[Opening statement]: The content of this article is written with authoritative information combined with personal opinions, and the source of the literature and screenshots have been marked at the end of the article, please be aware.
In 1980, 64-year-old General Liu Huaqing stepped on the deck of a U.S. aircraft carrier, and when he saw the aircraft carrier like a steel-armored monster, Liu Lao's eyes flashed with tears.
At that moment, Liu Lao had only one grand vision in his heart - that is, to build his own aircraft carrier for the mainland.
However, the road from dream to reality is often bumpy. Who would have thought that the key to the realization of this grand blueprint would be an "abandoned ship" from the far north?
On March 4, 2002, when the half-finished aircraft carrier, known as the Varyag, first arrived in Chinese ports, everyone present was disappointed: the entire ship was completely hollowed out, with only a steel hull, and rusted under the corrosive waters of the sea, giving the impression that it was about to fall apart at any moment.
However, when the experts walked up to the ship to inspect it, they couldn't help but exclaim: "This ship is simply amazing", why are the mainland experts so surprised? Could it be that this empty shell aircraft carrier is still hiding some secrets?
1. The Sleeping Behemoth: The Varyag's Past and Present
At the end of the 80s of the 20th century, the Soviet Navy ambitiously launched a grand program: to create Kuznetsov-class aircraft carriers. In this huge fleet expansion plan, the Varyag was the second sister ship, carrying the ocean-going dream of the Soviet Navy. However, as fate would have it, the giant ship suffered a great change before it was completed.
In 1991, with the collapse of the Soviet Union, the fate of the Varyag fell into a fog. The aircraft carrier, which is only 68% complete of the construction schedule, is like a sleeping beast, left on the dock of the Ukrainian shipyard in Nikolaev.
The once ambitious plan for maritime supremacy is now only an unfinished hull, quietly telling the glory of the past.
Ukraine inherited the unfinished giant ship, but could not afford to continue its construction. The country is in financial difficulty, and the cost of maintaining such a behemoth, not to mention completing its construction, is high. As a result, the Ukrainian government made a difficult decision: to sell the Varyag.
This decision has brought a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to the mainland. However, opportunities always coexist with challenges. The process of buying the Varyag was not all smooth sailing, but was full of twists and turns.
2. The tortuous journey: the purchase and transportation of the Varyag
When the news broke that Ukraine was interested in selling the Varyag, the mainland immediately launched an operation. However, this seemingly simple trading process is actually fraught with difficulties. On the international stage, some countries have complained about the deal, fearing that the aircraft carrier could change the regional balance of power. The United States and other countries have even put pressure through diplomatic channels to try to prevent the deal from being reached.
In the face of numerous obstacles, the mainland has displayed superb diplomatic wisdom and firm determination. After arduous negotiations, the mainland finally succeeded in purchasing the Varyag for $20 million. This may seem like a lot of money, but for an aircraft carrier, it is unusually cheap.
When the mainland took over the Varyag, it was found that the giant ship had been "dismantled in eight pieces". All weapons systems and power equipment were dismantled, leaving only a huge empty shell.
But even so, this "empty shell" is still of great significance to the mainland. It provides the mainland with an excellent opportunity to study modern aircraft carrier designs up close. More importantly, its very existence is an incentive for the mainland's aircraft carrier dream to have a real starting point.
However, the process of transporting the Varyag back to the country can be called a thrilling sea drama. In 1999, the behemoth, towed by a tugboat, began its long journey home. The original plan was to start from the Black Sea and pass through the Bosphorus, the Aegean Sea and the Suez Canal before finally arriving in China. But reality is often more tortuous than planned.
The first is the Bosphorus. This important waterway, which connects the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, became the first hurdle on the Varyag's way home. The Turkish government refused to allow the giant ship to pass through the strait, citing security reasons.
The negotiations lasted a full year and a half, and were fraught with diplomatic maneuvering and trade-offs. Eventually, thanks to the efforts of all parties, the Varyag was finally allowed to pass through the strait.
After passing through the Bosphorus, an even tougher test awaited the Varyag. In the Aegean Sea, the giant ship was attacked by strong winds and waves. Huge winds and waves almost pushed the Varyag to the shore, almost causing a grounding accident. This thrilling moment made all the personnel involved in this operation fearful.
To make matters worse, the originally planned route of the Suez Canal was also abandoned. The Canal Authority, citing security reasons, refused to allow the Varyag to pass. This meant that the giant ship had to choose a longer and more dangerous route: a detour to the African continent.
This long journey at sea tests the patience and determination of each participant. From the Black Sea to China, the giant ship has been on the road for almost three years and has experienced countless risks and challenges.
Finally, in 2002, the Varyag arrived at the port of Dalian. This moment not only marks the end of an arduous journey, but also heralds the beginning of a new chapter in the mainland's aircraft carrier career.
3. Amazing to the world: the mystery of the steel of the Varyag
When the Varyag finally arrived at the port of Dalian, its exterior was already scarred and rusty. Years of drifting at sea and the erosion of bad weather have made this once majestic giant ship look quite embarrassed. However, when experts from the mainland boarded the aircraft carrier and got up close and personal with it, they discovered a shocking fact.
Despite its shabby appearance, the quality of the Varyag's steel is surprisingly good. Years of seawater erosion have not caused substantial damage, and even in some parts, the steel remains as bright as new. This discovery amazed every expert present.
You must know that the steel of the aircraft carrier can be very knowledgeable, and even the thickness and type requirements of different parts of the steel are different.
The first is the upper part of the aircraft carrier: the upper part will be severely tested by the marine environment, and the lapping of the waves and the fluctuation of water pressure have a great impact on the upper layer, which requires the use of submarine pressure plates with a thickness between 23mm and 28mm to ensure the stability and safety of the structure.
The second is the steel requirements for the underwater part of the aircraft carrier: the steel part of the underwater part must not only have excellent corrosion resistance to resist corrosion after being immersed in seawater for a long time, but also must be able to withstand attacks from torpedoes and missiles. As a result, the thickness of the steel plate needs to reach 150mm-230mm to ensure the integrity and safety of the aircraft carrier in extreme situations.
At the same time, the thickness of the steel at various levels inside the aircraft carrier varies.
The hangar deck is about 38mm thick and is able to withstand the enormous pressure and impact of carrier-based aircraft when taking off and landing. The other decks are relatively thin, ranging from 4-18mm thick, mainly to reduce the overall weight while ensuring connections and support between the various levels.
The thickest steel is used to protect the armor plates of the aircraft carrier, with a thickness of 330mm, which is the most technical part of the aircraft carrier. The flight deck not only needs to withstand the huge impact force of carrier-based aircraft during take-off and landing, but also needs to be resistant to high and low temperatures to cope with various extreme weather and combat environments.
And when an expert involved in the inspection on the mainland recalled: "When we opened the hatch and saw the steel inside, we couldn't believe our eyes. It's a miracle that after so many years of erosion, it can still stay in this state! "
This ultra-high-quality steel exhibits amazing resistance to corrosion and, more importantly, has zero magnetic properties. Both of these features are extremely critical for aircraft carrier construction. The corrosion resistance can greatly extend the service life of the aircraft carrier, while the zero magnetic ability can effectively reduce the risk of the aircraft carrier being detected by the enemy.
The mystery of the Varyag's steel not only shows the outstanding achievements of the Soviet Union in the research and development of special steel, but also points out the direction for the mainland's aircraft carrier construction. It made experts on the mainland realize that high-quality specialty steel is an indispensable key factor in building a truly world-class aircraft carrier.
This discovery has stimulated the fighting spirit of mainland scientific researchers. They realized that in order to realize the dream of aircraft carriers, they must first overcome the key technology of special steel. As a result, a battle to develop high-quality special steel was launched.
Fourth, independent innovation: a breakthrough in China's special steel
Faced with the amazing quality of the Varyag steel, the scientists on the mainland were not afraid to back down, on the contrary, they saw it as a challenge and an opportunity. Anshan Iron and Steel Group, a leader in the mainland steel industry, took the initiative to undertake the important task of research and development of special steel.
The engineers of the Anshan Iron and Steel Group are well aware that it will not be easy to catch up with and surpass the decades of technological accumulation of the Soviet Union in a short period of time. But they firmly believe that through independent innovation, they will be able to break through this technical bottleneck.
The R&D process is fraught with hardships and setbacks. Engineers work around the clock, constantly experimenting and improving. They studied the composition of the Varyag steel, analyzed its microstructure, and explored various possible smelting processes.
One of the engineers involved in R&D recalled: "During that time, we almost made the lab our home. Every day we are trying new formulations and processes, and sometimes a small improvement can get us excited. We know that the mainland's aircraft carrier business is pinned on these seemingly ordinary steels. "
After several years of hard work, Anshan Iron and Steel Group has finally made a breakthrough. They succeeded in developing a special steel with properties no less than those of the Varyag. The new steel not only had excellent corrosion resistance and zero magnetism, but in some respects even surpassed the original Soviet steel.
The significance of this breakthrough goes far beyond the technical level. It marks that the mainland has achieved independent innovation in the key technology of aircraft carrier construction, and has laid a solid material foundation for future aircraft carrier construction. More importantly, it has greatly enhanced the confidence of scientific researchers on the mainland and proved that we are fully capable of catching up with and surpassing the world's advanced level.
5. Rebirth from the ashes: from the Varyag to the Liaoning
With the breakthrough in special steel technology, the transformation of the Varyag is in full swing. It's a rebirth. From a rusty abandoned aircraft carrier to a modern aircraft carrier with a new look, every detail embodies the wisdom and sweat of mainland engineers.
The challenges of retrofitting are enormous. First of all, the original design drawings of the Varyag were incomplete, and many of the key technical details needed to be reworked by engineers through reverse engineering. Secondly, as an unfinished aircraft carrier, the Varyag lacks many key systems, which need to be independently developed and installed by the mainland.
Like archaeologists, the engineers carefully studied every detail of the Varyag, trying to understand the thinking of the Soviet designers. They had to understand not only the existing design, but also innovate and improve on it, allowing the aircraft carrier to meet the needs of modern naval warfare.
The installation of the power system is one of the most challenging tasks in the retrofit process. The original power equipment has been dismantled, and Continental's engineers need to design and install a new power system. This requires not only great technical sophistication, but also ensuring that the new system will be perfectly matched with the rest of the carrier.
The renovation of the deck system was also a huge undertaking. From the take-off and landing system to the configuration of carrier-based aircraft, every link needs to be carefully designed and repeatedly tested. Engineers need to consider every possible scenario to ensure that the aircraft carrier can safely and efficiently take off and land aircraft in all sea conditions.
After several years of hard work, this former "scrap iron" has finally been given a new lease of life. On September 25, 2012, the Varyag, which has undergone a comprehensive transformation, was officially named "Liaoning", becoming the first aircraft carrier in the mainland. When the Liaoning slowly sailed out of the dock and showed it in front of the world, the pride at that moment brought tears to the eyes of every Chinese.
The commissioning of the Liaoning marks that the mainland has officially entered the ranks of aircraft carrier powers. It is not only a warship, but also a concentrated embodiment of the mainland's scientific and technological strength and industrial level. From purchase to transformation to service, every step of the Liaoning ship embodies the hard work and wisdom of countless people.
epilogue
In June this year, the mainland's third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, and the mainland's first catapult-type aircraft carrier designed and built entirely independently, was successfully launched, officially opening the mainland's "three aircraft carriers" era.
With the commissioning of the Shandong and the launch of the Fujian, the mainland's aircraft carrier family has continued to grow. The starting point of all this can be traced back to the Varyag, which was abandoned at the Ukrainian shipyard.
The legendary journey of the Varyag, from the abandoned iron hull to the mighty Liaoning, is not only the rebirth of an aircraft carrier, but also an important milestone in the mainland's aircraft carrier career. It has witnessed the great progress of the mainland's shipbuilding industry, and also heralded the ambition of the mainland's navy to move towards the deep blue. What do you think differently about this?
Resources:
[1] Guo Xuan. Varyag "builder talks about "Liaoning" aircraft carrier[J].Modern Ships,2012(12):10-14.
[1] Liu Gang, Chen Guoquan. Yanhuang Chunqiu,2021(01):23-26.
[1] Sharo. From "Varyag" to "Liaoning"[J].Little Snowflake(Primary School Student Growth Guide),2013(Z1):20.)
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