Chapter 1694 When disaster strikes, we all fly away

McIntosh's sudden fainting instantly caused a commotion in the test workshop.

The originally solemn and tense atmosphere was broken, and exclamations replaced the lingering sound of the engine.

The few people closest to the scene instinctively rushed over, but there was not much that non-professionals could do at this time.

Some people subconsciously wanted to call an ambulance, but when they reached out and found nothing, they realized that it was strictly forbidden to bring mobile phones during the warm-up test, and they were once again flustered and frustrated.

It was a while before someone remembered to use the internal phone to contact the medical team inside the factory.

Fortunately, the testing process of the BX-01 was nearing completion, and Mankoff was in charge of the actual on-site command, so no bigger chaos was caused.

After about half a minute, the roar of the engine echoing in the workshop gradually subsided.

An engineer stood up and reported: "The test is complete, the engine has stopped working..."

Before he could finish his words, Mankoff strode down the command platform and came to the side of McIntosh, who was still lying unconscious.

"Scatter! Keep the room ventilated!" He shouted to disperse the crowd gathered around him, then leaned over and pressed on McIntosh's carotid artery with trembling hands.

Fortunately, a faint but continuous pulse was felt under the fingertips.

not dead.

Mankoff's tense nerves suddenly relaxed, and he seemed to have lost all his bones, and he slumped to the ground.

Although only two minutes had passed since McIntosh fell to the ground, his back was already soaked with cold sweat.

For Mankoff, the failure of the BX-01 test was a bolt from the blue, and the fall of McIntosh was like adding insult to injury.

Lorraine Martin, the current head of the JSF project, is about to be promoted to vice president of the Rotor and Mission Systems Division. McIntosh, as the most popular successor, fainted in public at this moment. Even if he can save his life, it will be difficult for him to get further appointment.

This will inevitably trigger a new round of power struggle within Lockheed Martin.

Combined with the nearly stagnant production speed of the F35, it can even be said that the entire JSF project is facing an uncertain prospect of life and death.

The shadow of failure mixed with the fear of the future weighs heavily on everyone's heart.

A few minutes later, the factory medical team rushed over wearing striking white uniforms and carrying a stretcher.

At this time, McIntosh seemed to have regained some consciousness and twitched his arm unconsciously on the stretcher.

The medical staff quickly secured him and carried him out of the workshop filled with the atmosphere of failure under the complex gazes of the crowd.

The engines had long since stopped roaring, and the only sounds in the vast space were the hum of cooling equipment and people's heavy breathing.

It wasn't until the taillights of the medical vehicle disappeared outside the door that Mankoff forced himself to regain some composure from the huge blow.

He stood up on his knees, his eyes sweeping across the devastated scene, finally stopping on Elginbridge leaning against a cold load-bearing pillar.

The latter was now lowering his head with a frown, as if immersed in some unsolvable problem.

Mankoff walked over and said in a hoarse voice: "Just now...what did that man say to McIntosh?"

His attention had been focused on the test and he hadn't noticed who the visitor was, so he had to ask Elginbridge, who had been with McIntosh.

But Elginbridge seemed not to hear and remained in that posture.

"Mr. Elginbridge?" Mankoff said, raising his voice. "What did the man who brought the news say?"

Elginbridge finally reacted and raised his head sharply.

He took a deep breath and recalled: "The Chinese... may have created a sixth-generation fighter."

"Huh?" Mankoff suspected he was hallucinating and leaned forward involuntarily. "Sixth generation? Chinese?"

"That's what the intelligence community speculated," Elginbridge nodded. "According to the description, it looks like... a shuttle... In short, it's unlike anything we know of."

His mind was also in a mess at the moment, and he was unable to fully repeat what he had just heard.

"But..." Mankoff muttered, the color draining from his face and his eyes unfocused. "How is this possible? This... is impossible..."

The huge cognitive shock made it difficult for him to accept it for a while.

The failure of the F-35B is still fresh in our minds, how could the opponent have already leapfrogged an entire generation?

Compared to Mankoff's gaffe, Elginbridge seemed more rational, or rather, he accepted a certain reality earlier:

"They tested the world's first hypersonic aircraft, the 'Zouyu,' capable of autonomous takeoff and landing, late last year. Now they're coming up with a sixth-generation fighter jet... It doesn't seem particularly surprising."

"But..." Mankoff still subconsciously refuted, "We haven't yet given a definition of the sixth-generation fighter! Standard..."

"Are you mistaken?" Elginbridge almost laughed. "The product comes first, then the definition, not the other way around."

Mankoff opened his mouth, speechless.

"Times have changed, Odom." Elginbridge chuckled briefly and ironically. "This time, the Chinese probably have the final say... If they say it's a sixth-generation fighter, then it's a sixth-generation fighter... Power holds the final say."

These words were like a bucket of cold water, completely waking Mankoff up.

When your competitors come up with products that are far beyond your reach, the standards for generations will naturally be written by them.

A huge feeling of powerlessness instantly gripped him.

He opened his mouth, but all that came out was a long, frustrated sigh.

The two of them were speechless for a moment, with only the faint hum of equipment cooling in the workshop and the faint sound of alarms in the distance.

Silence stretched between the two for several minutes. Mankoff finally calmed his turbulent emotions and tried to grasp a practical problem:

"So...what are you going to do next?"

Elginbridge did not answer directly, but turned his head and looked at the BX-01 on the test bench again, his eyes complicated and difficult to understand.

After a moment, he asked, "Odom, regarding the F-35B and the entire JSF program...what do you think of the current situation?"

Mankoff glanced around cautiously, confirming that no one else could hear their conversation. Then he lowered his voice and answered frankly, somewhat self-deprecatingly:

"If China doesn't relent and lift the blockade on key components... then I don't see any chance of recovery in the short term." He paused, his voice lowering. "Besides, even if the lift fan is solved, what about the F-35A and C? Those materials..."

Elginbridge nodded, his face showing no surprise. "Actually, it's more than just JSF, Odom."

He stretched out his hand and began to list them one by one:

"Work on the Flight II batch of DDG-1000 destroyers, which had just had their steel plates cut, has been halted because they lack the condensate control modules provided by China."

"The Airbus A320neo is waiting to be equipped with China's AE1500 engine, but because of the mutual recognition of airworthiness agreement between CAAC and EASA, the entire project has been delayed."

"And the Trent NGx engine, which is being prepared for the A350 and the next generation of Boeing 787, has been stuck in stalemate for over six months..."

"..."

He spread his hands and made a "complete stagnation" gesture: "The world's aviation industry, and even the entire manufacturing industry, has been tied to the chain built by the Chinese."

Chang Haonan's disruption ten years ago almost reshaped the global aviation industry.

After losing several key collaborators and suppliers, the development of PW1000 and LEAP did not go smoothly.

And their performance is actually far from that of the AE1500.

Mankoff's brow furrowed. "What on earth do you want to say, Thomas?"

Elginbridge raised his hand to adjust his tie:

"What I want to say is that Airbus, Rolls-Royce, and countless other companies and workers who rely on this industry chain are suffering unimaginable losses every minute because of that damn 'melting pot' list."

"If Washington cannot find a solution soon to end this absurd and self-destructive confrontation..."

He paused, his eyes suddenly becoming sharp:

"Then, in order to survive, Rolls-Royce, and the forces it represents... must find a way to save itself. We cannot just sit there and wait for death."

Mankoff's heart sank.

The other party's intention is obvious - Rolls-Royce, including the UK and the entire European Union behind it, under tremendous economic pressure and survival crisis, may choose to bypass Washington and even stand on China's side to seek a way out.

This is a naked signal of betrayal and a helpless choice forced by reality.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something.

But I don’t know whether to warn or dissuade.

Or are they also sighing out of sympathy?

In the end, all the words turned into a long and heavy sigh.

Elginbridge didn't seem to want a response from Mankoff.

After all, both of them are too far away from the decision-making level in Washington and can't do anything.

He swiftly took off his outer blue overalls, folded them twice, and stuffed them into Mankoff's somewhat stiff hands: "Give Chauncey... my regards."

After saying that, he no longer looked at Mankoff, nor at the failed F-35B, nor at the production line that was like a steel graveyard.

Instead, he turned and walked straight towards the factory gate.

From his back, he seemed to be determined to break free from the shackles.