Chapter 931 Beyond Visual Range Attack
"Beyond visual range strike? What does this mean?"
"That is to launch missiles before the U.S. fleet discovers our aircraft, and then use airborne radar to guide the missiles to find the U.S. fleet for attack."
After hearing Hirschman's personal explanation, General Kiyoshi Hasegawa and Lieutenant General Hiroshi Oshima suddenly began to breathe quickly.
This suicide missile produced by Rolls-Royce is the decisive weapon that Japan wants!
The attack range beyond the enemy's "visual range" can put one's own attack fleet in absolute safety. The maximum horizontal flight speed of 800 kilometers exceeds that of all known American fighter jets (let alone Japan), which will make this suicide missile difficult to intercept. Moreover, the missile can reach a level flight speed of 800 kilometers. Once a dive attack is launched, the speed is likely to exceed 1,000 kilometers per hour, making it difficult for even the anti-aircraft guns of surface ships to shoot it down.
"And our engineers also designed a locking attack device. Once the pilot starts to dive at the enemy ship, he can use this device to lock the control stick." Hersman continued, "Even if the pilot of the missile is killed, the missile can still Complete the final stage of flight along the original dive angle to ensure the exchange ratio of one bomb to one aircraft to the greatest extent!”
The idea proposed by Hirschman is actually very consistent with Japan's national conditions. Germany can do similar things, and so can the United Kingdom (the reason why Henschel cooperates with Rolls-Royce is because Rolls-Royce has participated in the British Dreadnought missile project and has accumulated technology in this area) , America’s technology is a bit inferior, but it’s not impossible to do it. After all, suicide missiles do not require a high-quality jet engine or rocket engine, as long as they can be used.
Moreover, the United States also obtained most of the British radar technology before the British surrendered to Germany. It has long been able to produce multi-cavity high-energy magnetrons, so it is also equipped with sea search radars with a theoretical detection range of more than 300 kilometers.
Therefore, the United States can theoretically build a suicide missile similar to the Rolls-Royce "Silver Death". But the problem is that the missile pilot can't be found...
Countries such as the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom, because they are Christian countries, have always been relatively resistant to the issue of suicide. At least the government cannot openly encourage suicide for the country.
Therefore, even if the United States, the United Kingdom and other countries produce "artificial intelligence missiles", they cannot find a few "artificial intelligence" and it is impossible to form combat effectiveness.
Japan has a "suicide culture" in its history. It is an honor to commit suicide for the emperor, so it can find a certain amount of "artificial intelligence" to make suicide missiles "intelligent".
However, Hessmann is unwilling to follow the historical "kamikaze" path - isn't Japan known as "craftsman spirit" and strive for excellence? Why are we so careless about suicide attacks? It is sheer fantasy to use a large number of crudely manufactured aircraft, man-made missiles, man-made torpedoes and motorboats to carry out a fatal mission with no return, and to try to win the war by relying on numerical superiority.
If numbers can win, what kind of kamikaze does Japan have? Wouldn't it be enough to just use conventional tactics? Since they know that the numbers are absolutely overwhelming, they should give full play to their "craftsmanship" and pursue the ultimate in suicide attacks.
"Your Excellency, Imperial Marshal," Kiyoshi Otani was obviously impressed by this limited edition Rolls-Royce "Silver Death." "How much is your country prepared to charge for such a missile?"
"A missile sells for 300,000 Euromarks." Hersman gave a frightening price. You must know that the cost of Germany's most advanced Me262 jet fighter is only 150,000 European marks, which is equivalent to 255,000 yen (the exchange rate between Japanese yen and European marks is 1.7 to 1).
In other words, the price of a "Silver Death" is equivalent to 510,000 yen, which is more expensive than two Zero fighter jets (the cost of the Zero is about 210,000 yen).
"No problem." Kiyoshi Hasegawa agreed without hesitation without bargaining with Hersman.
Because he only planned to buy four pieces and then transport them back to Japan to "make copies". It was only a 2 million yen business, so of course he didn't care about the price.
"You must buy 200!" Hersman immediately broke Kiyoshi Hasegawa's wishful thinking. "The total payment of 60 million European marks must be paid in gold or in kind, and cannot be paid on credit... because these missiles are all British Rolls-Royces. Produced by Si company.”
This "Silver Death" is a limited edition, with 225 planned to be produced, of which 20 (18 of which are two-seat training bombs with landing gear) are used for testing and display. Because it uses a jet engine with a lifespan of 100 hours, the "Silver Death" training bomb is a very good missile for testing the TV remote control system. Therefore, 18 were sold to Henschel and Volkswagen, and 6 One piece is used for testing of the "Silver Death" project, and one piece is used for display.
The remaining 200 "Silver Reapers" will be sold to Japan, of which 20 are training bombs, which are actually a small two-seat jet aircraft, and 180 are ordinary bombs used for attack.
The empty weight of a "Silver Death" is as high as 1.8 tons. After adding fuel and an "artificial intelligence system" (usually one for a Japanese elite pilot), the total weight can reach more than 2.8 tons (the specific "above" depends on the weight of the Japanese pilot. According to Rolls-Royce's recommendations: Pilot The weight cannot exceed 100 kilograms), and the service ceiling is 12,000 meters.
In addition, in order to improve the battlefield survivability of the missile, two 20mm cannons can be selected - optional items including leather seats, DSC tape recorders and 20mm cannons will cost extra. The color of the missile shell can also be selected, and it also costs extra.
"60 million European marks... This is more than 100 million yen!"
Hasegawa Kiyoshi and Oshima Hiroshi both looked distressed when they heard Hessman's request.
"What's 100 million yen?" Hessman glanced at the two and said, "After fighting for so long, does anyone still care about money? What is really valuable now is not money, but the lives of excellent pilots! If you want the 'Silver Death' to really exert its power, you must also select some pilots who can fly dive bombers to Germany for training. Because the elimination rate of training is more than 50%, it is recommended to send 400 people to participate in the training... Each person has to pay an additional 150,000 European marks for training."
This is another 60 million European marks!
But this money is not collected without reason. Because the "Silver Reaper" is actually a jet aircraft with a speed of up to 800 kilometers per hour! It is very difficult to fly this aircraft for a dive attack, and strict training is required.
According to the plan formulated by the German Naval Aviation, Japanese pilots participating in the training must first practice with the Me262A-1b (bomber type) worth 150,000 European marks. At least 100 hours of flying (scrapping 2 engines) and burning a lot of expensive aviation kerosene. Then they are qualified to use the "Silver Reaper" training bomb.
The only aircraft that can drop the 2.8-ton "Silver Reaper" missile is now the modified Me264 heavy bomber. The fuel consumption of this large aircraft is even more amazing!
It can be said that 60 million European marks to train 400 "Silver Reaper" pilots (elimination rate of more than 50%) is absolutely a loss for the German Naval Aviation.
And the cost of 120 million European marks plus the lives of 180 veteran pilots is a worthwhile investment for Japan.
Because a 2.8-ton "Silver Reaper" missile has a charge of more than 500 kilograms, it can break through the defense of any American fighter at a maximum speed of 800 kilometers per hour, and can also dive and hit American aircraft carriers or battleships at a speed of 900 kilometers or even more than 1,000 kilometers per hour.
Such weapons, even if they cannot replace one ship with one missile, can at least paralyze a large aircraft carrier or battleship-level large surface ship with one missile!
Even if 180 "Silver Reapers" have only a 50% hit rate (if the strictly trained artificial intelligence is really not afraid of death, a 100% hit rate is possible), it can also paralyze 90 large aircraft carriers or battleships!
According to Hessman's idea, the Japanese can completely use Me264 with "Silver Reaper" to raid the nest of the US Pacific Fleet.
"84 Me264s with 84 'Silver Reapers' are heading straight for San Diego," Hersman said. "Even if the hit rate is only half, at least 42 large American surface ships can be destroyed! Is it worth spending 100 million marks?"
...
"120 million European marks..." Isoroku Yamamoto gasped in the meeting room of the Japanese Navy Ministry. "The Germans are really asking for too much... But we can't refuse. We must give this 120 million European marks, even if we have to sell everything we have!"
He has received a detailed report personally brought back to Japan by Kiyoshi Otani, including dozens of color photos of sample missiles, including multiple color photos of the Rolls-Royce W1B jet engine - this 500 kg thrust jet engine is a good thing that the Japanese have always wanted, but their purchase requests have been rejected many times. Now they can get 200 units at once. These engines alone are worth 120 million European marks.
Moreover, the Germans are willing to help train up to 220 jet pilots (eliminated Silver Death pilots can still fly jets).
With the Rolls-Royce W1B jet engine and 220 elite jet fighter pilots, Japan may be able to establish its own jet force in a very short time - in fact, Japan has long noticed the German Me262, and has also joined hands with the New Roman Empire to start the development of jet aircraft, but because it has been unable to obtain the samples provided by Germany (the Silver Death is actually a jet aircraft), the research and development work has been very slow...