Chapter 1317: An Order One Year Late

Hainan Province, Yalong Bay.

Captain Han Xiangjie, captain of the No. 17 crew team, was in a simulated submarine training room, instructing several young officers in submarine operation training.

"Push your sailing depth a little lower, and pay attention to the distance between the upper surface of the hull and the water surface. The new submarine is larger than the previous ones. You must quickly forget the experience accumulated from the training model..."

He pressed the pause button on the training device and called up the 3D rendered panoramic simulation interface.

Sure enough, the top of the submarine hull was almost flush with the water surface. If the weather was clear and a plane or a satellite happened to fly over it, it would be very likely that the huge monster with a displacement of nearly 10,000 tons hidden underneath would be seen, thus exposing the submarine base hidden in the semi-natural cave.

For reasons of confidentiality, large-scale channel dredging is not possible here. Fortunately, natural conditions allow two types of relatively small nuclear submarines of the Chinese Navy to enter covertly by submerging.

However, if you miss the new and full moon tides around the first or fifteenth day of the lunar month, the boat operator will need to exercise some subjective initiative.

"But the safety issue..."

A captain sitting behind the console hesitated:

"The water depth during low tide is too shallow, and the underwater environment is complex. Although there is a depth-detecting sonar, it is placed under the bow... I am always worried that the stern or propeller will touch the raised seabed..."

Those who can be selected into this nuclear submarine force cannot be rookies who have just graduated from military academy.

However, even for these elites selected from the best of ordinary troops, it is still difficult for them to adapt to such a harsh navigation environment in a short period of time.

"This is indeed a problem... That's why our superiors developed this equipment to 100% restore the hydrological environment of the base's port channel,"

As Han Xiangjie spoke, he pressed the reset button and reset the submarine in the training system to its initial position, which was directly below an oil tanker:

"Try again. Don't be afraid of making mistakes during the simulation. The key is to find the limits of yourself and the submarine... As long as they are not low-level or repetitive mistakes, I will not record them in your assessment list."

After hearing this, the student's mentality was obviously relaxed a lot. He turned his attention back to the operating panel in front of him and began to recall what had been covered in the previous theory class.

As the most experienced submarine commander in the entire base, Han Xiangjie's submarine handling skills are basically at the standard answer level. It was his skills that made his superiors finally decide to use this place as a new submarine base.

Even the entire simulation system's backend database and scoring system were designed based on his operation records...

At this moment, the light at the door of the training room suddenly turned from green to red, and then the voice of the base commander Wang Kang rang out from the loudspeaker:

"Comrade Han Xiangjie, please go to Pier 3 immediately. There is an emergency! Repeat, go to Pier 3 immediately!"

Generally speaking, Han Xiangjie doesn't like being interrupted during training.

But this time, the situation really made him feel a little confused——

It is hard not to make some bad associations when you tell a strategic nuclear submarine commander that there is an emergency.

But on the other hand, since the superior contacted me through the communication system instead of the combat alert, it seemed that the situation was not particularly critical...

He had no choice but to signal the students to practice on their own, while he put on a wide-brimmed hat and left the training facility.

……

Ten minutes later, Han Xiangjie drove along a tunnel and arrived at the submarine cave.

This is a huge cave with an internal height of more than 20 meters. With the help of the searchlight and a little sunlight shining in from the distant cave entrance, you can see a patch of green moss covering the top of the cave, and below is calm sea water.

Along the coastline that goes hundreds of meters deep into the cave, there is a dock perpendicular to the embankment and inserted into the deep water area at regular intervals. A dozen submarines of different sizes are moored beside different docks.

In a way, it's a small hidden port.

Even though Han Xiangjie has been working in this base for more than three years, he is still amazed by the wonders of nature every time he walks in.

Without waiting for the jeep to stop, he opened the door and jumped out, then walked quickly towards the longest dock a little further away.

A submarine with a huge turtle back was docked there steadily, almost filling up the entire space between the two piers, resulting in only the other side of the adjacent Pier 2 being usable.

It is the Long March 9.

This is the largest nuclear submarine ever manufactured by China.

Two boarding ladders extended from the edge of the deck to the dock floor. Figures in twos and threes were walking back and forth on the flat turtle back, seemingly measuring something.

Warships are of course state property, but due to the historical customs of the maritime industry, it is difficult for Han Xiangjie not to have a sense of control over the submarine he commands.

And now, without the knowledge of him, the captain, a group of people actually ran up there and did whatever they wanted, which made him instantly have a strange sense of crisis.

Thinking of this, Han Xiangjie couldn't help but quicken his pace.

Wang Kang, who had just called him over, and another person had been waiting next to the Long March 9.

When he got closer, Han Xiangjie actually found that this was a familiar face.

"Old Fan?"

He almost blurted it out.

Fan Chaohui, expert in marine engineering and naval equipment.

More than 20 years ago, when Han Xiangjie was still studying in military school, he and the other person shared a bunk bed.

It's just that Fan Chaohui later showed extraordinary talent in studying, so he chose the professional technical route.

The two later collaborated several times, but the last time they met was eleven years ago.

Faced with the aggressive US fleet, China's only strategic nuclear submarine, Long March 6, was ready to fight to break through the island chain. Han Xiangjie, the navigator, also wrote a suicide note in advance.

As a technical expert, Fan Chaohui took the initiative to apply for submarine participation in the combat.

However, neither the Long March 6 nor the JL-1 missile it carries have actual deterrent capabilities, so they ultimately had to give up.

It has also become a regret for the entire strategic nuclear submarine force.

Now seeing Fan Chaohui again at the submarine base, Han Xiangjie's equipment has been upgraded a lot, which inevitably makes him feel a little emotional.

"They told me before that the best submarine captain in the army would be involved in this operation, and I guessed it would be you."

Fan Chaohui took the initiative to take two steps forward and hugged Han Xiangjie.

After all, it's not a formal occasion, so there's no need to be so polite.

"It seems that I don't need to introduce myself..."

Wang Kang came forward with his hands behind his back and interrupted the conversation between the two:

"There will be time to reminisce with you later. I will briefly explain the situation first, but..."

He paused in the middle of giving the order, which was unusual:

"However, this mission is too special, so adjustments may be made in the future, and no written documents have been issued yet."

Fan Zhaohui and Han Xiangjie looked at each other and saluted at the same time:

"Please advise!"

Wang Kang waved his hand, signaling the two to stand still.

Then, he told them a task that they were totally unexpected about:

"The superiors asked the Long March 9 submarine to join the fleet with the Navy's Jincheng destroyer as the flagship, advance beyond the first island chain, and arrive at the designated waters in the central Pacific before midnight on April 4, and cooperate with the surface ship forces to monitor the entire process of the US military's hypersonic aircraft experiment!"

The moment he heard the order, Han Xiangjie felt a surge of blood, as if someone had struck a loud bell next to his ear, and his head was filled with a buzzing sound.

He could hardly believe that he actually received the order he had been waiting for eleven years.

"Go beyond the first island chain... us?"

Wang Kang had long known the obsession in his subordinate's heart, but he had never revealed it. Seeing this, he could not help but ask:

"Why, don't you have this confidence?"

Although the method of provoking someone is old-fashioned, it works.

Although Han Xiangjie had a million questions in his mind at this time, such as why a nuclear submarine should be used to perform air surveillance missions, and what equipment should be taken when the JL-2 was not yet in service, etc.

But he just stood at attention again:

"Of course I have confidence!"

Wang Kang showed a satisfied smile:

"As I said just now, the circumstances of this mission are special, so your boat needs to be modified before setting sail... Comrade Fan Zhaohui will introduce the specific modification plan to you."

"Yes!"

"Guaranteed to complete the mission!"