Chapter 524: The Divine Eagle Descends

As the "Haiying-V" fighter completed a series of breathtaking aerial maneuvers, Li Mingyuan guided it to a steady landing back into the vertical launch silo of the "Kunpeng". Like a tamed divine eagle, the fighter precisely adjusted its tail nozzles, slowly descended in altitude, and finally landed perfectly into the deep, dark shaft; the diamond-shaped armor plates then slid shut silently, restoring the surface to an integrated, flat deck.

"Test complete, all systems performing excellently." Li Mingyuan's voice came through the communication system, professional and calm, "I am returning to base."

In less than ten minutes, that silver lightning whistled back to the mooring platform at the edge of the bay. The massive lift fans slowly decelerated, and the "Kunpeng" landed steadily, as if a satisfied beast were returning to its lair.

Inside the command center, everyone was excitedly discussing the astonishing performance just witnessed, but when Li Mingyuan stepped inside, everyone immediately fell silent, their eyes gleaming with awe and anticipation.

"Chief Engineer Li!" The old general was the first to rush forward, excitedly gripping Li Mingyuan's hands, "It's incredible! It's simply... it's simply..."

Li Mingyuan smiled slightly and looked around at everyone: "I presume you all have many questions; we will answer them one by one. First, please move to the data analysis center, and we will take a look at the specific data from today's test."

The data analysis center was a large, temporarily erected tent, filled with advanced monitoring equipment and large display screens. As soon as everyone entered, Li Mingyuan signaled for the "Pangu" system to activate the main screen, and a set of complex parameter charts immediately sprang into view.

"This is all the performance data from today's 'Kunpeng' test," Li Mingyuan said, pointing to the numbers and charts scrolling on the screen, "First, the basic parameters: total length 88.6 meters, width 35.2 meters, height 12.7 meters, with a full-load displacement of approximately 680 tons."

"Only 680 tons?" Deputy Minister Liu interrupted in surprise, "Such a massive platform, yet lighter than a medium-sized destroyer?"

Li Mingyuan nodded: "It is thanks to special composite materials. The shell of the 'Kunpeng' uses a titanium-aluminum alloy and carbon fiber composite; its strength is three times that of ordinary steel, yet its weight is only one-third."

He switched to the next set of data: "Regarding the power system, it is mainly composed of two parts—sixteen large lift fans at the bottom, each with a power output of 8,000 kilowatts, providing a total lift of up to 850 tons; and four vector-thrust jet engines at the tail, each with a thrust of 12 tons, allowing for a maximum speed of up to 350 knots, or approximately 648 kilometers per hour."

The crowd gasped—this speed was nearly six times that of the fastest warships of the time!

"What about the endurance?" the Military Representative asked, eyes gleaming with anticipation.

Li Mingyuan's lips curled slightly: "Under standard load, the 'Dragon Heart' power system can support the 'Kunpeng' in continuous operation at a cruising speed of 250 knots for 72 hours, with a total range exceeding 45,000 kilometers, equivalent to circling the Earth's equator once."

"My God..." someone whispered in amazement, "This means it can reach any ocean from our east coast without needing refueling or resupply along the way..."

"The weapon systems are even more exciting," Li Mingyuan continued, pulling up another set of data, "'Kunpeng' is equipped with 32 vertical launch cells, capable of carrying 'Sea Dragon-1' anti-ship missiles or 'Firmament' anti-aircraft missiles; 4 vertical take-off and landing hangars, capable of housing 4 'Sea Eagle-V' fighters; in addition to close-in weapon systems and electronic warfare equipment."

He specifically zoomed in on the parameters of the "Sea Dragon-1" missile: "The 'Sea Dragon-1' missile we just tested is 5.8 meters long, 0.6 meters in diameter, and weighs 780 kilograms, with a 350-kilogram warhead. Its maximum speed is 2.5 Mach, approximately 3,000 kilometers per hour, with an effective range of 150 nautical miles. The most critical part is its guidance system—it uses active radar and infrared dual-mode guidance, combined with the data link support of the 'Pangu' system, achieving a hit accuracy of within 3 meters, and possesses all-weather, all-sea-state combat capability."

The Military Representatives exchanged shocked glances—such accuracy was unheard of at the time; even the most advanced guided bombs had an error margin of over several tens of meters.

"As for the 'Haiying-V' fighter," Li Mingyuan turned to another screen and pulled up a 3D model of the fighter, "Total length 16.5 meters, wingspan 11.2 meters, empty weight 7.5 tons, maximum take-off weight 12 tons. It is equipped with two 'Storm-3' vector-thrust engines, each with a thrust of 7.6 tons, capable of vertical take-off and landing and supersonic flight. Maximum speed is 2.2 Mach, approximately 2,700 kilometers per hour, with a combat radius of 550 kilometers and a maximum service ceiling of 18,000 meters."

He emphasized specifically: "The most important thing is the vertical take-off and landing capability—the engine nozzles can rotate 95 degrees, turning from horizontal to nearly vertical, providing sufficient lift to support vertical take-off and landing. The entire process is provided with precise control by the 'Pangu' system, with stability far exceeding the operational capabilities of human pilots."

Li Mingyuan paused and added: "This means the 'Haiying-V' does not need any runway; it can take off and land directly from a platform like the 'Kunpeng', completely getting rid of the complex catapult and arresting systems of traditional aircraft carriers."

On the screen, the data continued to scroll, revealing more shocking technical details—the electromagnetic shielding system could reduce the 'Kunpeng's' radar cross-section by 80%; advanced soundproofing technology made underwater acoustic detection nearly impossible; the fully intelligent battlefield management system could simultaneously track 200 aerial targets and 50 surface targets...

"This is not a ship; this is a mobile war machine!" an old engineer muttered to himself, his voice filled with awe, "It combines all the advantages of ships, aircraft carriers, and aerial fortresses, yet has none of their disadvantages..."

As the data presentation concluded, a heated discussion erupted in the conference room. The Military Representatives could barely contain their excitement and began expressing their views one after another.

"With the 'Kunpeng', we can project air power to any sea area in need within hours!" an Air Force general said excitedly, "This completely changes the strategic balance!"

"More importantly, it is almost impossible to intercept," another naval expert added, "Such high speed, such low cruising altitude, plus stealth technology... even the most advanced radar network would find it hard to detect it, let alone hit it."

"I think the most revolutionary thing is the vertical take-off and landing fighter," a young pilot interjected, his eyes gleaming with fanatical light, "It allows us to get rid of our dependence on fixed airfields! Anywhere, as long as there is sufficiently flat ground, we can take off and land for combat!"

"No, the most astonishing thing is the 'Sea Dragon' missile," the senior military expert shook his head in rebuttal, "That accuracy, that maneuverability... no existing ship can effectively defend against it. It can precisely strike the vital parts of an enemy ship, or even underwater sections, from over a hundred nautical miles away! This means we no longer need a massive surface fleet to effectively deter any maritime power."

Li Mingyuan stood to the side, listening quietly to these discussions, a faint, elusive smile on his lips. As a soul from the future, he knew deeply how massive the impact of these technologies was on the 1950s. The capabilities displayed by the "Kunpeng" and "Haiying" were top-tier even in his own era, let alone in this age where the transistor had only just been invented.

Deputy Minister Liu walked excitedly to Li Mingyuan's side and asked in a low voice: "Lao Li, to be honest, this test only showed the basic performance of the 'Kunpeng', right? I guess it still has many 'trump cards' that haven't been shown yet?"

Li Mingyuan gave him a meaningful look: "Smart man. Yes, today we only tested the conventional performance. The 'Kunpeng' still has some... special capabilities that are not suitable for public disclosure for the time being."

"Such as?" Deputy Minister Liu pressed, his eyes gleaming with curiosity.

Li Mingyuan hesitated for a moment and lowered his voice: "Such as deep-sea navigation capability."