On September 25, 2012, a majestic aircraft carrier was officially launched on the port of Dalian, China. After 24 years of waiting, this aircraft carrier, which has experienced many twists and turns, is finally officially commissioned.
This veteran of the "new generation" has attracted wide attention at home and abroad, because it has a special identity - the first aircraft carrier of the People's Republic of China "Liaoning".
The fate of the "Liaoning" is the same as that of China's aircraft carrier. As early as 1928, Chen Shaokuan, who was still a Kuomintang officer, proposed the idea of building an aircraft carrier, but it was not put into practice.
In the decades that followed, in addition to him, many people had dreams of aircraft carriers, but unfortunately, these dreams were not realized without exception. Many are skeptical about this, believing that our country neither needs aircraft carriers nor can achieve their construction.
However, in the face of doubts and dilemmas, there are still people who firmly believe that China can have aircraft carriers, and Xiao Jinguang is one of them.
In March 1987, when he heard the news that China was not preparing to build an aircraft carrier, he was rarely angry. Why does he care so much about aircraft carriers? And why do you immediately call **to***
What has happened to China's aircraft carrier business? He was the eternal commander of the Navy. In January 1980, due to military reform, Xiao Jinguang was dismissed from the post of commander of the Navy, leaving the post he loved and worked hard for 30 years.
Recalling that when he received the notice of appointment in 1950, he was still a little confused. He's been fighting in the Army, doesn't know anything about the sea, and he's still a landlubber, is he's really up to the job?
For a moment, a heavy responsibility weighed on his shoulders. However, no one could have imagined that decades later, the sea would become his second "hometown", an ideal place for him to dream of.
After retirement, Xiao Jinguang still pays attention to the naval career and maritime border defense, and every corner of the motherland related to the navy has left his footprints. Stopping by the seashore and looking at the ships and ** built by our country, he will always recall that scene thirty years ago.
At that time, by the harbor in Weihai, Shandong, the sea breeze blew with the breath of the ocean, Xiao Jinguang stood on the small fishing boat, his face was flushed, and the words of the fishermen's fellow villagers echoed in his mind: "The commander of the navy still borrowed a boat from us?" ”
As commander of the Navy, he led Soviet advisers on an expedition to Weihai, but, unfortunately, he did not have any available military ships in his hands. In desperation, he had no choice but to turn to nearby fishermen for help.
This incident left a deep regret on him, and he would bring it up from time to time in the decades that followed, whether he talked to friends, colleagues, relatives, or journalists.
He is convinced that China must be able to independently produce naval equipment and establish its own scientific research system. Only in this way can the Chinese Navy become truly strong. The ability to arm itself is the key to the strength of the Chinese Navy.
In 1840, Britain forcibly opened the door of the Qing Dynasty with its powerful military force, and these advanced equipment broke the dream of the Qing Dynasty people.
Only then did the Qing realize that the times had undergone profound changes, however, before they could take action, the war had swept across the land of China. Xiao Jinguang, a Chinese born in 1903, has personally experienced and participated in China's journey from suffering to rebirth.
From the struggle for hegemony among the great powers in the late Qing Dynasty, the smoke of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, and then to the bloody storm of the ten-year civil war, he witnessed the ruthless harvesting of life by modern munitions. Since joining the army, he has deeply understood the cruelty of war and the urgency of developing modern defense equipment.
Today, when the world is increasingly becoming a global village, the sea has become an important military resource and even the main battlefield of modern warfare. ** Personally handing over the burden of the first naval commander to his shoulders, Xiao Jinguang felt both pressure and fighting spirit.
Governing the army first governs the school," this is his conclusion after in-depth study.
In order to promote the development of the Chinese Navy, high-quality soldiers and R&D talents with specialized knowledge are indispensable. To this end, he divided in detail the technical arms related to the navy, and established professional military academies such as the Naval Aviation School, the Naval Torpedo Boat School, and the Naval Artillery School, which served as an incubation base to provide talents for China's naval cause.
Although these basic issues have been resolved, we still need to consider the long-term development of the Navy. On January 18, 1955, our army and the Kuomintang army fought a fierce battle on Yijiangshan Island.
On that day, the sun was shining, and the mainland's navy, land, and air forces looked majestic and powerful. The battle lasted from day to night, and the darkness of the night overshadowed the devastation of the battlefield. However, the PLA's first joint operation of land, sea and air was a great success, and calm was restored to the magnificent sea.
This battle shows that the People's Liberation Army has entered a three-dimensional modern war system, in which aircraft carriers are undoubtedly a model of modern naval equipment. Commander Xiao Jinguang has worked his post for 30 years, and has arranged the training and equipment work of my country's navy in an orderly manner, so that the soldiers can face the advanced navy from rushing to skillful.
In 1988, the victory of the Nansha Naval Battle demonstrated the independent combat capability of the Chinese Navy and shouldered the heavy responsibility of defending the country and guarding the border. However, aircraft carriers have always been his primary concern in his later years, and he has not forgotten until his death, and he has always cherished the heart of the country.
On February 20, 2002, in the distant South China Sea, a huge shadow appeared on the horizon, slowly moving inland.
As it got closer, we realized that it was an aircraft carrier, covered in rust, as if it were the mark of time, and the merciless sea water had eroded its once majestic state.
The aircraft carrier, called Varyag, was once abandoned by the Soviet Union, which was immersed in icy waters for eleven years until 1999, when it was bought by our country and once again found its belonging.
After experiencing the covert obstruction of the United States and the deliberate manipulation of Turkey, our country spent a lot of money, waited for years, and even paid the sacrifice of a Greek sailor, before finally changing its face and officially entering service with our naval forces in 2012.
The road to the rebirth of the Varyag is full of hardships, and like the construction of aircraft carriers in our country, it is a long journey full of challenges. In 1987, when the news reported that China did not plan to build an aircraft carrier, Xiao Jinguang couldn't sit still, and immediately called *** to *** and asked angrily: "Who said this!" ”
** After Xiao Jinguang retired, he took over the position of commander of the Navy, and Xiao Jinguang was very satisfied with this. He was impressed by his talent and conduct, but what he valued most was firmness"Aircraft carrier faction"position, like him, advocates that China must have aircraft carriers.
Therefore, when he saw the news report that *** seemed to have changed his position, he was very angry, fearing that this could lead to the stagnation of the aircraft carrier cause of the new China. However, through the meeting with *** at home, they clarified the misunderstanding, and Xiao Jinguang's heart was also relaxed.
The old and new generations of naval commanders sat down face-to-face and delved into the current situation at the meeting of the Military Commission on February 27, where the development of the Navy was ranked at the bottom of all units. ** When he was talking, he was slightly emotional, saying that he originally planned to go to the General Staff to report on the idea of developing the aircraft carrier industry, but the relevant leaders stated before him that he would not build an aircraft carrier, which made him very anxious.
Confirming that ***'s attitude was still resolute, Xiao Jinguang breathed a sigh of relief. The two began to discuss the feasibility and necessity of an aircraft carrier project.
The two old friends, who were in their late teens, had a very happy conversation and were full of ardent expectations and infinite longing for the future of the national navy. In their hearts, the love and passion for the naval career in their youth still burns.
**After leaving, Xiao Jinguang fell into deep contemplation, and he understood that the person in front of him was the closest to the dream of aircraft carrier construction. In 1970, he was appointed head of the aircraft carrier project, and from then on, aircraft carriers became the only subject of his life.
** The understanding of aircraft carriers is deeply rooted in the bone marrow, and he devotes himself to the aircraft carrier project with all his might, collecting and integrating data like snowflakes, studying without sleep and food, and constantly revising the plan.
However, the project was halted before the initial preparations had been carried out for a year, which made him feel a huge loss. Xiao Jinguang, who also pays attention to this project, also feels the same way.
In the hearts of both of them, they are determined to restart this plan. On May 24, 1980, ** finally stepped on the hull of an aircraft carrier. Despite the fact that it was not a Chinese, but an American aircraft carrier "Kitty Hawk", this did not diminish his love for aircraft carriers.
During the visit, he was full of curiosity and excitement, and his heart strengthened his belief that "China must have its own aircraft carrier". Summary: ** The love for aircraft carriers is deep in the bone marrow, and he has gone all out to devote himself to the aircraft carrier project, although the project has been stopped, but he and Xiao Jinguang have strengthened their determination to restart this plan.
His heart was filled with the desire to have his own aircraft carrier.
Although they stopped the research and development project, they did not stop their enthusiasm for the cause of aircraft carriers. Xiao Jinguang sent a letter in 1985, deeply analyzing the importance of building aircraft carriers, and often mentioned these things.
They have communicated with their predecessors and started the aircraft carrier demonstration research program, which has laid a solid foundation for the aircraft carrier cause. It was not until the Varyag became attached to our country that the aircraft carrier went from a dream to a future that could be touched.
In August 1987, all ** fans received a new issue of the magazine "Contemporary Navy", one of which sparked heated discussions, and the magazine received a large number of letters from readers.
In those days when information was slower, the article caused such a stir that it was enough to justify its importance. And the author of this article is Xiao Jinguang.
The conversation with *** made him excited, and there must have been many people in the country who had heard the wrong news on television that the country was not preparing to build an aircraft carrier, as he had heard, and he felt the need to correct and emphasize something.
So, Xiao Jinguang, who is 84 years old, picked up the pen and solemnly wrote this article "Building a Modern and Strong Navy". In the article, he analyzed in detail the direction of the construction of the naval forces and the necessity of developing modern military equipment and building China's aircraft carriers.
At an advanced age, despite his diverse talents, his pen power is still strong, his analysis is thorough, his emotions are sincere, and his logic is rigorous, which has touched the majority of readers. Not only military fans, but also the whole country, from the elderly to children, have begun to pay attention to and understand aircraft carriers.
More people, including children, have the same aircraft carrier dream as Xiao Jinguang and ***, looking forward to seeing the mighty guard of China's aircraft carriers at sea. The construction of the aircraft carrier became a popular idea, and the children even sent their pocket money to the magazine to express their support.
Seeing the attention of the next generation of the motherland to military development, Xiao Jinguang and others were very grateful. ** There have likewise always been plans to build aircraft carriers.
On April 23, 1949, an important meeting was held in a small two-story building in Baimamiao Township, Jiangsu. At that time, China was under heavy artillery fire, but the representative of the ** Military Commission calmly ordered the East China Military Region to form a navy.
In this way, in the midst of the war, the Chinese People's Navy was officially born. From the moment the navy was founded, it was regarded as an important functional branch of the armed forces, whose task was not only to fight against the Kuomintang and protect the coastal waters, but also to build a navy capable of defending the coast and resisting imperialist aggression as much as possible.
** In his inscription for the navy, great expectations were placed on this, he said: "It is necessary to build a navy capable of defending the coast and defending it as much as possible against imperialist aggression." ”
** It was also openly stated: "I am not reconciled to see the aircraft carrier." Therefore, the Chinese People's Navy has continued to grow and develop in the midst of hardships and hardships, and has become an important force in defending the maritime rights and interests of the motherland.
Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, China's social environment, economic development and technological improvement have enabled us to take on this challenge. However, as a responsible decision-maker, we need to wait for a more appropriate time to realize this project.
So, despite the fact that we are confronted with applications from all sides, we can only give an objective response: "Now is not the time. "But, like everyone else, we're looking forward to that day when the time is right.
In 1999, we seized the opportunity to decisively take over the Varyag and, at all costs, transported it back to our homeland. This is not only a dilapidated semi-finished aircraft carrier, but also the starting point and breeding place of China's aircraft carrier dream.
Time flies, countless generations are looking forward to it, China has its first aircraft carrier in 2012, and has so far commissioned two self-developed aircraft carriers, a total of three aircraft carriers, jointly guarding the territory of the motherland.
Although Xiao Jinguang and ***, who have paid countless efforts for the cause of aircraft carriers, have been sleeping in the long river of history, their expectations have always been engraved in our hearts.
Before Xiao Jinguang passed away, he sprinkled his ashes on the sea he deeply loved, as a way to express his deep expectations for the development of the navy. His actions are touching. The aircraft carrier not only represents modern military equipment, but also represents the expectations and hard work of the older generation, as well as our happy life today.
With the growing strength of the motherland, more and more Chinese dreams, under the leadership of the party, will surely become a reality!