Carrying out a sea search mission with a strategic reconnaissance aircraft?

When developing the "Night Phoenix," the Air Force did issue an invitation for the Navy to join in and share the expensive development costs.

Initially, when it was developed according to the interceptor, the Navy did have such a thought.

Don't forget, the Navy has always used carrier-based fighters as interceptors, and it also attaches great importance to high-altitude and high-speed performance, but does not attach much importance to agility that the Air Force values. In fact, back in the days of the Second Global War, the carrier-based fighters of the Imperial Navy were particularly bulky. Even after the war, this tradition did not change. It is clear that high-altitude high-speed interceptors have a very great attraction for the Navy.

It's just that, after getting to the bottom of it, the Navy retreated.

The reason is also very simple, even according to the design of the interceptor, the indicators set by the "Dark Night Phoenix" at the time of project establishment far exceed the capacity of the navy. For example, the take-off weight will certainly not be less than 60 tons, and may even reach 80 tons, while the upper limit that the Navy can accept is 40 tons.

Of course, the poor low-altitude and low-speed performance also limits its deployment range.

Even if it is bought, it can only be deployed on land.

With such a heavy plane, not only can it not take off from an aircraft carrier, but it is also impossible to land on an aircraft carrier, and the navy obviously will not separately purchase high-altitude and high-speed interceptors for shore-based aviation. After all, for the Navy, there are not many important facilities on land that are worth protecting with high-altitude and high-speed interceptors. Besides, according to the previous rules, the tactical units of the Navy's shore-based aviation were to obey the command of the Air Force in wartime.

In fact, it is this rule that has been carried over since the Second Global War that makes the Navy very careful when developing shore-based aviation. Even now, the shore-based aviation unit does not have a direct tactical fighter unit, and all tactical aircraft are organized in the carrier-based aviation unit, which is only temporarily deployed on the ground. The naval air station is based on patrol aircraft belonging to long-range aviation.

Affected by all this, the Navy very simply rejected the invitation of the Air Force.

It's just that the Navy has been paying attention to the project all along.

The key point is that the anti-ship and sea dominance combat system created by the Imperial Navy really needs a high-altitude and high-speed reconnaissance aircraft similar to the "Dark Night Phoenix".

Relying on reconnaissance satellites?

Obviously, this is just talk.

In peacetime, the problem is not so big, after all, outside of the three superpowers, no country has its own, and sufficiently advanced space technology.

Not to mention anything else, even the Manman Empire is a little bit behind, at most it is the second echelon.

Although space technology originated in the Empire, the first ballistic missile was manufactured by the Empire, and since then, the launch vehicle technology of various countries has been more or less related to the V2 ballistic missile of the Empire, but after the war, the Empire was soon abandoned.

So far, the Manman Empire has only mastered the core technology, and many related industries have to rely on the allies of the Western Continent Group.

For example, the high-thrust kerosene liquid oxygen engine comes from Xiluosha, and the solid-fuel rocket engine mainly used in small rockets and tactical ballistic missiles is known for the Rock Kingdom, and the space exploration technology relies on the Bran Kingdom, even its main space launch base, that is, the space city located in the north of the South Lonely Continent, is a colony of the Rock Country, and became the overseas province of the Rock Country after the war.

But the problem is that what the Imperial Navy needs to consider is obviously not peacetime sea domination tasks.

If anything, there is no such need in peacetime.

Looking at the whole world, unless a global war is fought, there is really no possibility of relying on reconnaissance satellites to assist the navy in naval supremacy operations.

In times of war, that's different.

Obviously, the main adversaries of the empire, such as the Republic of Nuland, have very advanced space technology and have the ability to destroy military satellite systems.

It can be seen that reconnaissance satellites are simply unreliable.

In this regard, the approach of the Western Continent Group is illustrative.

According to the Western Continent Group, to be precise, the combat plan of the Manchurian Navy. If a global war breaks out suddenly, especially if the Liang Xia Empire launches a surprise attack, then there are only a few hours left for the Liang Xia Navy, that is, the Liang Xia Navy, which poses a mortal threat to it, must destroy the Liang Xia Fleet in these few short hours. If it fails, or if the opportunity is missed, the Empire will inevitably be defeated.

The point is that in the event of a premeditated war, the Liang Xia Empire has the ability to destroy or paralyze the satellite systems of the Western Continent Group within a few hours.

It is precisely for this reason that, in addition to vigorously developing maritime surveillance satellites, the Xilu Group also attaches great importance to long-range reconnaissance aircraft and tactics that can effectively use these reconnaissance platforms.

The key is in tactical application.

In normal times, whenever the Imperial fleet leaves the military port or enters the North Sunset Ocean, which can attack the Western Continent, there will always be several spy ships of the Western Continent Group arriving and following the whole process. When approaching the western continent, there will also be long-range reconnaissance planes to join in the fun. Usually 24-hour uninterrupted tracking and surveillance, until the Imperial fleet turns to return home, or moves away from the Western Continent.

This is to keep track of the whereabouts of the Imperial fleet at any time and anywhere, and to ensure that it can attack immediately after a sudden outbreak of war.

Despite the fact that this tactic is very crude, it is very effective.

For decades, especially after the end of the Polish-Iraqi War, it was difficult, in fact, for the Imperial fleet to get close to the Western Continent without being noticed.

It's just that the Imperial Navy, apparently, will not resort to such a "barbaric" approach.

Against the Nuland Navy, this approach may not work.

The main thing is that the Guia Ocean is so vast that it is half the size of the Earth!

Besides, the Nuland Navy deployed half of its warships on the Sunset Ocean, which was not so spacious in the north, and it was 108,000 miles away from the empire mainland.

According to the estimates of the Imperial Navy, if the companion tracking tactics of the Western Continent Group are adopted, at least 300 spy ships must be equipped.

The key is that they must also have the ability to sail in the open water, at least to the level of a distant-water fishing vessel.

Obviously, this is absolutely unacceptable to the Imperial Navy, and the Grand Masters of the two houses of parliament will certainly not provide the Navy with funds for the purchase of 300 distant-water fishing vessels.

Well, the situation before the Imperial Navy was that there was a need for a reliable wartime reconnaissance platform, which also had to be at the strategic level.

There is no doubt that the "Dark Night Phoenix" fully meets the requirements of the Navy.

It is a pity that during the entire development process, especially after it was designated as a strategic reconnaissance aircraft, the Air Force made major adjustments to the specific performance indicators.

To put it simply, it is to give up many tactical mission capabilities that are critical to the Navy.

For example, the Air Force has never thought about giving the "Night Phoenix" the ability to process intelligence in real time, so it has not made any efforts in related aspects.

Of course, there are technical issues here.

Although the digital camera with the CCD element as the core has already come out and is used in reconnaissance satellites, due to the limitations of electronic technology, the digital camera is not only bulky, but also has high requirements for the conditions of use, and cannot be used in high-altitude and high-speed reconnaissance aircraft for the time being.

The most serious problem is actually the effect of shaking the camera.

In conventional cameras, it is possible to increase the exposure and shorten the shutter time, while it is difficult to shorten the shutter time with digital cameras.

According to the tests done by the Air Force, the digital camera could not be used normally on the "Dark Night Phoenix" at all.

In addition, it has a lot to do with the nature of the mission of the "Night Phoenix".

From the beginning to the end, the Air Force has regarded the "Dark Night Phoenix" as a strategic reconnaissance plane, and has never thought of allowing it to carry out tactical reconnaissance missions with particularly prominent time sensitivity.

After the official service, the "Night Phoenix" and the SR-71A actually went the same way and became spy aircraft.

Although the Imperial Air Force did not hand over the "Night Phoenix" to the Military Intelligence Bureau for management, in terms of specific use, most of the reconnaissance missions were related to military intelligence, and three of them were arranged by the Military Intelligence Bureau, and the Air Force was only responsible for sending the "Night Phoenix" out to carry out missions.

Obviously, when spy planes are used, tactical capabilities are even less needed.

The key is that for reconnaissance planes whose mission flight altitudes are more than 30,000 meters, the ability to search for and discover ships on the sea will certainly not be very good.

Affected by these factors, the Imperial Navy has always been lukewarm to the "Night Phoenix".

According to the requirements of the Navy, it must at least have the ability to process real-time intelligence and be able to send out messages immediately after discovering enemy ships.

If you can't even do this, the Navy will definitely not think about it.

It is a pity that there is a noticeable lack of enthusiasm in the Air Force for these requirements.

If I want to say anything, it also has a lot to do with the fact that high-altitude and high-speed reconnaissance planes are gradually losing their military value.

The reason is also very simple, after the advent of SR-71A and "Night Phoenix", countries are working on developing better performing air defense systems.

For example, the Air Force is improving the "Archer" air defense system. The second-generation "Sharpshooter" air defense missile, which is about to be mass-produced, has increased its altitude to 30 km, its range to 200 km, and its maximum flight speed is Mach 6. However, the Air Force is still not very satisfied, and proposes to double the three main characteristics of shooting height, range, and flight speed, and to adopt a kinetic warhead that has a better effect on destroying targets. To be precise, it should be the impact-to-destroy mode, so the missile must have extremely high terminal guidance accuracy.

Comparatively, the requirements of the Navy are even more excessive.

Although the range of the DK-9 has reached 200 kilometers, according to the Navy's plan, the latest improved version must have a range of at least 400 kilometers against targets such as fighters, and it must have the ability to intercept ballistic missiles, striving to achieve a firing altitude of 400 kilometers.

What is this concept?

The Navy wants to develop an anti-satellite missile carried by a warship!

It is said that it is to intercept ballistic missiles, but in fact it does not want to provoke the Air Force.

Do not forget that the anti-satellite missiles in service, whether deployed on the ground or mounted by fighter jets, are all under the name of the Air Force.

If the Navy also has anti-satellite capabilities, the Air Force will be the first to be threatened.

Relatively speaking, anti-satellite missiles carried by warships inherently have the advantage of global deployment, and they are unmatched in tactical flexibility.

At that time, the warships of the Imperial Navy, at least air defense warships, became mobile anti-satellite launch bases.

The Air Force's anti-satellite weapons, especially missiles mounted by fighters that can only deal with satellites in low earth orbit, will be phased out in the first place.

Missiles that can be shot down even by satellites are naturally not a problem against high-altitude and high-speed reconnaissance planes.

Although the reconnaissance planes can turn to evasion and rely on tactical maneuvers to get rid of missiles, no one can deny that such high-altitude and high-speed reconnaissance planes as the "Night Phoenix" are no longer invincible, and there is a possibility that they will be shot down, and the impact of being shot down will certainly be very great.

After the official entry into service of the "Archer" system, the Nuland Air Force began to limit the range of movement of the SR-71A.

Two years ago, the Nuland Air Force decided to retire the SR-71A one after another, precisely because the risk of being shot down in the face of modern air defense systems is very high. Because it is mainly used to carry out extremely sensitive strategic reconnaissance missions, and often operates in sensitive areas, that is, dangerous airspace, if it is really to be shot down, the loss of one reconnaissance plane is nothing, and the political and diplomatic impact caused is a disaster.

Not to mention anything else, the operation to test the empire back then almost caused the empire to send troops to attack the country of Van Luo.

Obviously, the Imperial Air Force also had to face such a problem.

It is precisely because of this that the "Night Phoenix" has been living in seclusion since it was officially put into service, and most of the time it is serving scientific research projects.

The reconnaissance mission has become a side hustle.

Almost all of the reconnaissance missions with conclusive evidence are concentrated in the southern subcontinent. Departing from the southwest of the Imperial mainland, after flying to the South Subcontinent, land at Diego Base in the middle of the Fanyan Ocean, or Air Force Base in the west of Austria, and fly again to the South Subcontinent on the way back.

The main reason for this arrangement is that the country lacks advanced air defense systems.

In addition, there are a large number of military bases controlled by the Empire around the country of Van Luo, which can provide support and assistance to the reconnaissance operations of the "Night Phoenix".

After the outbreak of the global war, the "Dark Night Phoenix" entered a normal state and began to do its job. A lot of top-secret information related to the Van Luo Kingdom comes from the "Dark Night Phoenix". This includes the deployment of troops in the Van Rowe Army. Based on this information, Ding Zhennan made the judgment that the Van Luo Kingdom would not fight in the near future, and based on this judgment, he drew up a battle plan against the Van Luo Kingdom.

In fact, it was these performances that made the Navy have a strong interest in the "Dark Night Phoenix".

Of course, the point is that a global war has already broken out, so there is no need to distinguish so clearly.

Shortly after the launch of the two Night Phoenixes, the base command sent a very brief telegram with only one sentence.

It's a code.

In addition to several headquarters, the telegram was received by the flagship of the 41st Task Force, the "Liu Changxun".

When the communications staff officer sent the telegram, Bai Huawei had just finished dinner and was discussing with Liu Zunling about the arrangements for night operations.

For the help provided by the Air Force, Bai Huawei and Liu Zun did not take it seriously, or did not attach much importance to it.

The reason for this is already mentioned, even if everything goes well, it will take four hours before the report of the two reconnaissance planes can be received, and in reality I am afraid that it will have to wait a few more hours. Even 4 hours is too long for a fleet showdown.

In addition, the Navy made arrangements.

Just before dark, because of the time difference, to be precise, at the time of their dinner, hundreds of long-range patrol planes deployed in the Khowaii Islands and the North Malaysia Islands were dispatched one after another, and dozens of fighter planes were dispatched to provide cover for the patrol planes in the main directions.

Obviously, it won't take more than 4 hours to find the Nuland fleet!

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