Rebirth of the 1980s: The Military Industry Empire

If viewed from above, the hulls of many catamarans appear nearly square, providing ample space for a given displacement.

While the projection area is large, the submerged portion is small, consisting of just two slender hulls.

These two hulls are long and narrow, like two slender conventional hulls joined together, resulting in minimal underwater resistance and effectively addressing the shortcomings of previous hull designs, making it a near-perfect hull form.

At that moment, Qin Yang ate while introducing this type of ship to the naval leaders.

"Each of the two lower hulls houses an engine, which can drive either a propeller or a water jet propulsion system at the rear. This allows the vessel to achieve a high speed. The space within the upper hull can be used for accommodation, radar equipment, and anti-ship missiles. Furthermore, we can modify the superstructure to make it disappear from radar screens."

Qin Yang had previously mentioned superstructure modification when introducing the destroyer design, which initially shocked everyone. However, they have come to accept it over time. Now, when Qin Yang brings it up again, they immediately grasp the concept.

"President Qin, are you suggesting that this type of warship has a small displacement? If it's similar to a missile boat, it might indeed disappear from radar screens."

The superstructure lacks right angles and slopes inward, deflecting radar waves in other directions. If the warship's displacement is small, it could hide among the waves, potentially remaining undetected by the enemy.

"Exactly, it's missile boat-sized, around 200 tons of displacement. It can carry four anti-ship missiles, appearing and disappearing without a trace at sea, becoming our ace in the hole."

In the early years after the founding of the nation, due to limited financial resources, the navy's development policy focused on 'air, submarine, and fast,' prioritizing naval aviation, submarines, and missile boats over large surface warships.

Surface warships were expensive. In contrast, 'air, submarine, and fast' were more manageable. However, against a formidable enemy, this combination would still be insufficient.

Missile boats, being small and equipped with anti-ship missiles, could achieve 'ants eating elephants.' During the Middle East wars, Egyptian missile boats sank Israeli surface warships, causing a major surprise.

However, missile boats also had weaknesses. Due to their small displacement, they rolled heavily at sea, making life uncomfortable for the crew. Limited internal space meant minimal supplies, requiring the entire vessel to be crammed full before each voyage, with even the deck piled high with sacks of potatoes.

Therefore, missile boats were only suitable for coastal patrol, aligning with the navy's coastal defense strategy.

Now, although the navy aims for larger vessels and advanced warships, economic constraints limit the production of advanced warships. To achieve scale, missile boats and frigates remain essential.

Thus, catamaran missile boats became the most suitable choice for the navy for a time, being small, potentially concealing themselves in the waves to evade enemy detection, and capable of striking effectively with their weapons when needed. Catamaran missile boats once became the mainstay of the Eastern Navy.

However, with the further development of the navy, these catamaran missile boats became outdated, especially lacking long-range ocean-going capabilities, eventually leading to their淘汰 (elimination/phasing out).

Later developments in various large warships reverted to single-hull designs. Wait, why doesn't the navy build large catamarans?

Catamarans have advantages and disadvantages, some of which are fatal.

For example, a catamaran consists of two hulls and a central connecting bridge. This bridge must possess sufficient strength to prevent tearing apart due to excessive torque during sea voyages, effectively turning it into two separate vessels.

Upon hearing Qin Yang's introduction, everyone nodded in agreement.

President Qin's mind is full of new ideas, which he doesn't often reveal. He's like toothpaste; you have to squeeze him to get anything out.

"President Qin, you're right. How about you become a designer and create something for us?" said Old Liu.

Qin Yang shook his head: "These are just my personal thoughts. I lack professional ship design experience. Moreover, success isn't guaranteed. We should first build a catamaran passenger ferry to assess its actual performance. If it proves successful, then we can proceed with building catamaran missile boats."

Catamarans are used not only for missile boats but also for yachts and passenger ferries, with the latter being more common.

To create a yacht of several tens or even hundreds of tons with ample space, a catamaran is the best choice. Moreover, being limited to near-shore operations, it doesn't need to venture far. A catamaran offers a spacious deck for sunbathing and is less prone to rolling, making it far superior to a single-hull vessel.

Currently, even with the emergence of the first wealthy individuals in China, no one is buying yachts. Buying a sedan is already considered good. Therefore, we can start with passenger ferries.

Many passenger ferries operate in the Yangtze River basin. Building a catamaran passenger ferry to assess its performance wouldn't be a waste.

Old Liu nodded: "President Qin is right. We can start by building a catamaran passenger ferry to study the relevant technology. President Qin, what did you mean by water jet propulsion?"

"It's crucial for improving the maneuverability of catamarans. With this technology, catamarans can make circles and perform various maneuvers at sea. On the battlefield, this means quickly aiming at the enemy or evading missiles..."