A star has fallen! Remembering Academician Huang Xuhua: He lived in anonymity for 30 years and worked hard for national defense

Today (7th)

China Shipbuilding 719 Institute issued an obituary

Outstanding Member of the Communist Party of China

Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering

Winner of the Medal of the Republic and the National Highest Science and Technology Award

Huang Xuhua, chief designer of China's first generation nuclear submarine project

Died in Wuhan, Hubei at 20:30 on February 6 due to illness and ineffective treatment

Died at the age of 99

Huang Xuhua kept his identity secret for 30 years

For the development of China's nuclear submarine industry

Made outstanding contributions

01 Hiding underwater, not wanting to be famous

Huang Xuhua graduated from the National Chiao Tung University (now Shanghai Jiao Tong University) with a degree in shipbuilding. In 1958, the Chinese nuclear submarine project, which was a top secret of the country, was officially launched. Huang Xuhua participated in the "Nuclear Submarine Overall Design Group" and became one of the first 29 people to participate in the development of nuclear submarines.

"First, once you enter this field, you can never go out and work there for the rest of your life; second, you must never disclose the name, location, mission, or nature of the work of your unit; third, you will be an unknown hero for the rest of your life, and never be famous." People asked Huang Xuhua if he could bear it?

He said: Yes, I will work on a nuclear submarine. I am like a nuclear submarine, diving underwater. I don’t want to be famous .”

Nuclear submarines are a complex and large system engineering project. At the beginning of the project, all researchers, including Huang Xuhua, had never seen what a nuclear submarine looked like. They thought of many ways to solve cutting-edge technical problems: without computers to calculate core data, they used abacus, slide rules, and even scales to solve the center of gravity problem of nuclear submarines.

On December 26, 1970, my country's first torpedo attack nuclear submarine was launched. On August 1, 1974, it was officially delivered and incorporated into the People's Navy's combat sequence. China became the fifth country in the world to have nuclear submarines. The speed was so fast that it shocked the world.

02 The world's first chief designer of a nuclear submarine to participate in deep-diving tests

In 1988, my country's nuclear submarine development work ushered in a critical day. The Long March 4 nuclear submarine, hull number 404, conducted deep diving tests in the South China Sea according to the design limit.

Before the test, the participants were nervous, and some even wrote suicide notes. This atmosphere was related to the sinking of the USS Thresher nuclear submarine during an extreme deep-diving test, with all 129 people on board dead. Seeing this, Huang Xuhua decided to personally participate in the deep dive. At the age of 64, he is also the first chief designer of a nuclear submarine in the world to participate in a deep-diving test.

The chief designer of a nuclear submarine personally participated in a deep dive, which is unprecedented in the world. After the unit leaders learned about it, they advised Huang Xuhua not to personally participate in the deep dive, but Huang Xuhua insisted on participating. He said: "Deep diving is not an adventure, I have confidence in it. Moreover, if there is any omission in any link, I can assist the captain in making judgments and handling them in time."

Huang Xuhua's decision was supported by his wife Li Shiying. Li Shiying had worked with Huang Xuhua for decades and knew the importance and risks of deep diving. She comforted Huang Xuhua and said, "You are the chief engineer, of course you have to go down, otherwise how can you lead this team in the future? You go down, it's okay, I'll wait for you at home!"

Zhang Jinlan, a student of Huang Xuhua and chief technical expert of China Shipbuilding who started working in 1985, was impressed by this deep dive. "Deep dive tests are risky, but risk is not adventure. We have confidence and need to get data. We are nervous but not afraid." Zhang Jinlan said that all parties have made thorough preparations and plans for this deep dive, including what to do if there is a leak, a malfunction, or a deformation. A total of 28 sets of more than 500 emergency response plans were prepared. In the end, the "404" boat reached the maximum underwater depth and successfully completed the scheduled deep dive test.

Facts have proved that the design and construction of the first generation of nuclear submarines have met expectations. The first deep-diving record in the history of the Chinese People's Navy submarines was born, and the chief designer of China's nuclear submarines also went deep with the first submarine, which also became a legend.

03 The greatest filial piety to parents is loyalty to the country

Since the development of nuclear submarines is a top secret of the country, Huang Xuhua has never told his parents where he works or what he does in the more than 30 years he has devoted himself to the nuclear submarine industry. He once said, "Loyalty to the country is the greatest filial piety to parents." Huang Xuhua was unable to see his father for the last time when he passed away. After his mother passed away, Huang Xuhua only chose a scarf from the old woman's belongings. "When winter comes, I don't use any scarf, no matter how good it is. I only use this scarf. I couldn't accompany her when she was alive. After she passed away, this scarf is like she will always be with me ."

04 Preaching and educating people and being a good " off-site coach "

A person who moved China, a national moral model, a recipient of the Medal of the Republic... Although he later gained some fame, just like the nuclear submarine career he loved so much, Huang Xuhua still maintained a "hidden underwater" attitude, remaining unknown and not liking to be famous.

my country's future nuclear submarine development is moving forward in great strides. The continuous innovation and leapfrogging of nuclear submarine equipment requires a large number of outstanding scientific and technological talents.

What is Huang Xuhua's secret to cultivating scientific research talents? He advocates cultivating talents through engineering practice. Over the past few decades, he has led his team to carry out a series of key model developments, and in the process has trained and cultivated many scientific and technological talents for the country.

As a member of the new generation of nuclear submariners born in the 1970s, Liu Qian, deputy director of the General Research and Design Institute of China Shipbuilding, has been working on the front line of nuclear submarine development. He said that his generation first followed Huang Xuhua's work, digested and absorbed the work system and methods of that generation, and then continued to do Huang Xuhua's work.

There is no time to waste in building a world-leading scientific and technological power, and consolidating the talent base is crucial.

Huang Xuhua once said that he positioned himself as a "cheerleader" for young researchers, supporting them and encouraging them. He would rather be an "off-site guide" rather than a coach, letting them do what they want and do it boldly.

Let the young people do it! Huang Xuhua did this when he was the chief engineer and the leader of the institute, and he did the same after he retired from the front line. He once said that young people need support and encouragement.

Society is constantly moving forward, and scientific research is endless. Huang Xuhua once told the younger generation that high-tech cannot be bought or begged for, and can only be achieved through self-reliance at home.

Huang Xuhua is the epitome of countless unsung heroes on the national defense science and technology front. Once they "committed themselves to the country", they would remain anonymous and make silent contributions. Huang Xuhua and the older generation of nuclear submariners used their life experiences to perfectly interpret the nuclear submarine spirit of "self-reliance, hard work, strong coordination, and selfless dedication". This spirit will surely inspire generations of young people to shoulder the heavy responsibility given by history and devote themselves to the cause of national defense science and technology!

Comprehensive sources: CCTV News WeChat official account, Xinhuanet, "Face to Face", "National Memory", Hubei Daily, etc.