Chapter 172: The Spear of Ultra-Seven

We shall set aside the issue of aerial refueling technology for now; that requires further coordination with the military. However, Yang Hui naturally had his own methods to accelerate the military's development of aerial refueling equipment, or even to import such systems from abroad.

"That point is well taken. The issue is a lack of funds, or perhaps the fact that aerial refueling technology does not currently hold a high enough priority. Let us move on to the design of the Super-7 itself."

Relying on aerial refueling was never a perfect solution. Every bit of range gained through self-reliance was a step forward; self-sufficiency is built by such incremental gains.

When the conversation turned to the new Super-7, Chief Designer Yu naturally took the lead: "Our Super-7 and the Super JJ-7 will not differ significantly. We will utilize the same equipment for the radar, avionics, and engines. Using these for the new maritime strike aircraft will be perfectly fine."

What Chief Designer Yu said was true; these systems were indeed intended to be interchangeable. Yang Hui had planned for this from the very beginning; it would have been strange had they not been compatible.

The military had no objections to what Chief Designer Yu proposed. The only remaining issue was the new aircraft's payload capacity. During the aerodynamic design phase of the Super JJ-7, the landing gear had remained unmodified to minimize risk and accelerate development. After all, it was merely a trainer, and its payload requirements were minimal.

Carrying a few training missiles was sufficient; there was little need for external fuel tanks or heavy-duty hardpoints on a trainer. At most, one could simply clear the centerline hardpoint.

This necessitated modifications to the landing gear placement for the new Super-7 multirole fighter—that much was certain.

"That is definitely not a problem, but the current landing gear arrangement on the Super JJ-7 is too wasteful. Precious heavy-duty hardpoint locations are occupied by the gear, which is absolutely unacceptable. The landing gear must be redesigned as a fuselage-mounted system to free up those two heavy-duty hardpoints on the left and right," the military representative stated firmly.

Freeing up heavy-duty hardpoints was not a difficult task; it was merely a structural modification, well within the base's capabilities. The real concern would have been if they were asked to develop some cutting-edge avionics or engines.

As a model distinct from the J-7, the Super-7 certainly required changes. Chief Designer Yu understood this well: "No problem. We can achieve that on the Super-7. We have the capability to modify the landing gear. Are there any other requirements?"

As for other areas, there did not seem to be any major issues requiring extensive modifications for the new aircraft. Any subsequent adjustments could be dealt with later.

"Very well. Since you can manage that, we have no further questions for the time being. We will discuss this project immediately and reach a decision. This meeting has been quite productive."

***

It had been somewhat productive, but it was far from enough. Yang Hui still had issues that needed to be resolved—matters concerning the Super-7's air-to-air combat capabilities that simply could not be overlooked.

"We have reached a consensus on the airframe, but we still need to discuss the missiles for the Super-7. It would be a waste not to fully utilize the medium-range interception capabilities of the Blue Fox radar."

In an era when both the military and the defense industry were tightening their belts, waste was the ultimate crime—it was intolerable and had to be dealt with severely.

The officials had been preparing to leave and return to the capital to report, but upon hearing there were more issues, they had no choice but to patiently listen.

"Oh, medium-range missiles? That is indeed a problem. We currently lack a suitable medium-range missile. This truly needs to be studied carefully. Waste is indeed a crime."

Changing the subject, the official asked, "As the developers of the new aircraft—and since you were the ones who brought in the radar—do you have any suggestions?"

The challenge of medium-range missiles was significant, primarily due to the missile's seeker head.

This was the key to whether a missile could actually hit its target. Without a reliable seeker, everything else was just talk. No matter how powerful the radar, how large the payload, or how long the range, if the seeker failed, how could one hope to hit the enemy?

There were too many such historical cases, most notably the American "missile-is-king" theory during the Vietnam War. One might recall how US missiles frequently missed enemy aircraft, and once the missiles were expended, the pilots found themselves without the guns they had long since discarded.

Most of these failures were due to seeker issues—either unreliable components or the missile chasing the sun. They had suffered greatly because of their seekers.

Yang Hui was now considering how to proceed. He had no confidence in a purely indigenous development, not because the Republic couldn't do it, but because of the time constraints. It was better to produce results as early as possible. Importing a Western medium-range missile was a viable option; if they didn't import it now, they might never get the chance after 1989.

The people opposite him were military men, so there was no need for roundabout talk. Yang Hui spoke directly: "I personally believe that if we have the opportunity, we should import a reliable medium-range missile. We lack the experience for indigenous development, and doing so would likely take too long."

***

The lack of experience in developing medium-range missiles was a well-known fact and an undeniable issue. They nodded, acknowledging that Yang Hui was correct, and gestured for him to continue.

"Therefore, I suggest we try our best to import a medium-range interceptor. To complement the Blue Fox radar, the British Skyflash missile would naturally be the best choice. However, the likelihood of importing it is quite low. The Skyflash is currently a highly formidable medium-range interceptor; it would be best if we consider alternatives."

When the Skyflash was developed, its performance was extraordinary, earning it the title of the most capable medium-range missile in the Western world—and arguably the world at large. Even the US and Soviet missiles lagged behind it.

The missile's power wasn't just marginal; it represented a generation gap. Although it was based on the American AIM-7E-2 airframe, its seeker was a world-first: the first monopulse semi-active radar seeker to enter service. This seeker was a product of Marconi, an "old friend" of the Republic.

Furthermore, the Skyflash was the first third-generation medium-range interceptor with look-down/shoot-down capability. Until the mass production of the AIM-7 in 1985, it was undisputed as the world's best.

Could the Republic import such a missile for domestic production in 1985? Even Yang Hui didn't believe it. The British were far from foolish. This left another target: Italy's Aspide missile, which also originated from the American AIM-7E-2.

The Aspide's seeker was in no way inferior to the Skyflash's. Most importantly, the Italian program was short on funds. Although it had begun test firings in 1974, by 1984, it had still not been finalized and was still in the design phase; it wouldn't reach full production until 1988.

A lack of funds made things easier. Although the Republic was also short on capital, if they were willing to invest in a medium-range missile program, it would certainly be easier to acquire the Aspide than the Skyflash.

"So, I have two targets. The first is the Skyflash; if we can get it, that would be ideal. If it cannot be imported, then Italy's Aspide is a highly viable alternative."

Yang Hui laid out the two missiles he had in mind. How to proceed would depend on the choices made by the military and the national leadership. As a technician, he had done everything within his power to provide the best possible path forward.