Chapter 231: PL-2 Air-to-Air Missile

Over the next half hour, Wang Wei piloted the J-6 to complete shooting tests under various complex conditions:

High-speed diving shots, turning shots, and even shots after extreme climbs.

The three 30mm cannons showed astonishing stability and precision under all conditions, with almost every shell accurately hitting the target.

"This is even better than I imagined," Li Mingyuan said to the technical team beside him, a satisfied smile finally appearing on his face.

But today's testing had only just begun.

After the cannon tests, more important was the first live-fire test of the PL-2 Air-to-Air Missile.

The PL-2 is an Infrared Guidance short-range dogfight missile with an effective range of about 7-8 kilometers.

Although it is simply a toy compared to the advanced missiles of later generations, in this era, it is absolutely an epoch-making weapon.

A target drone was towed into the air to simulate an enemy aircraft target.

This is a specially made unmanned aerial vehicle that can produce a heat signal similar to a real aircraft, making it an ideal target for testing infrared missiles.

"Prepare for missile test, target locked, distance 6,000 meters," the ground control center reported.

Li Mingyuan's heartbeat accelerated.

The PL-2 missile was designed by him personally; from the infrared seeker to the propulsion system, every detail condensed his hard work.

This is Long Country's first self-developed Air-to-Air Missile, and its significance far exceeds the weapon itself.

"Missile is ready, requesting launch permission," Wang Wei reported, his voice carrying a trace of nervousness.

Li Mingyuan took a deep breath, "Number 31, permission to launch."

With a slight hiss, the missile under the J-6's wing was ignited, trailing a streak of white smoke as it flew toward the target.

Everyone held their breath, their eyes following that silver missile.

The missile accelerated rapidly, carving a graceful arc in the air, flying steadily toward the target drone.

The Infrared Guidance system was working normally, firmly locking onto the target's heat source.

"Distance 4,000 meters... 3,000 meters... 2,000 meters..." the ground Radar Operator broadcast in real-time.

The missile was getting closer and closer; the target seemed to have nowhere to escape.

However, just in the last kilometer as the missile approached the target, its flight trajectory suddenly became unstable, began to sway significantly, and ultimately brushed past the target, falling into the distant valley.

"Missile missed! Repeat, missile missed!" the ground observer reported, their voice filled with disappointment.

Li Mingyuan's brows were tightly locked.

This was not expected; all parameters during the test indicated that the missile should have been able to accurately hit the target.

"Perhaps the infrared seeker sensitivity is insufficient," Lao Liu guessed in a low voice, "or the propulsion system is unstable in the terminal phase?"

Li Mingyuan shook his head, "Don't jump to conclusions yet, try again."

A second missile was loaded onto the launch rack, and everything was ready.

"Number 31, permission to launch the second missile."

Another hiss, and the second PL-2 Air-to-Air Missile soared into the air.

This time, its flight trajectory was more stable, as if a precise arrow pointed straight at the target.

"Distance 3,000 meters... 2,000 meters... 1,000 meters..."

Under the gaze of everyone holding their breath, the missile struck the target drone directly, and the fireball of the explosion illuminated half the sky.

"Hit! Direct hit!" A burst of cheers erupted from the ground.

Li Mingyuan let out a long breath, his tense nerves relaxing slightly.

"Continue testing, prepare the third missile."

Over the next two hours, the J-6 launched five more PL-2 Air-to-Air Missiles, four of which successfully hit the target, while one failed to hit due to the target drone's emergency evasive maneuvers.

Overall, an 80% hit rate was quite good for a first test.

When the J-6 finally landed on the runway, everyone on the ground rushed forward.

Wang Wei climbed out of the cockpit and took off his helmet, the expression on his face complex and hard to distinguish—excitement, shock, and even a trace of fear.

"How was it?" Li Mingyuan asked.

Wang Wei swallowed, his voice trembling slightly,

"Those cannons... are terrifying. The recoil is huge, but the precision is astonishing. If used against enemy planes, I'm afraid a single short burst could turn an F-86 into a sieve."

"And the missile?"

"The infrared guidance system is basically reliable, but it still needs to improve its anti-jamming capability. The fourth missile had a good lock, but the heat flares released by the target drone successfully jammed it."

Li Mingyuan nodded, already having an improvement plan in his mind.

Heat flares are a common means of countering infrared-guided missiles, and improving the seeker's anti-jamming capability is the focus of the next step.

The Frontline Commander-in-Chief walked over, the smile on his face almost impossible to hide, "Fantastic! With this kind of firepower, it's enough to make the enemy tremble with fear!!"

Li Mingyuan said modestly: "There are still many areas that need improvement."

"Regardless," the Frontline Commander-in-Chief patted his shoulder,

"This is a major breakthrough for Long Country's military industry! I have already reported the test flight results to my superiors, and they are all shocked. I think a mass production order will come down soon."

Li Mingyuan calculated secretly in his heart.

With current industrial conditions, full-scale mass production of the J-6 is indeed difficult, but small-batch production is feasible.

If 10-20 aircraft could be produced within a month, it would be enough to change the air situation at the front line.

"How soon can these babies be sent to the front line?" the Frontline Commander-in-Chief asked impatiently.

Li Mingyuan thought for a moment, "If everything goes smoothly, small-batch production can be completed within two weeks, and with pilot training, they can be put into actual combat in about a month."

"Great!" The Frontline Commander-in-Chief's eyes flashed with excitement.

Washington D. C., the Pentagon underground war room.

The air was filled with the scent of tobacco and coffee; dozens of Military high-ranking officials and intelligence analysts sat around a massive conference table, the atmosphere so heavy it was almost suffocating.

"Gentlemen," Secretary of Defense George Marshall said in a grave tone,

"The situation we face is even worse than we imagined."

He signaled for an Intelligence Officer to step forward.

That thin, tall officer walked to the projector and placed several photographs on it.

The photos showed scenes of Long Country Drone high-altitude bombing, as well as destroyed facilities on the ground.

"This is the disastrous state of our front lines in Taiyang Country," the Intelligence Officer explained,

"Although Long Country's Drones are technologically advanced, according to our analysis, they possess clear limitations."

He switched to the next slide, which listed the estimated performance and limitations of the Long Country Drones:

1. Unable to engage in real-time aerial combat, can only execute missions according to preset flight paths

2. Limited in quantity, no more than 20 units at most

3. Requires support from complex ground control systems

"More importantly," the Intelligence Officer continued, "the total troop strength of the Long Country forces is less than 60,000; although they are well-equipped, they are far inferior to us in numbers. Their logistics lines are long and extremely vulnerable to interference."