The test of new weapons and equipment requests detailed and complete test data under different sea conditions as much as possible. Sometimes if the test conditions are insufficient, it is necessary to artificially create considerably challenging conditions to test the equipment performance under extreme circumstances.
To meet the test needs, the commanding officer often has to push further based on the exsiting risks.
To simulate complex sea conditions, the commanding officer will sway the ship through lifting the ship stabilizer and swing the rudder to increase the swing amplitude intentionally, thereby simulating the conditions that the ship encountered heavy winds and meeting the requirements of the severe sea conditions for the launch test.
"Sometimes the ship's swing can reach nearly 30 degrees, which is very dangerous," former Commander Han Chunqiang said, "In the case of irregular swing, the initial posture of the missile after exiting the barrel can be easily affected. If we fail to control angle or height, then there is a possibility that the tested missile will hit the ship or crash into the sea. "
When the commanding officer makes big storms, he needs the cooperation of the crew, among whom the main engine is the most important one.
The main engine room where the main engine technician Li Hongjun is located is the source of power for the ship's navigation. It is located at the bottom of the vessel with high temperature, loud noise, and no sunlight. Li has been here for 20 years.
In 2018, the ship was near 38 degrees north latitude, and it was freezing. The main machine of the vessel continuously pumped seawater for cooling. However, the Bohai Bay had already entered the freezing season. The filter was blocked because of too much crushed ice. "Once the seawater fails to get in, the temperature of the main engine will be too high, and it will stop," Li Hongjun recalled.
The only feasible way is to climb into the filter inlet and remove the ice by hand, making the cooling water circulate. Li was the first to do this work.
"The sea water splashed out and soaked my pants and shoes. My hands and feet were so cold that I can hardly control them," Li said, "After one filter was cleaned, it will be blocked again in less than a few minutes." Eight people in the main engine unit took turns to work on the two blocked filters for three days and nights with little sleep. Finally, they ensured the normal operation of the machine and the smooth completion of the test task.
That year, the main engine unit was awarded the collective third-class merit.
