New China officially launched the 591 Project, a development plan for developing a new generation of aircraft carriers.

At the end of 1956, under the chairmanship of Comrade Zhou Enlai, premier of the State Council, the "Dragon 59-class" aircraft carrier mission plan was issued to all central ministries and commissions at a planning meeting attended by the top leaders of various ministries and commissions.

The First Machinery Department, which is in charge of China's heavy industry, has received the task of producing high-strength and pressure-resistant special steel plates for nuclear submarines and special steel for the deck of "Julong 59" aircraft carriers, as well as overcoming the barrage of "Julong 59" aircraft carriers.

The Second Aircraft Department, which is in charge of China's nuclear industry, has been tasked with designing and manufacturing nuclear reactors for nuclear submarines and aircraft carriers.

The Third Aircraft Department, which is responsible for China's aviation industry, has received research and manufacturing tasks including carrier-based J-10, J-7 Flying Leopard, medium-sized early warning aircraft, anti-submarine helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles.

The No. 4 Machinery Department, which is in charge of China's electronics industry, has received the task of developing and developing the "Dragon 59" aircraft carrier's active phased array radar, electronic warfare infrared chaff system, radar warning and jamming system, torpedo defense system, electromagnetic catapult system, command naval tactical command system, command air force combat command system, and satellite communication system.

The Fifth Aircraft Department, which is responsible for the development and manufacture of China's conventional weapons, has been entrusted with the task of designing and manufacturing an HQ artillery integrated air defense system with a range of more than 2,500 meters and a missile range of 8,000 meters, an AK-1030 naval artillery phalanx weapon system with a range of more than 2,500 meters and a firing rate of 3,000 rounds per minute, and a 10-pack rocket deep bomb launcher with a range of more than 12,000 meters.

The Sixth Engine Department in charge of shipbuilding received the task of designing, manufacturing, and installing and debugging various equipment for the hull of the 591 Project "Dragon 59" aircraft carrier.

At the meeting, the heads of various ministries and commissions said one after another: For the sake of China's national security and for the early realization of China's transformation from a land power to a maritime power, Ren Ke will live 20 years less and desperately want to win "nuclear boats and nuclear ships."

After more than two years of intense preparations, on January 10, 1959, one month before the start of the Sino-Soviet War, Project 591, China's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier "MZD", laid the keel of the "Dragon 59-class" aircraft carrier on the newly expanded slipway of the Shanghai Shipyard, and officially started construction.

More than 3,000 employees of the Shanghai shipyard participated in the construction of the "Julong 59" aircraft carrier, including more than 1,000 workers and technicians who participated in the construction of the aircraft carrier during World War II. With full political enthusiasm and the spirit of excellence, they devoted themselves to the construction of the "Dragon 59" aircraft carrier, and they shouted out the fanatical passion of the people of this era with great heroism: "With the spirit of revolution and hard work, let the 'dragon' take off in advance", "Revolution plus hard work, hard work revolution, revolution is not desperate, what is the use of life!" slogan.

After one year and 10 months, the Shanghai shipyard has been working day and night with "revolution and hard work". The construction of the main structure of the huge hull of the "Dragon 59" aircraft carrier and the installation of the power system of the aircraft carrier were completed two months ahead of schedule. The hull was freshly painted, and the bridge was treated with anti-rust.

Next, they adopted the advanced ship construction technology of ship outfitting that gradually began in the world shipbuilding industry after the 70s, and launched the hull of the "Dragon 59 class" aircraft carrier from the slipway to pour out the slipway for the construction of the second "Dragon 59 class" aircraft carrier "Rise".

China's first "Dragon 59-class" aircraft carrier will be pre-installed in sections and in the general section at the outfitting dock of Shanghai Shipyard, which will enable the installation work to be carried out in parallel and dispersed operations on the ground, so that the work that requires high-altitude work can be done on the flat ground, the field operation in the field and the infield, and the vertical operation in the vertical position, which reduces the mixed operation of multiple types of work in the dock and the ship. Pre-outfitting improves working conditions, reduces labor intensity, improves work efficiency, and greatly reduces the construction cycle.

This method is the modular shipbuilding method that everyone often talks about in later generations, and this advanced method greatly improves the efficiency of installation operations, and the Shanghai shipyard installs these "modules" in predetermined positions as if they were computers for the main engine propulsion systems such as stabilizer fins, tail propellers, rudders, etc., as if they were equipped with computers, and carry out the installation of shipboard equipment.

Later, due to the rapid progress of this modular installation technology, the effect was good. It has been widely transplanted to other manufacturing industries. It greatly simplifies the difficulty of operation and assembly, and greatly promotes the improvement of labor productivity in China's manufacturing industry.

China's first "Julong 59-class" aircraft carrier, after more than a year of outfitting, all kinds of new equipment, new equipment were installed in place piece by piece, and then various equipment was debugged and tested on the ship.

2 years of careful preparation, more than 3 years of enthusiasm and rigorous scientific attitude and unremitting efforts. With the strong support of hundreds of millions of people from all walks of life across the country, and through the all-out efforts of nearly 150,000 workers and engineering and technical personnel who participated in the entire 591 Project, on November 25, 1961, China's first nuclear-powered "Dragon 59-class" aircraft carrier "MZD" set out for the docks of the Shanghai Shipyard on the day when the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in the United States, the Enterprise, was officially put into service. Comprehensive maritime testing of all major systems, including various carrier-based aircraft take-off and landing and combat systems, surface and air tracking radars, and communications and navigation systems.

In sea trials, the electromagnetic catapult, which people are most concerned about, has fully reached take-off speed: 28-103 meters per second; Ratio of maximum traction force to average traction force: 1.07, maximum ejection energy: 122 megajoules, minimum take-off cycle time: 41 seconds, weight: 223 tons, volume: 430 cubic meters, supplementary energy requirements: 6165 kW design indicators.

In order to overcome the problem of electromagnetic catapult, the Fourth Machinery Department organized a number of teams with the participation of national special power technology experts and experienced workers to tackle key problems on the guide rails of forced energy storage devices, linear induction motors and electromagnetic catapults. Blue Sky Computer Technology Research Institute and China Blue Sky University of Science and Technology undertook the design and production of high-power power control equipment - central microcomputer industrial control device.

The electromagnetic catapult has huge power, and its magnetic field strength is also very terrible, and the complex electromagnetic equipment on modern airborne aircraft is very sensitive to it and is easily interfered with, so it is necessary to strengthen the electromagnetic shielding work of the electromagnetic catapult system. Since the magnet of the catapult is slotted, there will be strong electromagnetic leakage as the steam leakage of the steam catapult. For this purpose, the Institute of Electromagnetic Technology of the Fourth Aircraft Department has designed and manufactured a complex electromagnetic enclosure strip that reduces the magnetic field strength to the level of a normal environment at an altitude of more than 150 mm from the flight deck. And for the related electromagnetic interference and compatibility problems, they conducted a special adaptation test at the electromagnetic catapult test site established in Xinbei, Shenyang.

Sea trials have proved that the electromagnetic catapult system adopts the method of installing a linear induction motor under the flight deck of the aircraft carrier to catapult the carrier-based aircraft, and its greatest advantage is that the sortie of the carrier-based aircraft will be greatly increased, and the number of sorties of the aircraft will be up to 160 on a regular basis, and up to 270 sorties at the peak, which is much higher than the 120 sorties that the United States used in the steam catapult system in later generations and 220 sorties at the peak.

It is not easy for an aircraft carrier to fly into the sky, and it is also very difficult to return to the ship. The impulse of the aircraft when it lands is great, and the taxiing speed can still reach 100-200 kilometers per hour. At such a fast speed, it would definitely not work with a short flight deck.

In order to solve this problem, a barrage must be set on the aircraft carrier. Through this device, the energy of the aircraft when it lands on the ship is absorbed and consumed as soon as possible, so as to shorten the taxiing distance of the landing aircraft and ensure the safe landing of the aircraft on the ship's mother.

On the "Dragon 59 class" aircraft carrier perpendicular to the centerline of the beveled deck, starting from 60 meters at the tail end of the beveled deck, the height from the deck is about 500 mm. A thick steel cable is set up every 14 meters forward, and a total of 4 are arranged. This is commonly referred to as the bar rope. The two ends of each barrage are connected to the hydraulic damping buffers below deck by means of pulleys. The barrage can shorten the glide distance of a carrier-based aircraft weighing 2 to 30 tons to about 40 meters when landing at a speed of 160 kilometers per hour.

Before landing, the landing gear and flaps are lowered in the air, and at the same time, the tail hook unique to the carrier-based aircraft is lowered to prepare for landing. When the aircraft is about to land on the ship and rushes at a very high speed, the landing hook on the tail of the carrier-based aircraft can hook any of the four barrage cables. After the carrier-based aircraft hooked the barricade, it continued to slide forward with huge kinetic energy. The steel cable transmits the kinetic energy of the aircraft to the hydraulic actuator, and under the action of the hydraulic actuator, the hydraulic oil enters the accumulator through the damping control valve, so that the air in the accumulator is compressed to produce damping force. The longer the barrage cable is pulled, the greater the pressure in the accumulator, and the damping force generated will continue to increase, so that the speed of the carrier-based aircraft will be rapidly reduced, and it can completely stagnate after only rushing forward 70-90 meters.

When the action of blocking the aircraft is completed, the high-voltage energy stored in the accumulator can be released again, so that the blocking cable and actuator can be returned to their original position. After the actual test at sea, the domestically produced barrage cable fully meets the design requirements.

China's first "Julong 59" aircraft carrier, after six days and nights in the East China Sea, traveled 2,800 nautical miles, completed the first round of sea trials, and all indicators basically met the design requirements, and further improvement and debugging were carried out for individual failure to meet the standards.

On November 19, 1962, China's first "Dragon 59-class" aircraft carrier completed the second and final round of sea trials. Delivered to the South China Sea Fleet of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy. Rear Admiral Wang Wei, an air combat hero ace pilot, was appointed as the captain of China's first nuclear-powered Dragon 59-class "MZD" aircraft carrier.

Wang Wei, a pilot from later generations, knew very well that the more than 3,000 relevant personnel on board the ship had undergone corresponding professional training for more than three years, but there was still a long way to go before the aircraft carrier was accepted and a certain combat effectiveness was truly formed.

China's first nuclear-powered Dragon 59-class "MZD" aircraft carrier was delivered to the People's Navy, making it an important component of the Chinese People's Navy's surface warship sequence, which will lead the Chinese "MZD" aircraft carrier fleet to gallop on the vast seas of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans, and he not only added a big killer weapon to the arsenal of the Chinese People's Navy, filling the gap that there are no aircraft carriers in the Chinese People's Navy warship sequence. Moreover, China has mastered the various technologies for building nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, and has a full understanding and practice process for building aircraft carriers, laying a solid foundation for building the Chinese People's Navy into a powerful blue navy with global surnames, and also making China the second country after the United States that can build nuclear-powered aircraft carriers.

To end China's long-term maritime defense, the Chinese People's Navy has shifted from 'coastal defense' to protecting China's overseas assets and protecting China's interests around the world. Forge the Chinese Navy into an important force for safeguarding China's core interests. To turn China's yellow-water navy into a blue-water navy, the majestic aircraft carrier MZD is a symbol of this transformation.

China's first nuclear-powered Dragon 59-class "MZD" aircraft carrier has entered service, which is a major event that the Chinese people have been looking forward to for a long time and is most concerned about, and it is the common wish of everyone who cares about the builders of the Chinese navy. As soon as the news came out, the Chinese people were extremely excited.

The delivery of China's nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to the Chinese People's Navy touched the world's nerves and immediately became the focus of global attention. China's first nuclear-powered Dragon 59-class "MZD" aircraft carrier joined the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy sequence, which immediately caused an uproar in world public opinion and quickly spread throughout the world through major world media. This was followed by various discussions about China's nuclear-powered aircraft carriers.

A report in the Chicago Newspaper in the United States is very representative of the sentiment of Americans: "China's construction of a super nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in such a short period of time shows that this rising Chinese dragon is no longer satisfied with bathing in this small pond in the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea and the South China Sea, and his next target will be the vast Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean, and they will gradually extend their sharp dragon claws to the South Atlantic." The super-nuclear-powered aircraft carrier built by China has touched the nerves of the United States and European countries. This is a very dangerous signal, and perhaps in the near future this Chinese dragon will show its hideous face, and it will pose a great threat to the security of the United States and Europe."

The British Times also seems to express the bitterness and helplessness of the declining aristocracy of Britain: "China, a newly rising socialist empire, is replacing the vacuum left by Western countries, and they are quietly expanding around the world, building a new super aircraft carrier and handing it over to the very strong army of the Chinese People's Liberation Army." Although this move is understandable, it still makes us feel all kinds of uneasiness, and it should arouse the high vigilance of Western countries, hoping that it will become an important force for maintaining world peace, rather than a tool for expansion."

The French newspaper Le Monde also expressed deep fear and unease about a rising China, quoting Napoleon, "'China is a sleeping lion, and when he wakes up, the whole world trembles.'" It's sleeping, thank God, let it sleep. But sadly, MZD and his comrades have awakened the sleeping lion, which is showing its sharp teeth to the world. Even though we don't want to see China's unusually powerful nuclear-powered aircraft carrier appear in the waters of the Atlantic, there is no force that can stop it from traveling around the world everywhere it wants to go, and no force can stop China's lion from conquering the world. ”

The Soviet Union's TASS news agency made a special report on the news of China's nuclear-powered aircraft carrier joining the combat sequence of the Chinese People's Liberation Army: "The completion of China's nuclear-powered aircraft carrier has shown the world the incomparably powerful and superior surname of the socialist system. As a force to be reckoned with in the socialist camp, New China has made up for the strategic gap that the entire socialist camp does not have aircraft carriers; with the extension of the interests of the Chinese state and the entire socialist camp and the vigorous development of the proletarian revolutionary cause of liberating all mankind, the demand for the overseas interests of the socialist camp is increasing, and new requirements have been put forward for China and the entire socialist country's maritime escort capability and ocean and deep-sea combat capability. China's nuclear-powered aircraft carriers will undoubtedly meet this need of the entire socialist camp. In addition, China, as a rising socialist power, also needs to show the image of socialist New China in this way. In these senses, China needs this nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, which is invincible to the world, and the entire socialist camp needs this extremely powerful aircraft carrier

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Li Dawei held a news conference at the State Information Center on the "China threat theory" hyped up by the media of the United States and some Western countries on the delivery of China's first nuclear-powered Dragon 59-class "MZD" aircraft carrier to the Chinese People's Navy.

"On November 19, 1962, after the USS Enterprise nuclear-powered aircraft carrier was commissioned for one year, China's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the USS MZD, completed sea trials. The delivery of the South China Sea Fleet of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy is an internal affair of China, and no one else should have made irresponsible remarks about it. However, after the appearance of China's aircraft carriers, a very strange phenomenon has indeed emerged in the United States and some Western countries, saying that China's aircraft carriers have posed a huge threat to the security of the United States and Europe, and that the 'China threat theory' has been extremely propagated. And there is a lot of uproar, and the trend is getting more and more intense. I don't understand why no one in the United States says that the United States poses a huge threat to the security of China and socialist countries when it builds nuclear-powered aircraft carriers? Isn't there anyone who puts forward the 'American threat theory'?

(To be continued)