From the standpoint of the Imperial Navy, the highlight of the third round of military reform can be described in one idiom.

Back to basics.

As mentioned earlier, after the end of the Great War, the Imperial Navy was lost in the light of global domination because it defeated all its opponents. When it tasted the bitterness of the Polish-Iraqi War, the Imperial Navy took on the heavy responsibility of "breaking off" and had to go against the trend.

During these decades, the Imperial Navy has actually been going around in circles.

The most typical is the tactical system with aircraft carriers as the core.

In Zhou Yongtao's words, changing the aircraft carrier battle group to an aircraft carrier strike group is not progress, but degradation, and is a misunderstanding of the value of the navy.

There is only one key question: what is an aircraft carrier?

There is no doubt that aircraft carriers are not a separate existence from the day of their birth, but a core presence in a complete maritime combat system.

This is also the main difference between an aircraft carrier and a battleship.

Although before the birth of aircraft carriers, that is, in the era when battleships dominated the oceans, the navy also relied on system operations, and battleships were only the backbone of the strike force, but in the decisive battle of the fleet, battleships were the absolute core, and other ships did not have decisive value.

To put it bluntly, if it is a one-on-one battle, the battleship is absolutely invincible.

Obviously, aircraft carriers do not have such a big advantage.

In the era of aircraft carriers, aircraft carriers were only platforms for carrying and operating carrier-based aviation. Even if carrier-based aviation is regarded as an integral part of the aircraft carrier, the aircraft carrier is only a force in the fleet, that is, it is responsible for the output of firepower, and its capabilities in defense and other aspects are not outstanding.

It can be seen that after the birth of aircraft carriers, the navy really entered the era of systematic operations.

A fleet with aircraft carriers at its core must have the power to dominate the seas and strike devastating against all potential adversaries.

To put it simply, the aircraft carrier fleet must have perfect combat capabilities, not only capable of sea and air supremacy, but also anti-submarine, land-to-land strike, and long-range force projection capabilities.

It was on the basis of this theory that the Imperial Navy created an almost omnipotent aircraft carrier battle group.

It was also by relying on the aircraft carrier battle group that the Imperial Navy defeated all its opponents in the Second Global War and became the only global navy.

The aircraft carrier battle group of this era is a veritable all-rounder at sea.

In the words of the time: there is no enemy in the world that cannot be destroyed by an aircraft carrier battle group, and if there is, then send a few more aircraft carrier battle groups over.

It's just that there is a problem mentioned earlier.

In the course of cross-era development, in order to maintain relatively strong combat capability, the size of aircraft carrier battle groups is getting larger and smaller, and the combat efficiency is getting lower and lower.

In any system, efficiency is always inversely proportional to the number of basic units.

But the problem is that changing the aircraft carrier battle group to an aircraft carrier strike group is only evading the problem, not solving the problem.

In the second round of changes, in fact, the aircraft carrier battle group was broken up into multiple combat formations, and the aircraft carrier strike group was only the largest of them. In addition to the aircraft carrier strike group, there are anti-submarine formations with anti-submarine aircraft carriers as the core, as well as a landing fleet led by amphibious assault ships.

As a result, the Navy's combat system has not only become more streamlined, but has also weakened the value of aircraft carriers in the Navy's tactical system.

It was this round of change that triggered the "theory of the uselessness of aircraft carriers".

In the years when the "theory of the uselessness of aircraft carriers" was in full swing, the Imperial Navy also organized special personnel to discuss whether it was necessary to continue to build large aircraft carriers. The armaments committees of the two houses of the Imperial Council also allocated funds to the designers to develop several designs for medium and small aircraft carriers. If it weren't for the resolute opposition of the Imperial Navy, and the fact that Bai Zhizhan and Li Mingbo and other famous generals were still alive, I am afraid that after the first batch of "Chen Bingxun" class was completed, those big masters in the two houses would force the navy to build 40,000 tons, or even 20,000 tons of small and medium-sized aircraft carriers.

Since then, the "tonnage incident" that led to the resignation of the director of the military intelligence bureau and the early retirement of several admirals is also related to the "uselessness theory of aircraft carriers."

Clearly, the value of aircraft carriers in the naval system must be reshaped.

Before Zhou Yongtao entered the main residence of the first and auxiliary officials, many generals of the Imperial Navy had been working hard for this.

In fact, the leader is Zhou Yongtao.

As the most outstanding commander of the Imperial Navy after the White Stop War, Zhou Yongtao's understanding of aircraft carriers is actually above the White Stop War.

Don't forget, Bai Zhizhan was a commander who came from the era of battleships, and Zhou Yongtao spent decades of service in the front-line troops on aircraft carriers.

Before becoming the first assistant, Zhou Yongtao focused on the side of carrier-based aviation.

Under his promotion, the "Zhan-9" project was smoothly promoted, and there was the "Zhan-12" project, the "Cruiser-4" carrier-based anti-submarine patrol aircraft and the "Finger-11" carrier-based early warning aircraft with the new carrier-based transport aircraft as a platform, and the "Attack-X" project led by the Navy after mutual compromise.

It's just that before these projects were ripe, Zhou Yongtao lived in the first assistant's residence.

Among the major carrier-based aircraft projects of the naval aviation, the "Finger-11," on which the "Y-7" twin-engine carrier-based transport aircraft is used as a platform, and the "Finger-11," on which high hopes have been pinned, has not yet been completed, and even a prototype has not been manufactured. Five years ago, in 145 years of the new calendar, the project was shelved indefinitely, and the alternative was to install the radar system developed for it on the "Finger-6" and develop a cheaper carrier-based early warning aircraft.

Affected by this, even the "Y-7" project was shelved.

Fortunately, the "Xun-4", which was the first to start, was also the most valued in the early stage, and advanced very quickly, and completed the acceptance test flight before the "Y-7" project was launched, and also got the order of the Imperial Navy, and successfully joined the combat sequence of naval aviation.

In the third round of naval reform planned by Zhou Yongtao, the "cruiser-4" is the most important carrier-based aircraft.

The reason is also simple, this anti-submarine patrol aircraft is the key to removing the title of "attack" of the aircraft carrier.

In the aircraft carrier strike group, the attack aircraft carrier does not undertake anti-submarine tasks, to be precise, the fleet anti-submarine mission, so in the carrier-based aviation wing carried by the attack aircraft carrier, there are usually no anti-submarine patrol aircraft, at most several anti-submarine helicopters are equipped, and the anti-submarine mission of the fleet is undertaken by the anti-submarine aircraft carrier.

The main reason for this arrangement is that the anti-submarine patrol aircraft are not advanced enough.

The "Cruiser-2" before the "Cruiser-4" was based on the "Y-6" twin-engine piston propeller carrier-based transport aircraft, and its performance was not advanced at all.

Although the performance of the "Cruiser-2" was improved by later improvements, especially the replacement of turboprop engines, it was still unable to cope with the increased threat, and the efficiency of anti-submarine warfare could not meet the requirements of the Navy, so there was no way to reduce the size of the anti-submarine patrol aircraft group.

For this reason, anti-submarine patrol aircraft can only be carried by anti-submarine aircraft carriers.

After the advent of the "Patrol-4", this situation was fundamentally changed.

With the faster flight speed conferred by the jet engine, as well as the greater take-off weight, the "C-4" is 10 times more effective than the "C-2D" when performing typical fleet perimeter anti-submarine missions. Theoretically, the task that previously required 1 squadron of 30 "Cruiser-2D" to complete can now be completed with only 1 squadron and up to 8 "Cruise-4A". Because having a large aircraft carrier carry 8 anti-submarine patrol aircraft will not occupy much more area than carrying 8 anti-submarine helicopters, and will not have much impact on the strike capability of the carrier-based aviation wing, after the "Cruiser-4A" is officially put into service, the Imperial Navy no longer needs a special anti-submarine aircraft carrier.

Obviously, this is the basic condition for the replacement of the "attack carrier" with the "supercarrier".

In this way, it is logical to change the aircraft carrier strike group back to the aircraft carrier battle group.

But that's not the point.

The core value of an aircraft carrier strike group is actually a comprehensive combat capability, which also includes the attack capability emphasized by the carrier strike group.

Fundamentally, the number one value of an aircraft carrier has always been an unparalleled attack capability.

The attack power of aircraft carriers comes from carrier-based aviation, especially carrier-based attack aircraft with advanced performance.

No matter what era, and no matter how advanced the carrier-based fighters are touted, on the flight deck of the Reich aircraft carrier, the protagonist will always be the attack aircraft. In the era of the "Battle-6", the Imperial Navy also abandoned full-time air defense fighters, and carrier-based combat aircraft were capable of carrying out attack missions.

It is precisely in this way that Zhou Yongtao will actively promote the "Attack-X" project.

In order to allow the Navy to take the lead in the development of the next generation of attack aircraft, Zhou Yongtao did not hesitate to hand over the right to participate in the "Future Advanced Fighter," that is, the "Zhan-X" project, and promised that the Air Force would take the lead, and first meet the tactical needs of the Air Force and develop a naval model on the basis of the Air Force type.

Actually, it's easy to understand.

As far as the Navy's carrier-based aviation is concerned, carrier-based fighters are actually interceptors, and their number one task is to fly hundreds of kilometers away at a sprint speed and then shoot down those bombers carrying heavy anti-ship missiles with long-range missiles, not to compete with the enemy's fighters for air supremacy.

If you are engaged with the enemy's fleet, you should focus on attack.

As for dealing with enemy attack aircraft, this is even more so a problem.

Carrier-based fighters are fighting around the aircraft carrier battle group, supported by carrier-based early warning aircraft in the rear, and there are air defense warships on the sea, which is absolutely easy to deal with attack aircraft carrying light anti-ship missiles. Relying on a well-developed fleet air defense system, it is not even necessary to intercept attack aircraft with carrier-based fighters.

This volley attribute is vividly reflected in the body of the "Zhan-9".

If it is used as an interceptor, it will not be a problem for the "Zhan-9" to fight for another 20 years.

In other words, if there is a problem with the next-generation carrier-based fighter developed on the Air Force's "Battle-X", the Navy can also extend its service time by improving the "Battle-9", such as replacing it with an AESA fire control radar with better performance, and it will be able to calmly develop a new carrier-based fighter.

In fact, this in itself was a plan drawn up by Zhou Yongtao for the naval aviation.

The "Zhan-X" developed by the Air Force can be used as soon as it can be used, and if it cannot be used, it will start anew.

In addition, the "Finger-11" project was abandoned.

Strictly speaking, the abandonment of the Zhi-11 is also a compromise, or in other words, the initial launch of the Zhi-11 project is to prepare for a compromise in the future.

Unlike carrier-based anti-submarine patrol aircraft, carrier-based AWACS aircraft do not have too high requirements for flight speed.

As far as the "Y-6C" itself is concerned, because it is replaced with a turboprop engine, it will certainly be more than enough to act as a platform for carrier-based AWACS.

It is precisely for this that in the planning of the Navy, what is needed is not the "Finger-11", but the "Finger-6D" with AESA radar.

It can be seen that among the next generation of carrier-based aircraft of the Navy's carrier-based aviation, the "Attack-X", which is used to replace the "Attack-5", has the highest priority.

Unfortunately, the development of the "Attack-X" was not all smooth sailing.

Going back to the past, as early as more than 20 years ago, the Imperial Navy conformed to the trend of the times and proposed to develop a heavy attack aircraft capable of sprinting at twice the speed of sound, with a maximum take-off weight of less than 40 tons, a combat radius of more than 1,500 kilometers, and a bomb load of at least 10 tons.

If Cheng Gong is developed, it will be used to replace the "Attack-5".

These technical performance indicators are very advanced even now.

As a result, after completing the argument, the Imperial Navy had to admit the reality and instead seek cooperation with air forces with similar needs. That is, the Air Force is also developing a heavy attack aircraft with 2 times the speed of sound, which will be used to replace many tactical bombers purchased after the war.

At that time, the Imperial Navy was interested in the latest "Attack-8" of the Air Force.

According to the Navy's assumption, on the basis of the "Attack-8," the performance indicators should be appropriately lowered, and a heavy attack aircraft suitable for the Navy can be developed.

It must be said that the Imperial Navy was a little overoptimistic.

When the "Attack-8" was finalized, the maximum take-off weight exceeded 50 tons, while the naval carrier-based version needed to improve the structural strength of the fuselage and should also be treated with anti-corrosion, and the air weight would increase by about 2 tons, so even if other performance indicators were reduced, the maximum take-off weight could not be controlled within 40 tons.

With the technology at that time, the low-profile version of the carrier-based attack aircraft developed from the "Attack-8" was at least 45 tons.

Obviously, this weight is completely unacceptable. The Imperial Navy's latest steam catapult is designed to have a maximum ejection weight of only 40 tons.

Coupled with other reasons, such as the need to share the development costs of the "Attack-8", the Navy finally retreated.

As a result, the Imperial Navy had to modernize the "Attack-5" several times to extend its service life.

In fact, even if Zhou Yongtao was in charge of the Navy's equipment construction work, the progress of the "Attack-X" project was very slow and not all smooth sailing.

There are both technical and non-technical reasons here.

The point is, in fact, that the "Attack-5" has been in service for too long.

Although the Imperial Naval Aviation had many whimsical ideas, there was no better option after abandoning the Attack-8 modification.

The only way to increase the strike capability of carrier-based aviation is to tap the potential of the "Attack-5".

It must be said that the "Attack-5" is indeed a very good carrier-based attack aircraft, and its service life of more than 30 years is the best proof of this.

The vast majority of carrier-based aircraft, and even tactical aircraft, of that era were in service for less than 20 years!

It's just that the flaws of the "Attack-5" are also very obvious.

The most prominent thing is that the flight speed is too slow!

It is precisely in this way that at the beginning of the "Attack-X" project, to be precise, in previous years, the Imperial Navy insisted on supersonic cruise flight capabilities.

At the time of the project, "a cruising flight speed of Mach 1.4 at an altitude of 12,000 meters under a typical combat load" was also put in the first place.

This indicator is equivalent to locking up the other performance of "Attack-X".

As a result, several years of the "Attack-X" project were wasted, and it was not until the year 144 of the new calendar, that is, the year when Zhou Yongtao lived in the residence of the first assistant, that another advanced attack aircraft with high hopes shined on the battlefield, and the imperial navy suddenly woke up.