Chapter 247: Difficulties in the Second House
In the past, the navy did not have a dedicated weapons test ship. When needed, it would temporarily find a ship to use. Sometimes it was a warship, sometimes it was a civilian ship, and various weapons were tested directly on it.
When Qin Tao met Zhao Ling for the first time, they were next to a specially modified ship equipped with a Hongqi 61 missile system.
However, these improvised and modified experimental ships have many drawbacks. The navy could improvise them in the past, but in the future, it will not be easy to do so again.
The testing of any modern weapons has strict requirements, especially the anti-aircraft missiles and other systems that are urgently needed by the navy. They have to go through countless test launches and require a perfect carrying platform.
The weapon test ship is here to do this. Specifically, it should be called a comprehensive test ship, which can be regarded as the "birth certificate of naval weapons and equipment." Naval weapons are first tested on this kind of test ship. After passing the test, they can be installed on the warship.
It was enough to make do in the past, but how to make do in the future? The Hongqijiu is so big that even the 051 cannot be installed in it! Therefore, China began to prepare a special comprehensive test ship in 1994, which was actually to prepare for the test of the Aegis ship.
Now, the Navy should also put this kind of warship on its agenda.
"First of all, for a standard weapons test ship, it needs to have a relatively high displacement. The Type 051 with more than 3,000 tons is simply not good. It needs at least six to seven thousand tons. At the same time, the hull must be wide, so that it can Install a large number of weapons systems."
Qin Tao has already begun to plan non-stop: "For example, there must be enough space at the bow of the ship to insert a special vertical launch system, which cannot be lower than the S-300's rotating launch mechanism. In this way This will facilitate the testing of similar models of weapon systems in the future. There should be a wide helicopter landing platform at the tail to facilitate coordination."
"Secondly, there must be a sufficient power system on the ship, and the speed can be slower, but the power generation capacity must be sufficient. After all, future shipborne weapon systems will consume large amounts of power. If sufficient power cannot be provided, it will not be able to meet the requirements. The need for testing.”
Even if only one phased array radar is used, it must be output at full power so that the ultimate performance can be tested. The power supply must not be interrupted.
“Yes, when our Sea Star radar is assembled and tested in the future, there must be sufficient power supply!” Mr. Ben agreed from the side.
(The previous name was directly called Aegis, which makes sense. Some readers explained that Aegis was given by an outsider. We use the code name of Sea Star, and the numerical model is 346 radar. So we use Sea Star. Bar.)
When the radar is developed, it will first be tested on land, but it must be tested on a ship. Otherwise, what if it is not acclimatized?
Wu Shengli nodded, and then continued to look at Qin Tao: "Taozi, this is a very high request. Can you bring a scrap iron cruiser over and let us refit it for use?"
Obviously, Wu Shengli was a little worried. After all, the navy was short of funds. Building a warship specifically for testing weapons sounded like a waste. Therefore, Wu Shengli used his brains and came up with a countermeasure. Qin Tao could do it. Damn, wouldn't it be enough to get a decommissioned cruiser from Lao Maozi and renovate it?
This saves money!
Qin Tao glanced at his father-in-law helplessly: "Are you sure? If it is modified, it will be more expensive than building a new one. Don't blame me for not telling you in advance."
"How is that possible?" Wu Shengli was almost shocked. It is more expensive to rebuild a ship than a new one?
"Of course." Qin Tao said: "Renovating an old warship, even a cruiser, is not as good as a professional one. This kind of old ship has its own original weapon combination. If you want to transform it, you must first change the original The weapon systems are all dismantled. This is not just dismantling it and selling it for scrap metal, so the labor hours and other things are very high. We need to dismantle them all, leaving only an empty shell."
“Why take it all apart?”
According to Wu Shengli's idea, just bring an old cruiser and tear it out to create a makeshift space.
"Because we need to avoid interference." Qin Tao said: "The original equipment may cause electromagnetic interference. A professional weapons test ship must have a blank sheet of paper so that the real weapon performance can be detected. Moreover, due to the test The frequency of weapons testing on the ship will be very high, even under extreme conditions. Therefore, there are high requirements for the strength of the hull. Second-hand warships, even cruisers, may not be able to withstand this kind of torture. If you want to be able to If it is used, it may need to be reinforced, which will waste more.”
After Qin Tao's remarks, Wu Shengli finally gave up: "It seems that we really need to build a special weapons test ship. I will report this requirement to my superiors, and the Navy will also hold a special meeting to discuss it."
“Oh, by the way, our shipyard has too many orders, so we will not participate in the bidding for this weapons test ship.” Qin Tao was very generous.
Lest others think that Qin Tao is seeking his own interests, or even deliberately exaggerating, this kind of weapons test ship is not easy to build, and the effort is not thankless. Qin Tao would rather build two more bulk carriers and natural gas carriers than take one. This kind of order.
Wu Shengli nodded.
The development of specific projects will definitely take time. Qin Tao just made suggestions. It has nothing to do with Qin Tao as to when construction will start.
Domestic roof radars are definitely not up to par. However, this thing is not a new technology. It is just a surveying and mapping imitation of Lao Maozi's product. Even if it is improved, the 14th Institute is very professional and there is no big problem.
This kind of observation of the Type 382 radar is over here. Mr. Ben led everyone through the laboratory here and continued to walk inside. Then, he put on dust-free clothes and after the dust-free treatment, Entered a more sophisticated laboratory.
“What you see now is our process laboratory, where we explore the production process of the T/R component, the most important phased array radar component.”
Hearing what Mr. Ben said, Qin Tao was a little flattered: "It seems that I have entered the core of your 14th Institute!"
For phased array radar, there are many difficulties to overcome, but there is no doubt that the core component production is the most critical. Without this T/R component, no matter how advanced the design is, it will be useless.
“You can think so. After all, countries around the world are also studying the production technology of this kind of components. In this regard, we are on the same starting line as the West.”
As Ben Lao said, he picked up a brick-like object: "This is the T/R component we developed."
If it is another radar antenna, it is only responsible for the task of radiating electromagnetic waves, and it is a simple antenna.
However, active phased array radar is not. The basic component of this antenna, that is, the T/R component, belongs to a circuit. It contains two transceiver channels to complete the final power amplification of the transmitted signal to the array element and the pre-reception stage. Level amplification realizes functions such as front amplitude and phase correction and beam scanning.
Specifically, the functions of T/R components include generating and amplifying transmit frequency signals, amplifying received signals, achieving antenna beam control, etc.; specific components include phase shifters, radio frequency T/R switches, power amplifiers, limiters, low frequency Noise amplifiers, circulators and control circuits, etc.
In this era, it is not possible to put so many circuits on one chip, so its brick-like appearance and inside are still the structure of a circuit board. Even the tile structure commonly used in later generations will not be available until two thousand years later. What just appeared is that the tiles are inserted directly into the base, and the metal on the base is responsible for transferring heat.
Now, the famous T/R assembly looks like this. (Bricks are just a description of the style. In terms of size, they should be much smaller than bricks.)
"This type is made of silicon bipolar transistor material. The current yield is about 5%, which is relatively optimistic. The yield of another gallium arsenide component is less than 1%." Mr. Ben Said: "We are currently trying to improve the process, hoping to improve the yield. The most difficult one is the single microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) inside."
Apart from anything else, this yield rate alone is staggering. After all, it is a high-tech product with high technical difficulty and a very low yield rate. If thousands of T/R components are used on a phased array radar, then Hundreds of thousands of products have to be produced before enough can be selected. The cost of this can be imagined.
At present, it is only laboratory production. If it is produced in a factory, the yield will be further reduced. After all, the factory does not have the precise environment of the laboratory.
“How much does such a component cost?” Wu Shengli asked.
"If we average it out, it's about fifty thousand." Mr. Ben said. (In the information found, it is said that the price is US$12,500, which is 25 times that of Americans, so it cannot be mass-produced.)
"What, fifty thousand?" Wu Shengli thought of the thousands of T/R components needed for a phased array radar. If multiplied, wouldn't it cost hundreds of millions? How can the navy afford the equipment?
“Everything is difficult at the beginning. In the future, our technology will continue to mature and the yield rate will become better and better. In the future, after conquering the technology of gallium arsenide, maybe we can make phased array radars at a bargain price,” Qin Tao said.
Qin Tao is not worried, because he knows that the domestically produced Aegis battleships of later generations will continue to produce dumplings because the technology continues to mature, the yield is getting higher and higher, and the cost of phased array radars is also constantly decreasing.
Later, not only the destroyers but also the frigates also replaced the 382 radar with imitation top plates with phased array radars, which didn’t cost much anyway.
Mr. Ben nodded: "We just like to listen to Mr. Qin's words!"
Wu Shengli smiled: "You mean, what our navy says is not nice enough?"
“Well…”
Before Mr. Ben could answer, the intercom phone in the laboratory rang. When he picked up the phone, his face became ugly when he heard the urgent voice.
Qin Tao was standing aside and heard angry voices inside.
“This is clearly trying to make things difficult for us!…”
What is going on?
"Leader Wu, you happen to be here, so please go to our conference room. We are going to have a meeting. Mr. Qin, since you are here, come with us to listen, and maybe you can give us some ideas!"
After everyone sat down, a technician opened the document he had just received and introduced it to everyone.
"The Second Institute of Aerospace Science and Technology informed us that there have been some changes in the missile development data. In addition to the basic type currently under development, they are planning to develop a more advanced B-type missile. Accordingly, our radar performance is required to be higher. Specifically, , the missile’s RCS is reduced by half, but the tracking distance must be twice as long as the existing data.”
Hearing these contents, Qin Tao couldn't help but frown. Although everyone still kept the missile model secret, Qin Tao knew that this project was talking about the Hongqi 9B.
Now, the original version of the Hongqi 9 missile has not been officially put into service. However, the new missile project is already in the pre-research stage. The performance of this Hongqi 9B will be more advanced, because the Second Academy of Aerospace Science and Technology has made reference to the S-300V ah!
The S-300PMU originally obtained was only capable of intercepting aircraft and cruise missiles, but the S-300V can intercept ballistic missiles, which means that its performance is stronger. The Second Aerospace Academy has studied the S-300V After that, of course, we hope that the Hongqi 9 missile will also have this capability.
what is it now?
The body of the missile must be changed to increase the range of the missile. After all, the range is not enough and everything is in vain. Although the body of the missile is larger, the radar reflection area will be smaller after it is launched. In this way, one's own radar must have the ability to track smaller target capabilities. At the same time, because the missile flew farther, the distance at which their radar tracked this small target also had to be increased.
For the Second Aerospace Institute, they want to develop more advanced missiles and then say hello to the 14th Institute in advance. However, in the eyes of everyone in the 14th Institute, this matter is completely different.
Hmm, isn’t this deliberately making things difficult?
“The Second Academy of Aerospace Engineering failed to compete with us in the naval warship radar, so they deliberately came to cause trouble!”
"Yes, I heard that the C-band radar from the 23rd Institute is intended to be mounted on vehicles and used by the Army and Air Force. Their radar has this capability, so they are trying to ask us to have this capability as well. If not, our technology is not good enough.”
"Hmph, their C-band radar has a shorter wavelength and higher accuracy than our S-band radar. Their ability to detect targets with twice the RCS value is certainly better than ours! This is clearly digging a hole for us! "
Everyone was filled with righteous indignation. While the leaders of the navy were around, they had to make it clear that the Second House was stumbling upon us!
Wu Shengli sat without speaking, just listening to people's comments.
Mr. Ben was also thinking. For a while, the two main leaders were silent. Everyone talked for a while, and their voices slowly dropped.
“Lao Xing, let’s talk about it.” Mr. Ben began to call the names.
In the 14th Institute, Mr. Ben is the general person in charge. However, because the 14th Institute has too many scientific research projects, it is necessary to designate a specific person in charge for each project.
Xing Gong is the deputy chief designer of the 346 Haizhixing radar, and his speech is crucial.
"Currently, we have been conducting research and development based on the original missile data. So far, our pre-research has ended, and the next step is engineering project research and development." Xing Gong said: "Now, the Second Academy has given us data and asked us to re- Setting standards means that all our previous work is in vain and we have to start from scratch.”
This is why it is not the same organization as missile development.
The missile was developed by the Second Institute. The vehicle-mounted missile systems needed by the Army and Air Force were contracted by the Second Institute. However, the radar and fire control systems needed by the Navy were developed by the 14th Institute. If they were separated like this, problems would arise.
Of course, the Navy has nothing to do. After all, if the Army and Air Force find that the radar is not useful, it doesn’t matter. They can just replace it with a radar truck. But what about the Navy? If the Navy wants to replace the radar, it needs to bring the warship into the shipyard, hoist the four-sided phased array, disassemble the circuits inside, and go through a lot of trouble.
Therefore, the Navy must be cautious and finally choose the S-band radar solution of the 14th Institute because it believes that this radar can meet the requirements.
The specific data is available, and we have been working on it for a long time. What is the result? Are we suddenly asked to start over from scratch?
The people below can complain, but Xing Gong doesn't. He just puts these things out directly, and people with a discerning eye can naturally figure out what to do.
"As for the B-type missile plan proposed by the Second Aerospace Academy, it is just a plan at present. After all, their prototype missile system has not been developed yet, let alone test-fired. Therefore, the prototype missile may still take several years. By the time, this B-type missile, a conservative estimate, will be ten years later, or even longer." Xing Gong said: "When their missiles come out, the warships equipped with our original 346 Sea Star radar will It may have been retired, or it may be time for a mid-term overhaul.”
Hongqi 9B is just a PPT plan. It’s still too early to be ready. Do we have to modify our design for such a distant plan?
In domestic equipment development, there are too many projects that stay at the PPT stage! There is no point in proposing those ambitious indicators!
Xing Gong finished speaking.
"Yes, this project has only been approved for the time being, and there is still a long way to go before it can be successfully developed. However, the indicators it proposes are still useful to us. For the goal of half of the RCS area, we found that the distance is still more than one Times, if we can provide radar with this performance to the Navy, it means that the radar performance of Navy warships will reach a new level, and it will be more confident when facing more terrifying threats."
When Mr. Ben said this, he had already made his attitude clear, and everyone was stunned.
Even Qin Tao was extremely surprised.
Even if Qin Tao knew that the Second Academy made such a request not to make things difficult, but to be stimulated by the S-300V missile, after all, this meant that all the hard work of the 346 radar developers of the 14th Institute was in vain, and they had to Start from scratch.
So, from the perspective of the 14th Institute, there is no need to accept the request of the Second Institute. After all, this missile is still missing. They have many reasons to say no.
But Ben Lao didn’t.
Ben Lao saw the air pressure faced by the navy through his eyes. Improving the performance of his own radar can make the navy more capable when facing high-threat targets. Even if you have to start all over again, it’s still worth it!
The image of Ben Lao also grew taller in front of Qin Tao's eyes. Like his father and other people of the older generation, he exuded a noble light.
Leave your home for the sake of the country! Even if we have to tear it down and start over, we still have to give the Navy the best radar system. At worst, we will have to work overtime for a few more days!
"On behalf of the Navy, I would like to express my opinion that the Navy has finalized the 346 Sea Star radar of the 14th Institute as the main radar for future warships. It will not change again. The Navy will fully support the development of the 14th Institute, even if the progress is delayed, even if the progress is delayed, The funding is very high, and the Navy doesn’t care.” Wu Shengli’s words ignited hope in the eyes of those present.
As long as the navy supports you and gives you the full coverage, then what do you have to fear?
"Mr. Qin, what do you think?" Mr. Ben looked at Qin Tao again.
“Old Ben, you are so great, I want to learn from you.” Qin Tao said.
“That’s not what I’m talking about. Don’t praise me anymore. What I’m saying is, do you have any specific suggestions for improving radar performance?”
specific suggestion? Where can I find it? Qin Tao was confused: "I remember that the relevant information I obtained during my last inspection in Europe has been sent to you."
"Yes, that data is very useful to us." Mr. Ben said: "Now, we want to further improve the performance of the radar. What suggestions do you have?"
As a layman, what suggestions can I make? Of course, Qin Tao couldn't do whatever he wanted, so he quickly changed the topic.
“I’m curious, why did you name this radar after Star of the Sea?”
Speaking of this, that is Xing Gong's expertise. He immediately explained: "Mr. Qin, have you heard of Ocean Star?"
“I’ve heard that this is the largest natural deep blue colored diamond in the world.”
"Yes, Mr. Qin is indeed knowledgeable. We named our radar after Star of the Sea because we want to illustrate the internationally leading technology and outstanding quality of our radar. We use diamond-cut precise mirrors and unique crystal lattice to depict this This radar has several fronts and thousands of units, thereby expressing the powerful detection and tracking capabilities of our radar."
“I see, then I wish you can achieve your design goals.”
Qin Tao laughed and laughed. He originally thought it was over, but unexpectedly, Mr. Ben continued to ask: "Mr. Qin, do you have any suggestions for our radar?"
Come to ask again!
Qin Tao must say something useful, otherwise, he will not be let go.
“Our radar doesn’t have the ability to detect stealth aircraft, right?” Since he wants to say it, Qin Tao might as well just say it! He didn't understand the specific technical details, but he was still familiar with the technical route.
PS: The content comes from Baidu.
A monolithic microwave integrated circuit T/R component often contains multiple MMIC chips, which are integrated into the substrate through MCM technology and discrete devices, and are finally packaged to form a T/R component. Multifunctional chips integrate the functions implemented by multiple single-function MMICs into one chip, which helps T/R components reduce size and cost.
According to the "Overview of the Development of Radar Technology and Future Trends of Multifunctional Phased Array Radar", in 2007, T/R components developed into 4-side leadless flat packages, with the volume reduced to 1/5 of the "tile" type and the weight reduced. It is 1/20 of the original "tile" type, and the cost is reduced to 1/5 of the "tile" type; in 2008, it developed from two-dimensional panels to three-dimensional panels/integrated circuits, and the volume was reduced to 1/3 of the flat package. The weight is reduced to 1/2 of the flat package, and the cost is reduced to 1/2 of the flat package.
(End of this chapter)