Chapter 493: Powerful Firepower, Not a Dream

A few seconds later, the training projectile hit the center of the target precisely, and the wooden structure fell to pieces. Although there was no real explosion, the weight and impact of the training projectile were enough to destroy this fragile target.

"Direct hit!" the technician cheered.

The officers nodded, their expressions looking slightly satisfied but not particularly surprised—after all, dealing with fixed targets was a basic requirement for aerial strikes.

"Second target: moving ground target, simulating an enemy armored convoy," Huang Zhigang continued to report.

On the screen appeared three small vehicles moving slowly along the beach, clearly modified unmanned equipment.

This time, the "Sea Eagle" adopted a different attack method. Instead of diving from high altitude to drop bombs like a traditional fighter jet, it lowered its altitude and decelerated to about 400 km/h, flying almost while brushing against the beach. When approaching the target, the aircraft's tail nozzle suddenly tilted downward, producing a dramatic deceleration effect while the fuselage maintained astonishing stability.

"This is... vector deceleration!" Li Mingyuan explained to the surprised officers, "Using vector nozzles to generate reverse thrust while maintaining precise control."

Just at the moment the "Sea Eagle" decelerated, it precisely dropped three training projectiles, hitting the three moving targets separately with almost impossible accuracy.

"Three hits! All hits!" the technician reported excitedly.

The officers on the observation deck really could not sit still this time.

"This... this defies common sense!" a naval officer blurted out, "The hit rate on moving targets shouldn't be this high!"

Li Mingyuan smiled slightly: "It is indeed difficult for conventional fighter jets to do this, but the 'Sea Eagle's' vector thrust system has completely changed the rules of air combat. It can deliberately decelerate before an attack, extending the aiming time while maintaining a stable flight state."

"Third target: low-speed maritime target, simulating an enemy frigate," Huang Zhigang's voice came through again.

The screen switched to the sea surface, where a small unmanned boat about ten meters long was sailing slowly. This time, the "Sea Eagle" climbed to a higher altitude, then suddenly turned and dove toward the target.

When it was about five kilometers from the target, a small missile under the aircraft's pylon suddenly detached, trailing a white exhaust plume as it lunged straight at the target. This was a modified YJ-1 training version anti-ship missile; although it had no warhead, its flight performance was exactly the same as the combat model.

The missile drew a graceful arc in the air and precisely hit the moving ship, which nearly broke in two under the massive impact.

"Hit!" the technician confirmed again.

"This is an improved version of the YJ-1 anti-ship missile," Li Mingyuan explained, "Although a training warhead is being used today, its Guidance System and flight performance are exactly the same as the combat model. The 'Sea Eagle' can carry two such missiles, with an effective strike radius of 80 kilometers."

"Fourth target: high-speed maritime target, simulating an enemy destroyer."

This time, what appeared on the screen was a significantly larger and faster unmanned boat, which kicked up large splashes on the sea surface, with an estimated speed of over 30 knots.

The "Sea Eagle" adopted a brand-new tactic. Instead of launching missiles from high altitude like last time, it lowered its altitude, flying almost against the sea surface, using the cover of the waves to approach the target. When the distance shortened to about three kilometers, the aircraft suddenly activated its vector nozzles and pulled up with incredible agility, simultaneously launching a missile.

The missile skimmed across the sea surface from an extremely low angle, almost brushing the wave crests, and finally hit the high-speed moving target boat precisely.

"My god!" a naval general exclaimed, "This low-altitude penetration tactic... even the most advanced shipborne Anti-aircraft System would find it hard to intercept!"

Li Mingyuan nodded: "That is exactly our design goal, Chief. The 'Sea Eagle's' vector thrust not only provides super maneuverability but also allows it to execute complex tactical maneuvers that traditional fighter jets cannot complete."

Air Force Deputy Commander Lao Liu was thoughtful: "Low-altitude penetration, precise aiming while decelerating, even hovering attacks... combining these capabilities is indeed revolutionary."

"Fifth and sixth targets: aerial hovering targets, simulating enemy helicopters," Huang Zhigang reported.

On the screen appeared two targets fixed in the air by balloons, simulating enemy helicopters at an altitude of about 100 meters. Such targets are usually a nightmare for fighter jets—because the high speed of traditional fighter jets makes aiming at such hovering targets extremely difficult.

But the "Sea Eagle" once again demonstrated its unique capabilities. After the aircraft approached the target area, it suddenly activated its vector nozzles, and its speed plummeted from 700 km/h to less than 200 km/h, while maintaining an incredibly steady state.

In this near-hovering state, the "Sea Eagle" launched two air-to-air training projectiles, which hit the two balloon targets respectively; the entire process was smooth and flowing, precise to the point of being jaw-dropping.

"Double hit! The test is perfectly concluded!" the ground control reported.

On the observation deck, the officers had been completely conquered. Their expressions went from initial skepticism to shock, and then to heartfelt admiration; Li Mingyuan took in the whole process, and the sense of achievement in his heart was simply indescribable.

"Chief Engineer Li," Air Force Deputy Commander Lao Liu stood up, his voice trembling slightly, "I must admit, the 'Sea Eagle's' performance far exceeds my imagination. This vector thrust technology... it has completely changed the basic rules of air combat."

"Not just air combat, Chief," Li Mingyuan said solemnly, "It will change the entire sea-air combat system. Traditionally, carrier-based aircraft are constrained by the length of the carrier deck and must rely on complex catapult and arresting systems. But the 'Sea Eagle' only needs a hundred-meter deck to take off and land, which means we can deploy fighter jets on smaller, more flexible platforms."

He paused for a moment, then dropped the bombshell he had long prepared: "Especially for the 'Kunpeng' Ground Effect Aircraft Carrier we are currently building, the 'Sea Eagle' is the perfect carrier-based weapon."

Deputy Commander Lao Liu and the other officers exchanged a meaningful look. They had already heard of the "Kunpeng" project, but had always remained reserved—after all, a giant platform capable of flying at high speed over the sea surface sounded like a fantasy.

But now, after witnessing the "Sea Eagle's" incredible performance with their own eyes, the attitude of these senior officers had clearly shifted. If Li Mingyuan could make a fighter jet hover like a helicopter, then the "Kunpeng" he spoke of might really not be a fantasy.

"I want to see the 'Sea Eagle's' final test," Deputy Commander Lao Liu suddenly said, "Short-distance landing. If it can really land safely within a hundred meters, then the feasibility of the 'Kunpeng' project will be greatly improved."

Li Mingyuan nodded: "That is exactly the test we are about to conduct, Chief. Huang Zhigang," he said into the communicator, "Prepare to return to base and execute the short-distance landing procedure."

"Received, beginning return to base," Huang Zhigang responded.