Rebirth of the 1980s: The Military Industry Empire

Vertical launch systems seem simple enough. It's just taking the original inclined launch box and sticking it into the ground, making it vertical. Then, you ignite and launch the same way. At most, you just need to fly into the sky and then dive back down.

In reality, it's definitely not that simple. Anyone who has observed a missile launch should know that when the missile breaks through the frangible cover and flies out, scorching flames erupt from behind. The larger the missile, the larger the flames. The white smoke that billows out can even cover the entire warship.

And that's just for anti-aircraft missiles. If it's an anti-ship missile, the flames are even bigger. The old Russian warships liked to stick anti-ship missiles on both sides of the bridge. After a single launch, the entire outside of the bridge would be scorched beyond recognition. Chinese warships also considered this arrangement but quickly abandoned it, placing them on the sides of the warship with the launch tubes at a ninety-degree angle to the hull. The biggest advantage of this is that after launch, the flames can be directed into the sea. As for aiming at the target, they could simply turn the warship ninety degrees before launch to align the anti-ship missile with the target.

So, if you stand the anti-aircraft missile launch tubes upright, where should these flames go?

The old Russians, who were the first to develop vertical launch systems, continued to use a simple method to solve the problem: cold launch.

A cold launch means that the missile is cold when it exits the launch tube, meaning it's not ignited. The missile ignites in the air after it flies out, away from the warship, so there's naturally no problem.

The West uses hot launch, where the missile ignites inside the launch tube. This requires the launch tube to be designed with complex exhaust ducts to vent the flames.

Both have their advantages. Cold launch avoids complex exhaust ducts and the situation where the ignition command has been issued, but the missile doesn't fly out, i.e., a dud. However, cold launch launch tubes need to be longer because they need a baffle at the bottom to push the missile upwards to accelerate it, and the baffle needs a dedicated gas generator underneath.

Moreover, cold launches also have accidents, such as the missile flying out but not igniting!

In this case, the missile will fall. To avoid hitting their own warship, cold launch missile launch tubes are generally tilted outwards so that even if the missile doesn't ignite after flying out, it can fall into the sea. But land-based systems aren't so lucky. Later videos show Russian S300 missiles flying out and then falling back down, with the surrounding Russians fleeing in panic.

Hot launch is complex. In addition to requiring complex exhaust ducts, there's also the risk that if a missile is a dud, a fired missile remains in the launch tube. Who knows what accidents might happen, such as exploding directly in the launch tube. That would be like a battleship's ammunition depot being blown up, probably blowing the warship in half on the spot.

So, how did we solve it?

Of course, we solved it with a clever method, with world-class results.

Initially, we used cold launch for both the imported S-300 and the domestically developed Hongqi-9. The later Hongqi-16 uses hot launch, but these are all dedicated to specific missiles, unlike the MK41, which is all-encompassing.

Later, China also began to develop universal vertical launch systems, and with a higher starting point, starting with a diameter of 850 mm. You should know that the diameter of the MK41 is only 635mm, and even the K57 is only 710 mm. We started with 850 mm!

The maximum length of the MK41 is only 6.7 meters, while our pit can be up to nine meters deep, so we can fit big guys in it!

It is precisely because our vertical launch dimensions are larger that it can accommodate very large missiles, such as the famous anti-aircraft carrier YJ-21, which can be stuffed in. When this kind of warship goes to sea, the enemy will shiver.

So, if you put in a small missile, is it a waste?

Of course not. Small missiles can be loaded with two missiles in one pit or four missiles in one pit. Depending on the diameter of the missile, you can stuff two or four. In this way, although the warship carries fewer vertical launches, the actual combat capability is not small at all.

Moreover, ours is not only large in size, but also uses a cold/hot co-架. If you need cold launch, you can play cold launch. If you need hot launch, you can use hot launch. You can use it however you want, flexible and changeable.

These are all things of later generations. What about now? What to do now?

"We use eight as a group, sharing a smoke duct in the middle for hot launches," Qin Yang said, explaining the technical solution.

Launch tubes can use existing ones, which happen to be square launch tubes. This way, they can be arranged like chocolate, eight in a group, with a smoke duct in the middle, to create a suitable launch device.

The overall design can refer to the Hongqi-16 design.

For a medium- and short-range missile, it is most suitable for it to fly out of the launch tube by itself. The cold launch method is the best for large missiles.

"It seems that Director Qin already has ideas. We don't have to worry. We will definitely have a qualified vertical launch before the warship is built," Old Liu nodded with satisfaction.

"That's right, let's reserve it first and wait for Director Qin to provide us with supporting facilities." After Old Pan finished speaking, he thought of something else: "Director Qin, can the radar on this warship also be handed over to you?"

For a warship, radar is its eyes. Although the East also has shipborne radar, the technology is outdated.

According to the plan, the 052 will purchase a large number of electronic equipment from the West. Taking radar as an example, a long-range air search radar called the Sea Eye will be installed above the hangar. It is a huge orange petal-like antenna. The Sea Tiger radar will be installed on the bridge, and electronic warfare equipment imported from abroad will also be installed. The entire ship will be equipped with Thomson-CSF's TAVlTAC automatic combat command system, etc.

Although we used to laugh at the equipment of the Indians for a long time as 'made of all nations', in fact, our own warships also used a large number of electronic equipment imported from foreign countries. These equipment would interfere with each other, which once caused countless headaches.

Now, Qin Yang has already proposed to use his own produced anti-aircraft missiles, so how should the radar and electronic equipment on the entire warship be arranged? Factory 960 can produce airborne radar, can it be transplanted?

It's really not easy to transplant. Hearing Old Pan's question, Qin Yang was also a little embarrassed. When it comes to shipborne radar, the best one to use is the Top Plate radar. Back then, when we imported the Sovremenny-class from the old Russians, we thoroughly understood all the technology on it, surveyed and copied it, and equipped it in large quantities.

The Top Plate radar of the Sovremenny-class is one of them. Its antenna is composed of two back-to-back waveguide antennas, like two flat plates, so it is called the Top Plate radar. In addition to being able to search the air and sea, it can also provide guidance for the Shtil missiles. The replica is installed on many warships in the East.

However, it's only the 1980s now, and we can't get a Top Plate.