Chapter 162: Cloud Bombs, Cluster Bombs, and Tungsten Alloy Armor-Piercing Shells

"The Drone's payload is limited; I must maximize the lethality of every kilogram of explosive," Li Mingyuan muttered to himself, flipping through stacks of yellowing documents.

Most of these documents were post-war military research materials from the Polar Bear, covering fields such as aviation, artillery, and ammunition.

Although they were primarily technical literature regarding Engines, they also contained research reports on various weapon systems.

These reports were often fragmented and unsystematic, but to Li Mingyuan, every page potentially contained invaluable information.

Just as he was about to close a seemingly insignificant report on an Engine cooling system, a folded blueprint slid out from the folder.

Li Mingyuan bent down to pick it up and carefully unfolded it.

It was a hand-drawn weapon design, marked with Polar Bear text and a series of complex mathematical formulas.

"This is..." Li Mingyuan's eyes suddenly lit up, "a design sketch for a special aviation bomb!"

He quickly flipped through the folder and discovered that this was only a small part of a complete research report.

According to the page numbers and chapter markings, this should have been a classified report titled "Research on Frontier Aviation Weapon Systems," but he only held a few pages of it.

Li Mingyuan pondered for a moment and decided to re-examine all the Polar Bear literature to see if he could find the other parts of the report.

He opened the long-sealed data boxes, checked every document one by one, and finally found the other fragments of the report in several seemingly unrelated folders.

When he arranged these scattered pages in order, a startling research report gradually took shape.

This was a piece of frontier research completed by the Polar Bear Military Academy of Sciences the year before last, exploring various revolutionary aviation weapon concepts, many of which had yet to be implemented publicly.

【System Prompt: Key technical data discovered, triggering Peerless Comprehension... Analysis complete. You have unlocked the "Advanced Aviation Weapon System" technology tree, including technologies such as Cloud Bomb, Cluster Bomb, Tungsten Alloy Armor-Piercing Shell, Guided Glide Bomb, and Anti-Radiation Bomb.】

Li Mingyuan felt a powerful stream of information surge into his mind; the design principles, manufacturing processes, and tactical applications of various weapon systems became clear.

He quickly grabbed paper and pen and began recording these precious technical details, fearing he might miss a single point.

【Cloud Bomb, also known as Air-Fuel Bomb, is a new type of weapon that utilizes fuel mixed with air to form an explosive gas cloud.】

Li Mingyuan recorded as he read, "The earliest concept originated at the end of the war; Polar Bear scientists discovered that certain liquid fuels, when fully mixed with air, could form highly explosive gas clouds, with an explosive power far exceeding traditional explosives of the same weight."

The report included detailed technical parameters: a 50-kilogram Cloud Bomb contained approximately 30 kilograms of a special fuel mixture (the main components being ethylene oxide and fine aluminum powder), released via a two-stage Fuse System.

The first stage's small explosive charge dispersed the fuel into a mist, covering an area of approximately 50 meters by 30 meters; in the second stage, a delayed Fuse ignited this fuel cloud, producing an explosion equivalent to 120-150 kilograms of TNT.

"The most critical aspect is the pressure wave effect," Li Mingyuan recorded excitedly, "The overpressure area generated by a Cloud Bomb is 3-5 times larger than that of a traditional bomb, making it extremely destructive to buildings and fortifications."

The report also mentioned the special effects of the Cloud Bomb: because the combustion consumes a large amount of oxygen, a temporary vacuum state is formed in the explosion area, causing severe injuries to personnel inside bunkers, including lung damage and internal hemorrhaging. The effect is particularly significant in confined spaces like pillboxes or tunnels.

"The manufacturing of a Cloud Bomb is relatively simple," Li Mingyuan continued reading, "The biggest challenge lies in the fuel formula and the design of the atomization device, but with our current industrial capabilities, it is entirely achievable."

He quickly drew a structural diagram of the Cloud Bomb, including the casing, fuel container, atomization device, and dual Fuse System.

According to the suggestions in the system, he also made several improvements to the original design, adding fuel stabilizers and a more reliable detonation sequence control.

"A single Drone carrying two 50-kilogram Cloud Bombs has a power equivalent to carrying 300-400 kilograms of traditional bombs," Li Mingyuan calculated.

"This will significantly improve our strike capability, especially against bunkers, pillboxes, and dense positions."

Next, Li Mingyuan carefully studied the chapter on Cluster Bombs.

【A Cluster Bomb is a carrier-type weapon; the main body is a large container holding dozens or even hundreds of small Submunitions. After deployment, it opens at a predetermined altitude, releasing the Submunitions to form a 'rain of bombs' covering a large area.】

【A 100-kilogram Cluster Bomb container can carry 120 small Submunitions, each weighing about 0.7 kilograms and containing high-energy explosives and pre-formed fragments. The container opens at high altitude (usually 300-500 meters), and the Submunitions scatter to cover an area of approximately 200 meters by 100 meters.】

"This type of weapon is particularly suitable for dealing with densely populated areas and light armored vehicles," Li Mingyuan read the system's tactical assessment.

"The coverage area of one Cluster Bomb is equivalent to 10-15 conventional bombs, greatly increasing attack efficiency."

The system also mentioned several different types of Submunition designs:

【Anti-personnel type, equipped with a large number of steel balls or steel needles, forming wide-range lethality after explosion.】

【Anti-armor type, equipped with a small shaped charge, capable of penetrating light armor.】

【Delayed-action type, which does not explode immediately upon landing, becoming a 'landmine' to hinder enemy cleanup and rescue efforts.】

"The design of the Submunition is key; it must be small in volume but reliable, and the Fuse must be sensitive and safe."

He drew a design for an improved Cluster Bomb, adopting a simpler dispersion mechanism and a more reliable Submunition Fuse.

Under the existing industrial conditions of the Long Country, this design was easier to achieve in mass production.

"Cluster Bombs will be the ideal weapon for dealing with enemy assembled troops and airfields,"

"Especially that neatly arranged aircraft parking style that the Star-Spangled Country likes; it's practically an invitation for our Cluster Bombs."

The third thing that caught Li Mingyuan's attention was the "Tungsten Alloy Armor-Piercing Shell."

"This is a pure kinetic energy weapon," Li Mingyuan read the technical description, "It does not rely on explosive power, but rather utilizes the penetration capability of ultra-high-density metal during high-speed impact."

【The core of a Tungsten Alloy Armor-Piercing Shell is a long-rod penetrator made of tungsten alloy, usually arrow-shaped, with a density reaching 17-19 grams per cubic centimeter. When dropped at high speed from high altitude, this penetrator can rely on pure kinetic energy to penetrate armor steel plates up to 300 millimeters thick.】

"The key lies in the material and shape," Li Mingyuan recorded intently, "The ultra-high density and strength of the tungsten alloy are the foundation of its penetration capability, while the streamlined long-rod design maximizes energy concentration upon impact."