Chapter 354

Chapter 354: Deep-water Bomb Forces Surfacing

"Wow, that’s really impressive!" Lin Mo couldn’t help but give a thumbs up.

Colonel Wu fully utilized the characteristics of the weapons, effectively combining them together. Even deep-water bombs, primarily aimed at destruction, could serve a detection role even better than sonar.

Sure enough, the experienced Colonel Wu thought of using deep-water bombs to search for the Vietnamese submarines, and Lin Mo’s admiration for him flowed like a mighty river, endless and profound.

"Alright, the proposal is under review."

After a minute, the Staff Group at the operations command center approved Colonel Wu’s plan. A J-15 "Dark Sabre," equipped with four deep-water bombs, soared off the flight deck.

The customized 500-kilogram aerial deep-water bombs carried explosive power twice that of TNT, equivalent to nearly a ton of TNT explosion yield. The explosive effect would be spectacular, and Lin Mo donned the tactical helmet of the "Dragon General," directly using the retinal camera to capture images clearer than any binoculars.

Meanwhile, the Jing Ke submarine swimming near the Shilang heard the announcement about dropping powerful deep-water bombs and immediately dove far away, skimming close to the ocean surface. On the deep blue water, a massive dark shadow could be seen.

A small deep-water bomb, resembling a tiny black dot, plunged into the choppy sea, creating a colossal splash on the surface. This was not an explosion; the rising spray was equivalent to the power of a 50-gram grenade detonated at a depth of one meter.

As the waves gradually calmed, a water column erupted hundreds of meters high, tons of seawater mixed with air shot skyward.

A rumbling sound rolled across the sea surface, like thunder, and even the aircraft carrier’s flight deck felt the shockwave of the explosion traveling through the water.

"Whoa! Awesome!"

Lin Mo watched, dumbfounded; this was far more spectacular than a 500-kilogram aerial bomb hitting the ground.

If the Vietnamese submarine happened to be lurking within the hundred-meter destruction radius of this deep-water bomb, it would surely be obliterated.

Underwater, seawater carried the pressure directly, spreading the explosion’s impact more effectively.

“Target identified! Two Kilo-class submarines! Haha, there’s an 80% chance they’re Vietnamese submarines! Depth 310 meters, 15 nautical miles from the explosion site, 40 nautical miles from us. Now conducting passive sonar explosion wave scanning. Magnetic anomaly detector activated! Active sonar directional illumination!”

"Calling the carrier-based aircraft pilot ‘Family Bucket,’ I order you to return now. The anti-submarine helicopter ‘Hummingbird’ will track the submarines. Prepare torpedo decoys and anti-submarine missiles on all escort ships."

The anti-submarine operation plan, which had been drilled countless times at the Shilang’s operations command center, quickly sprang into action. As the brain of the entire aircraft carrier task force, the operations command center distributed commands, and each department simply needed to execute.

The overall anti-submarine operations unfolded in an orderly manner. The three-layered anti-submarine defense of the Shilang powered up, turning the surrounding sea area into a tightly sealed fortress. Not a single torpedo or missile could breach it.

Almost the moment several deep-water bombs exploded, strong shockwaves reverberated through the sea, and amidst the weaving waves, even the silent Kilo-class conventional-powered submarines could no longer conceal their forms.

Even if a submarine used any kind of sound-absorbing material to enhance sonar absorption, entirely absorbing the explosion waves wouldn’t help explain the large blank area formed by the waves on the surface.

In the clamor of the oscillating explosion waves, submarine stealth became an impossible dilemma.

Even if the gold giant dragon, without any sonar or power system, was smart enough to stay hidden in the ocean trench, it still got detected by this method and was scanned from the seabed.

Though creating a scanning field through deep-water bomb deployment was costly, no aircraft carrier could fill itself with deep-water bombs as a super floating ammunition depot, this method proved effective in specific situations.

"Colonel Wu, you’ve achieved great merit again! Haha, military honors are on the way."

Voices of admiration from the operations command center echoed through the communication channel. Just a moment of inspiration allowed for the surfacing of the two Vietnamese submarines almost at the point of visibility from the seabed, showcasing the need for extensive experience.

"Well, same to you! I was just giving it a try." Colonel Wu also had a test-it-and-see attitude, unexpectedly yielding such effective results. Because it wasn’t training, his proposal turned into actual military achievement.

Throwing away several tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of deep-water bombs was a risk; failure meant waste, but success signified great gains—submarines were definitely worth more than deep-water bombs of equal size.

Another carrier-based aircraft took off, loaded with several aerial deep-water bombs, eagerly heading toward the location of the "suspected Vietnamese" submarine.

No matter how fast a vessel was, it couldn’t escape the grasp of a fighter jet.

The powerful active sonar had completely pinpointed the locations of the two Kilo-class submarines, continuously and fiercely emitting shockwaves.

Another deep-water bomb was dropped, carrying 100 kilograms of explosive material and set to detonate at a depth of 500 meters.

Boom!

The sea surface bubbled and splashed violently as the deep-water explosion occurred. This explosion was visually impressive, not intended to sink the two submarines but to force them to surface.

“Engine crew, check for damage! All departments report casualties!”

Captain Nguyen Lei of the Huang Hua Tan submarine braced himself against the wall, enduring the booming sounds of the active sonar striking the hull and the aftershocks of underwater explosions, desperately trying to control the chaos inside the sub.

Before he could fully comprehend the first muffled explosion and violent shaking, the second pounding noise struck, and Captain Nguyen knew things had turned dire.

Inside the submarine, chaos erupted; sailors shouted loudly, some even screamed in pain, causing Nguyen’s heart to sink. During his submarine training in Russia, the Russians had detonated deep-water bombs nearby—but always from outside the lethal radius. While the submarine had shaken violently, it didn’t guarantee any actual damage.

Fortunately, the deep-water bombs from the Chinese had not hit their target. Otherwise, the Huang Hua Tan would silently have sunk into the depths of the sea.

Lack of training was evident; otherwise, they wouldn’t have panicked over such a small mishap. Nguyen’s heart ached— the short equipment time on the Kilo-class submarine sold by Russia meant the crew hadn’t undergone thorough international submarine training. Due to the watchful eye of the Chinese navy, the submarines couldn’t freely conduct various drills at sea.

Sailors encountering such a situation for the first time assumed the submarine had sustained severe damage and the situation was critical, with the vessel perhaps sinking at any moment. Once something went wrong below the surface, escape was nearly impossible.

Because of the lower survival odds and hazards compared to fighter pilots, the submarine personnel enjoyed the highest treatment among the military branches.

“Sonar team, maintain silence! No panic; we’re fine.” Captain Nguyen Lei shouted hoarsely to stabilize the situation and restore order. He signaled several calmer officers to swiftly bring down a few overly frantic sailors with firm punches, then slapped them to force them back to their senses.

In desperate times, harsh measures were needed. Amid the urgency, Nguyen had to resort to this violent method to quell the chaos quickly. His approach proved effective; after knocking down four or five hysterical crew members, order returned within the Huang Hua Tan, and everyone resumed their posts.

The atmosphere inside the submarine, once chaotic, turned oppressively silent, with no one uttering a word, as if the recent tumult had never occurred.

Boom!

Boom!

The submarine shook violently again as the Chinese dropped deep-water bombs.

Nguyen’s heart turned cold. They had lost; the Chinese had fully grasped their position, and this was a warning.

Suddenly, the previously quiet electronics officer, eyes red with rage, roared, “Captain Nguyen, let’s fight back…”

Slap! A loud smack landed hard on his face.

“Shut up, you fool!” Nguyen glared fiercely at the electronics officer, retracting his hand, which was tingling from the shock. A bright red handprint quickly formed on the officer’s face.

“Do you want to get us all killed? The Chinese can easily eavesdrop on us! Even launching torpedoes would be useless! You idiot! The Chinese are fully prepared—how can you not comprehend the significance of this precious submarine to our country?”

Captain Nguyen trembled with anger, pointing at the electronics officer. Any submarine captain in the world would be fiercely protective of their vessel; it’s an unspoken rule in the naval community.

"What do we do then? They’re dropping deep-water bombs on us, and we could sink at any moment!" The electronics officer, disregarding the burning sensation on his cheek, gasped anxiously, firmly staring at the highest commander of the submarine.

“If they wanted to sink us, they would have done it already. This is a test, and a warning! Yang Yuan, I order you to return to your post immediately, or you’ll never set foot on my sub again!” Captain Nguyen Lei issued his final warning, knowing this wasn’t the time for arguing; immediate action was essential. If the Chinese lost their patience, they might genuinely drop a bomb on them.

Faced with the strictest warning of "do not board the submarine," Yang Yuan, the electronics officer, had no choice but to bow his head and return to his station. If Captain Nguyen dismissed him, it would mean the end of his career.

“I order you all to surface now!”