When berthing, Li Hai and Dang Weimin were on the ship's upper deck observing the Forgotten Reef.
Dang Weimin was shocked and said, "Is this a reef? It's too much of a joke. It doesn't look much smaller than Eternal Prosperity Island!"
"It's quite shocking." Li Hai was also a little stunned.
Yongxingwang Island is surrounded by reefs of different sizes, and the look and feel are different when compared. The Forgotten Reef is alone and has no contrast. Visually, it does not feel much smaller than Eternal Prosperity Island. In fact, the area is much smaller than Eternal Prosperity Island.
The most obvious one is of course the airport. The Wangjijiao Airport with a two-thousand-meter runway can take off and land all active aircraft, including large aircraft such as Yun-20 and H-6.
Compared with Forever Prosperity Island, which is already full of life, the Forgotten Reef has a stronger military connotation. Most of the facilities are for military use, and there are even people wearing military uniforms on the construction site. However, tourism in Forgotten Reef is also open to a limited extent, and we are not afraid of letting people know what is happening on the island.
This is a manifestation of self-confidence after increasing national strength.
"The scenery is nice! Working here is not as difficult as imagined." Dang Weimin said with a smile.
Li Hai nodded slightly in agreement, "It looks good. The breeze is blowing, and the sea water is so blue, it's beautiful."
After the berthing was completed, they bid farewell to the crew and disembarked. From a distance, they saw two school officers waiting at the gangway entrance, so they trotted over and stood at attention to salute.
"Comrade Li Hai, comrade who serves the people, welcome, welcome and warmly welcome! I've been waiting for you." Zhong Guobang returned the gift and shook hands with the two of them warmly.
Li Hai was flattered and said quickly, "Hello, Chief!"
The colonel came to pick him up in person, and the standard was unexpectedly high. There are few feelings as satisfying as the feeling of being valued.
Li Hai and the Party for the People turned to Xue Zhengrong and saluted and reported, saying, "Report to the captain! Li Hai (the Party for the People) reports for duty!"
"Li Hai, the party is for the people, I am Xue Zhengrong, welcome you." Xue Zhengrong returned the gift and shook hands with the two.
Among Haiba Division, Xue Zhengrong is a celebrity. His determination to take root on the difficult islands and reefs has been featured in major newspapers inside and outside the military. He is a typical representative among naval pilots. When Li Hai and Li Hai knew that their immediate superior was Xue Zhengrong, what immediately appeared in front of their eyes was Xue Zhengrong's photo in the propaganda report.
Xue Zhengrong took Li Hai and Dang Weimin away, while Zhong Guobang had to stay at the dock to direct the unloading work. Only then did Li Hai realize that he was thinking too much. The colonel came here to unload the ship, not specifically to greet them.
"The flight unit at Forgotten Reef is very small. Strictly speaking, it is not a complete combat organization. Although I hold the title of deputy captain, I am actually responsible for the four fighter planes on the island."
After returning to the airport, Xue Zhengrong settled the two of them and took them to the corridor, where he stood on the second floor and looked at the entire airport.
"The airport is very small. In theory, it can support the takeoff and landing of aircraft such as Airbus 320, but it is not easy because our establishment is small."
It can be seen that if there is not a runway, there are only three or five inconspicuous ancillary buildings that do not look like an airport. What is different is that the height of the tower is much lower than normal, and it looks more like a temporary emergency.
"It's still under construction. That's the situation at the moment. Let's just use it. There is no problem in protecting our four fighters. Before you arrived, another group of two pilots were transferred back to participate in the live-fire exercise, so you will have to do it tomorrow. Normal training and duty." Xue Zhengrong said.
Li Hai was a little surprised and said, "Deputy Xue, we have never fired a J-8."
"I have studied your files. For advanced training, you use the Higher Education Seven and the Haishan Eagle. If you can drive the Higher Education Seven-Nine, you can drive the J-8." Xue Zhengrong said, pointing to the J-8 being maintained on the open-air tarmac not far away. There are only three -8Fs. He said, "The control system of the J-8F has not changed much, and you will be able to master it quickly."
The Party for the People grins. Since leaving the training base, he found that whenever he was with Li Hai, he would always encounter abnormal situations.
It was unheard of when they were training to go directly to an unfamiliar aircraft model without modification training.
If the leader trusts them, they will certainly not lack confidence, and they are even more confident for a newborn calf. A second-generation machine will never be more difficult to open than a third-generation or third-and-a-half-generation machine. To be honest, no matter how many complimentary words are added to the J-8 series fighter aircraft, it will not change its backwardness at birth.
Who wouldn’t want to eat a luxurious meal if conditions didn’t allow it?
Xue Zhengrong said, "There are some disciplines that I would like to emphasize. You cannot leave the airport without my approval. If you need to make a call, you must report to me. I will let you make external calls within the designated time. You can watch TV and read books after work. The activity center also has a flying game cockpit. Of course, there are no more activities. We are a small dispatched unit, and the only air crew members currently on duty are you and me. The situation around the Forgotten Reef is relatively complicated, only one mile away from Malacca. Thousands of kilometers away, this is the real Nantianmen of the motherland. The hidden dangers of pirates in the surrounding areas are serious, so we must keep at least one fighter plane in combat readiness, ready to take off to perform missions at any time. Starting tomorrow, you will be on duty."
The Forgotten Reef is not a reef, but was created after reclamation of several reefs surrounding it. It is only 400 kilometers away from Zengmu Shoal and is the largest island reef in the south. The Forgotten Reef is located on a major international waterway. From a geographical point of view, the ships passing through the surrounding routes every year are said to account for more than half of the world's shipping load.
It shows how important location is.
Moreover, Forgotten Reef is equipped with an international hydrological station and a navigation station responsible for guiding international flights.
Both military and civilian values are very important.
"Therefore, you should take a break after lunch. We will arrange for you to fly in the afternoon to familiarize yourself with the performance of the fighter aircraft, the surrounding terrain and the climate here." Xue Zhengrong said.
Even though he had done a good job of psychological preparation, Li Hai still couldn't help but feel a little worried when he really rushed the product to the shelves.
Xue Zhengrong said, "This is an isolated island. What does that mean? It means there is no alternate landing station, no second navigation station, no forced landing site, and nothing except the main site. There is enough water and heavy salt, even though our fighters have done it It has undergone anti-corrosion treatment, but it is not a special model after all. You have one hour to familiarize yourself with these conditions before the afternoon flight. Time is very tight, but there is no way."
"The geographical location here is so important. Advanced third-generation aircraft should be deployed. Old-fashioned fighters like the J-8 are really not suitable for such a complex area." Li Hai shook his head and said.
Hearing this, Xue Zhengrong's brows frowned, and when he slowly turned to look at Li Hai, his eyes became cold.
"Lehi."
"yes."
Xue Zhengrong turned around to face Li Hai and said seriously, "Li Hai!"
Li Hai was excited and quickly put away his laxity and stood at attention, "Here we come!"
The Party for the People also quickly stood at attention.
Xue Zhengrong, with a stern face, stared at Li Hai, slowly scanning him, and said seriously, "If you are unwilling to do this job, you can go back with the ship, and I will explain it clearly to my superiors."
"Report, report, Deputy Xue, I am not, I am not reluctant." Li Hai was frightened, and his heart was beating suddenly.
After a while, Xue Zhengrong said in a deep voice, "I know you are reluctant in your hearts. From the flying shark troops with favorable conditions to the Forgotten Reef in the forgotten corner of the world, from the third generation aircraft to the second generation aircraft, others are moving up you. Going down, I understand, because it would be the same for me."
He paused, "But. Comrades, why did you join the army? Why did you choose to join the naval aviation? Tell me."
Will the pride of heaven and the seed pilots from the Flying Shark Force look down on the brother troops equipped with J-8F fighter jets?
Obviously there is no need to deny it, it will happen, and it does exist in reality. Why can't I look down on you because your equipment is lagging behind? This world follows the law of the jungle, especially for soldiers who have to fight with the enemy at any time!
It is normal for the Flying Shark Troop to look down on the Beautiful Boy Troop.
The problem is that if this kind of thinking is not managed and corrected, it will breed the thought of underestimating the enemy, which can be fatal!
Xue Zhengrong, who seemed relaxed on the surface, was already troubled by the lack of troops and the heavy burden. He had no time to slowly guide the new comrades' thoughts. If he wasn't in a hurry, he wouldn't let the two rookies join combat readiness duty tomorrow.
In fact, when he made the report, he clearly stated the need for dedicated senior pilots to join the garrison at Forgotten Reef.
The ones who came here are two rookies, or they came from other units to take up temporary positions. Well, it's better than nothing. Xue Zhengrong is fully mentally prepared and confident that he can cope with any situation.
However, Li Hai's lack of interest in second-generation machines aroused his vigilance. He simply went online and asked a big question, and let's see the answers of the two rookies.
"I want to be a pilot like Li Zhan!" Dang Weimin replied without hesitation.
This answer made Xue Zhengrong very satisfied. Li Zhan is the weather vane, influenced by him
"I..." Li Hai hesitated.
Xue Zhengrong's face became darker and darker. Without firm belief or lofty belief, he dared to assert that Li Hai would definitely not stay at Forgotten Reef for long. This kind of soldier is not what he wants.
"I don't care what your purpose is for coming here to take up a temporary position, and I don't care who made the arrangements. If you are not determined to die on the Forgotten Reef at any time, I advise you to go back now!" Xue Zhengrong said coldly.
Li Hai's breathing became rapid, and his face was filled with grief and anger, both aggrieved and angry.
"Report! My dream is to become the best pilot! I want to open up new territories for my motherland! I want to use the most advanced fighter planes to measure the world!"
He showed his hand.
