Chapter 1370 Secretly assassinating Chen Cang

On the gravel beach at the southern foot of the Daqing Mountain in central Inner Mongolia Province, eleven camouflaged five-axle heavy-duty transport trucks are speeding through the dust.

In the command vehicle in the center of the convoy, Liang Yangang pressed his forehead against the bulletproof glass and watched the smoke dragon rising from the rear end of the convoy through the rearview mirror.

It was a specially modified trace-processing vehicle with a water tank and a high-power sweeping device installed at the rear, which could to a certain extent cover up the tracks left by heavy vehicles in the desert.

"The meteorological department just sent an early warning."

Chief of Staff Ji Yunpeng, who was in charge of liaison in the back work cabin, turned his head, and the blue light from the screen illuminated his angular jaw:

"According to the current speed of the convoy, we will enter a severe sandstorm area in about half an hour, which may affect the positioning and navigation signals. Do we need to adjust the route or..."

Liang Yangang did not answer directly, but looked at Xing Muchun on the other side of the car with an inquiring look.

Although he is the brigade commander, due to the particularity of this mission, the final command of the entire team is in the hands of the other party.

The latter glanced at the latest vehicle-mounted command system next to him, which was displaying a countdown number accurate to the second:

There are 47 minutes and 23 seconds left until the next optical reconnaissance satellite passes overhead.

"No, quite the opposite."

Xing Muchun made a quick decision:

"We drive in so that we don't have to think about the satellite threat even before the sun sets."

This is already the third day since the entire convoy set out from the Dingxin base, and there are less than 10 hours left until the optimal launch window given by superiors.

Thanks to the sub-wavelength metal resonant unit camouflage net covering the roof, their movement plan can be relatively aggressive without having to stop frequently to avoid infrared or radar reconnaissance satellites.

However, during clear days and even some moonlit nights, the most traditional visible light reconnaissance is still a big hassle, forcing them to stop and go frequently.

Such a sandstorm was more of a pleasant surprise than an accident.

After finishing speaking, he turned to Liang Yangang and asked in a half-joking and half-provoking tone:

"Captain Liang, even if the navigation signal weakens, your people should be able to determine the correct route, right?"

As a commander, Liang Yangang naturally could not accept such doubts:

"What a joke... In our missile unit, this is a basic skill, not to mention me..."

He originally wanted to say, let alone someone like him who has served the Dongfeng 3 for half his life, the command system of the old model did not have all the fancy things like today, and it relied almost entirely on the commander's brain and eyes.

But when the words came to my lips, I felt that they were too sad and miserable, so I changed my words to:

"What's more, I've always been in the top two in the base assessment. Besides, this isn't the first time I've come to this launch site. The routes I took during the previous test launches of the DF-16 were similar, but this time it's farther..."

Then, before the other party could speak again:

"But Mr. Xing, will the coating on the surface of the 'Xuan Niao' be affected?"

As a tactical missile, the DF-16 uses a relatively simple thermal launch method, so it does not have a launch tube like the DF-21 or DF-31. It only has a polymer protective cover that can be opened and closed as a whole to protect it from scratches or minor collisions by foreign objects. It is not designed to be strictly airtight.

"What a joke... Even if you don't believe me, you have to believe Academician Chang, right?"

Xing Muchun's reaction was exactly the same as Liang Yangang's half a minute ago:

"The new coating can withstand temperatures of several thousand degrees, and the relatively harsh working environment of tactical missiles has been taken into consideration since its design. Not to mention sandstorms, even rain and fire won't be a big problem..."

The latter was just trying to change the subject, so he didn't dwell on it too much and instead asked another question that he was really interested in:

"Come to think of it, the frequency of American satellites flying overhead has suddenly decreased since we set out this time...Did the higher-ups take some new measures?"

When they tested the DF-16 before, they needed to carry out covert operations approximately every hour during the day.

But this time, the frequency of receiving satellite overpass warnings dropped to almost a quarter of the original rate.

"Well... there is another unit in the south providing cover for us, so the Americans have transferred most of their space-based reconnaissance resources there."

Xing Muchun's answer was somewhat ambiguous, and he did not point out the most crucial part:

"There are only a few satellites in sun-synchronous orbits that periodically pass overhead, and their gaze direction is not towards us. If it were not for the sake of absolute safety, the concealment frequency in the past two days would have been even lower."

Liang Yangang showed a somewhat suspicious look. After all, it was hard to imagine anything that would attract more attention than a possible hypersonic weapon test launch.

However, he also knew that as a brigade commander, there were still many details that he did not know...

……

The next morning, 0130 hours.

The convoy left the sandstorm area in the cover of night and quickly drove into the designated hidden launch position.

Since the range of Xuanniao is almost twice that of DF-16, this site has never been used in the past and is considered an inconspicuous surveillance blind spot.

After the command vehicle came to a complete stop, Liang Yangang quickly marked six sets of location information on the electronic map, and then turned on the inter-vehicle communicator:

"Vehicles 03 to 08 are ready to disperse and head to the coordinates assigned by the command system. Prepare to activate the electromagnetic prism system. Launcher vehicle 02 is in position and awaiting further instructions. Vehicles 09 and 10 are on standby..."

As his voice was transmitted to the ears of each crew member through the radio, a team of more than a hundred people quickly began to get busy as they had done countless times in previous training.

Liang Yangang then jumped off the command vehicle and stomped hard on the yellow ground beneath his feet:

In the early years, even tactical missiles with maneuverability had to be launched from preset positions that had been specially calibrated horizontally and had hardened bases.

The DF-16 launch vehicle has its own balance positioning capability and calibration system, and is the first model that can completely get rid of its dependence on the position.

Therefore, although this place is still called a launching position, it is actually just an ordinary piece of relatively flat and hard ground.

"Boss Xing, do you need to contact Academician Chang?"

Liang Yangang came to Xing Muchun who was checking data in front of the computer. The dry and slightly cool air made his nasal cavity itchy, and he couldn't help sneezing.

"unnecessary."

The latter's eyes didn't even leave the keyboard:

"Satellite communications will be kept silent during the preparation process. After launch, a dedicated missile-borne communication system will transmit sensor data back to Dingxin."

Liang Yangang opened his mouth, but in the end, no sound came out.

During the previous training, Xing Muchun mentioned how to use plasma flow to weaken the black barrier effect, allowing the Xuanniao to maintain radar guidance and satellite communications at a speed of Mach 10.

But he really didn't understand.

As the two were talking, on the distant horizon, several huge machines that looked like radar vehicles were slowly unfolding their folding stands.

The mobile system lacks the reflective net, so it's slightly less effective than the fixed version in the Mass Effect Range.

But as the last line of defense to ensure foolproofness, it is enough.

"Report, antenna number one has been deployed."

"Antenna No. 2 has been deployed!"

"..."

Six different voices came one after another, and Liang Yangang seemed to have heard the rustling sound caused by the strong wind passing through the umbrella-shaped antenna of the electromagnetic prism system.

"Activate the electromagnetic prism system!"

He took a deep breath and gave an order in a deep voice into the radio communicator.

The oscillation and transition of electrons are silent, but they weave an invisible net above the launch site, isolating any possible SAR radar signals.

"Enter the launch preparation procedure!"

The thick protective net slowly faded away from the top of launch vehicle No. 02, and the bullet-shaped protective cover then bounced to the side, exposing the unique black ceramic-based composite material skin of the "Xuanniao".

If you look closely, you can find that the leading edge surface of the waverider-like configuration is not completely flat. It is a honeycomb heat dissipation structure used to resist the accumulation of thermal stress. It can automatically adjust the shape curvature within a certain range according to the aerodynamic heating level, avoiding problems like the X51A due to excessive rigid deformation.

"Laser gyro power-up complete!"

"Missiles erected!"

The preparation process for solid-fuel tactical missiles was very simple, and the first test did not require them to make complex trajectory planning, so everything was completed in a few breaths.

Under the creamy moonlight, the twisted tandem waverider warhead gradually rose from the pit on the back of the launch vehicle, ready to go like a snake spitting out its tongue.

A few minutes later, Xing Muchun finally looked up from beside the launch vehicle and pointed at the screen showing a field of green dots:

"everything is normal!"

Liang Yangang raised his head and took a last look at the "Xuanniao" that had been with him for several months.

Soon, it will truly fly to the sky that belongs to it.

"All irrelevant personnel, retreat to a safe distance!"

When the missile entered the final stage before launch, the world suddenly fell into an eerie silence.

The hydraulic legs of the WS2600 chassis were deeply embedded in the loess. Liang Yangang could clearly hear his own heartbeat resonating with the electronic countdown sound:

"5, 4, 3..."

When the launch countdown reached zero, as the high-temperature gas gushed out of the nozzle, the roar resounded in the ears of everyone present.

The solid rocket engine almost baked the sand within a few meters into a glassy state, pushing the huge projectile to slowly rise under the gazes of hundreds of people. The dazzling tail flame drew a beautiful arc, leaving a faint white smoke in the air.

Like a rope that opens the curtain of a new era.

Liang Yangang took off his military cap and let the cold wind from the Gobi Desert brush past his slightly graying temples:

"I'm afraid... Americans will suffer from insomnia."

In his opinion, even if it was unclear what the Chinese side had launched, the traces of the hits on the shooting range could not be hidden.

Xing Muchun showed a noncommittal expression:

"They will suffer from insomnia more often in the future, so it's better to adapt now..."