Chapter 196 Typhoon (2 in 1) [Patriotism Warning] (Patreon)

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After leaving Ny-Ålesund, Sun Cheng took a moment to determine the direction and then flew directly to Severodvinsk, a port in Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia!

He raced all the way until he was less than a hundred kilometers away from Severodvinsk. Only then did he descend from an altitude of over 20,000 meters and covertly enter Severodvinsk from beneath the sea surface.

Unlike his dealings with China, Sun Cheng had no positive feelings towards Russia, the northern neighbor that had annexed millions of square kilometers of Chinese territory in recent times.

Therefore, even though he had planned to establish contact with Russia and even support it in its struggle against the United States, for his first encounter with the polar bear, he was not prepared to make a formal entrance. Instead, he wanted to create a big news event.

After some consideration, Sun Cheng quickly turned his attention to the distant northern port of Russia—Severodvinsk.

In the world of Transformers, although the Soviet Union had long disintegrated,

As the primary inheritor of the former Soviet Union's legacy, Russia had acquired a significant amount of high-quality assets. Severodvinsk, a port city along the Arctic Ocean, was undoubtedly one of the most valuable among them. Despite its population of less than three hundred thousand, it boasted the largest military shipbuilding factory in Russia and even all of Europe—the Northern Machinery Manufacturing and Production Complex!

Sun Cheng still found the aging surface fleet of Russia unimpressive!

The entire Russian surface fleet had only a few "Kirov-class cruisers" that surpassed 25,000 tons in displacement and carried over 400 missiles on board, which could somewhat invoke the terror of the former red behemoth!

However, Sun Cheng's target this time was not the "Kirov" class; his gaze shifted towards the Severodvinsk Shipyard, a subsidiary of the Northern Machinery Manufacturing and Production Association. It was a secretive factory dedicated to building nuclear submarines during the Soviet era and was presently the world's largest submarine manufacturing shipyard. Inside, there was something he greatly coveted—the "Typhoon-class ballistic missile nuclear submarine."

The "Typhoon-class ballistic missile nuclear submarine" was the fourth-generation nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine currently in service with the Russian Navy.

Similar to the "Kirov-class cruiser," the "Typhoon-class ballistic missile nuclear submarine" was also the pinnacle of the former Soviet Union's strategic nuclear capabilities during the Cold War. It was developed to counter and surpass the United States' "Ohio-class ballistic missile nuclear submarines." This class of submarine could carry twenty P-39 (NATO codename: SS-N-20) ballistic missiles, with each missile capable of carrying ten nuclear warheads. Just one submarine could effectively send a medium-sized country back to the Stone Age.

During the former Soviet Union era, a total of 10 Typhoon-class ships were planned for construction. However, in this world, the Soviet Union disbanded in 1991, resulting in only 7 Typhoon-class ships being built before its dissolution. Out of these, 6 were completed and in service before the disintegration, while 1 ship was dismantled before completion.

After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, Russia faced economic difficulties for a long time, and due to the high costs of maintenance and upkeep, they were forced to decommission and dismantle three ships, leaving only three remaining in service.

Sun Cheng's objective is the two Russian "Typhoon-class ballistic missile nuclear submarines" that have been stationed in the Severodvinsk shipyard under the pretense of "maintenance" since the beginning of this year. In reality, they are already in a semi-decommissioned state.

Now, in the year AD 2007, Russia's economy and national strength have entered a rapid recovery phase under the leadership of a strong president.

However, despite the increase in military spending, the "Typhoon-class" submarines have not experienced a resurgence.

Designed as a deep-sea monster intended to surpass the US "Ohio-class nuclear-powered strategic submarines," the Typhoon-class submarines have a displacement and width nearly twice that of the Ohio-class, but their missile load is lower.

The first eight Ohio-class submarines in service with the US Navy were equipped with 24 Trident-I (C4) missiles, while submarines 9 to 18 carried 24 Trident-II missiles.

In contrast, the Typhoon-class submarines can only carry 20 P-39 (NATO codename: SS-N-20) missiles.

Furthermore, due to the less advanced solid-fuel ballistic missile technology in the former Soviet Union compared to the US, there are significant differences between the P-39 and Trident missiles.

Coupled with its enormous size, making it easier to detect, and the maintenance pressure it brings, this massive yet outdated nuclear submarine has been disregarded by Russia.

With the emergence of the "Borei-class ballistic missile nuclear submarine," by the end of 2005, two out of the three Typhoon-class submarines still in service in Russia, the Arkhangelsk and Severstaly, were designated as reserves to save ballistic missiles for the "Dmitri Donskoi" submarine. Since then, they have been stationed at the naval port of the Northern Fleet for an extended period.

However, at the beginning of this year, with the arrival of a transfer order, the Arkhangelsk and Severstaly were finally sent to the Severodvinsk shipyard, awaiting instructions from higher authorities for decommissioning and dismantling.

The Northern Fleet of Russia is stationed in Severodvinsk, which is why Sun Cheng put in some effort to approach the harbor from the sea.

It was already past three in the afternoon, and Severodvinsk was under cloudy skies. The absence of sunlight made the sky appear dark.

In October, Severodvinsk's military port was covered in white. Despite it being October, there had likely been recent snowfall, and the temperature was significantly below minus twenty degrees.

In late October, cities within the Arctic Circle are typically this cold.

By evading the Russian military's security perimeter, Sun Cheng quietly entered the military port area of Severodvinsk port and climbed ashore.

His mechanical body was damp with seawater, which quickly froze upon reaching land.

Sun Cheng halted, shook off the thin layer of ice from his mechanical body, and gazed into the distance at the dimly lit military port. He couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.

During the design phase of the Typhoon-class submarines, the designers had accounted for sufficient space for future modernization, indicating that the Typhoon-class submarines possessed upgrade potential.

The Russian military had once considered upgrading the Typhoon-class submarines. In 2003, there were news reports stating that the Severodvinsk shipyard had offered a price of 48.5 billion rubles (approximately 1.5 billion US dollars) for the upgrade. However, the idea of upgrading the Typhoon-class submarines was ultimately abandoned.

After all, the cost of a brand-new Borei-class submarine was only 26 billion rubles. It would be more appropriate for Russia to invest the funds that would have been used to upgrade a Typhoon-class submarine into building two new Borei-class submarines.

Nevertheless, the Typhoon-class submarines have become a heavy burden for Russia at present.

However, the Typhoon-class submarines are undoubtedly a heavy burden for Russia now.

But Sun Cheng doesn't have these burdens. If the enormous size of the Typhoon class undergoes transformation by the Decepticon engineers, it can undoubtedly create the most terrifying deep-sea monster.

There is no better platform than using it as his own mobile underwater base.

Since it wasn't completely dark yet, Sun Cheng patiently searched for a concealed spot within the military port and hid there for a while. Only when it was completely dark did he emerge from his hiding place.

At night, the Severodvinsk naval port was devoid of any human presence. Even the nearby Severodvinsk shipyard was enveloped in silence, with only a few faint lights visible.

On this chilling night, not even patrolling soldiers could be seen within the military port.

However, this situation worked in Sun Cheng's favor.

He released several groups of miniature reconnaissance devices. As these diligent insects continuously transmitted reconnaissance data back to his Core, he quickly gained a complete understanding of the military port.

The Severodvinsk shipyard, which was thoroughly surveyed by Sun Cheng, is situated within the military port and occupies over half of its area. Established in the 1950s, this shipyard has produced notable naval vessels, including the G-class ballistic missile nuclear submarines, Victor-class series attack nuclear submarines, Akula-class attack nuclear submarines, Typhoon-class ballistic missile nuclear submarines, and Oscar-class cruise missile nuclear submarines. It serves as the heart of Russia's underwater power.

Currently, the shipyard is under construction for the next generation of Russia's Severodvinsk-class attack nuclear submarines and the Borei-class ballistic missile submarines. Additionally, they are manufacturing a Kilo-class diesel-electric submarine and improving the Kiev-class aircraft carrier, Admiral Gorshkov, for India.

The two Typhoon-class submarines, Arkhangelsk and Severstaly, which are awaiting retirement, are also berthed within the shipyard.

However, Sun Cheng felt a bit disheartened by the surprisingly lax security measures taken by the Russians. Although the military port was well-guarded, it exhibited the typical characteristic of tight security on the outside but looseness on the inside. The shipyard itself had only a small number of security personnel.

Once he obtained control of the mooring docks for the two Typhoon-class submarines, Sun Cheng made his way directly towards them.

Soon, two colossal submarines, covered in ice and snow, stood side by side at the pier, quietly moored at Pier No. 3. Their commanding towers loomed high, resembling steel fortresses.

"You have arrived in the wrong country at the wrong time!"

Standing silently on the pier, Sun Cheng gazed earnestly at these two vessels, the pinnacle of the Soviet military industry, contemplating deeply and experiencing a flood of emotions.

Regardless of whether it's the world of Transformers or the real world, his homeland, China, can afford to support such a behemoth, but it lacks the technological capability to manufacture it.

Unfortunately, the country with the ability to produce it lacks the means to sustain this giant.

No, it's ironic.

He jumped off the pier and landed on the hull of the Arkhangelsk. Sun Cheng walked for a while before reaching the submarine's command platform and quietly reached out to touch it.

This is a veteran waiting to be retired and dismantled, but it still harbors a terrifying power to disrupt the world.

This is exactly what he needs!

Without hesitation, he quickly climbed onto the podium.

Although the hatch was tightly closed, it didn't pose any challenge for him.

Soon, the hatch of the submarine's compartment opened.

Fortunately, the upper hatch of the Typhoon-class submarine was very spacious. While it might require some effort on his part, he could still manage to enter.

At that moment, Sun Cheng immediately took control of the mechanical body and cautiously slipped into the Arkhangelsk.

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Next Chapter >>Chapter 197 Transformation