developed HTPB propellants using HMX to partially replace ammonium perchlorate. Later, double-base and composite solid propellants were further combined to produce nitrate ester plasticized polyether (NEPE) high-energy propellants.

In the 1990s, foreign countries developed a series of advanced high-energy propellant fuels, including oxidizers, binders, plasticizers, and additives, etc.

For example, oxidizers include hexanitrohexaazaisowurtzitane, trinitroazacyclobutane, nitroform hydrazine, etc.; binders include glycidyl azide polymer, 3,3-bis(azidomethyl)oxetane, etc.

Even just reading the names of these things is dizzying, let alone making them. Qin Yang doesn't have that ability. He might not even be able to remember all the names, let alone the production process. He does know that the most amazing propellant in later generations is N16, but no one knows what its composition is.

This is the job of material experts.

In addition to power, the next thing is missile guidance.

For a long time, the only mature air defense missile in China was the Hongqi-2. This missile uses command guidance. The missile only needs to be equipped with a receiving device to continuously receive signals from the rear radar station, just like a model airplane. The missile doesn't know what's in front of it; it's entirely controlled by the rear radar.

Even if the range of this missile is increased, it won't work if the radar is not powerful enough. The farther the distance, the worse the accuracy of the radar. At a certain distance, it will be impossible to control the missile to hit the target.

"If you can't make missiles, radar should be fine, right?"

Missiles are only one part of the entire air defense system. Missiles also need radar to cooperate. Missiles are a project of the aerospace department, and Factory 960 can't do it. What about radar? Factory 960 is quite amazing. They have already overcome the difficulties of airborne radar. It shouldn't be difficult for them to help develop a radar, right?

Qin Yang was embarrassed again.

Radar? Radar is also not possible!

Airborne radar uses pulse Doppler mode and flat slotted antennas. Factory 960 has all these technologies, but after all, these are airborne radars. They can be used from fighter jets to early warning aircraft, but they are not used on the ground or on warships.

Flat panel radars on warships are divided into two types: one is a waveguide antenna, such as the famous Top Plate radar of the old Maozi, and the other is a phased array radar.

Phased array radars are further divided into two types: one still relies on radar tubes to radiate electromagnetic waves, but installs phase shifters in front of the radar tubes to change the phase of the beam, thereby changing the radiation direction. This is a passive phased array.

The other uses advanced microwave technology, installing a large number of transmitting and receiving units. Each unit is a chip that directly radiates electromagnetic waves. This is an active phased array radar.

Active phased array radar technology is advanced, and Factory 960 definitely can't handle it. Not many in the world can handle it. Everyone is still researching it. Passive phased array radar has been put into practical use. The American Aegis warship uses this type of radar, and the old Maozi's S300 also uses this type.

The East also has this technology. The 7010 radar, which was used for the strategic early warning project, is this type of radar, using an entire hillside as the radar array. However, just having a radar antenna does not mean you can create an advanced air defense system.

Four-sided phased array radars also need to cooperate. After all, the range that each radar plane can search must be greater than ninety degrees. There must be overlapping parts between adjacent radar beams. How to deal with the targets in these overlapping areas?

The Aegis system is comprehensively processed and can achieve perfect handover between two radar antennas, always maintaining the state of tracking a certain target.

Old Maozi also developed the Sky Sentinel, but it doesn't have this processing capability. Although it is also a four-sided phased array radar, each works independently. The targets in the overlapping area of the two array radar beams are treated as two targets, because their data processing system capabilities are too poor to integrate them at all.

Now, Factory 960 doesn't have the strength to help develop radar. They don't have phased array radar technology, and they don't have data processing technology. These are not things that they can solve.

Wait, does Old Liu have other intentions?