Chapter 110
Chapter 110
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 110
Chapter Title: Boost-Phase Interception
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“Tell me the specifics. What can we do?”
“Actually, there's only one surefire way. To nip it in the bud.”
“……”
“Simply put, it means bombing the point of origin.”
At those words, the President stared at me in silence.
Of course, that was hardly possible in the current reality.
I spoke again with an awkward smile.
“But that's impossible in the current situation. We don't have the operational control to carry it out independently, and the United States wouldn't agree anyway.”
“Then what's the realistic option?”
The President nodded and asked.
“The realistic option is… to intercept it during the boost phase. In that case, it would also serve as a deterrent to some extent.”
“What do you…”
“If it's intercepted the moment it's launched, the damage would fall on North Korea. Wouldn't they naturally feel pressured about launching at all? That's what I mean by it being a deterrent.”
“But is that possible?”
“Theoretically, it's possible.”
To be precise, it was practically possible as well.
The United States, as well as Europe and Israel, had begun research on it long ago. And while most projects were scrapped, a few promising results had been completed before I regressed.
But the problem was…
“The problem is that we haven't yet met the conditions to make it possible.”
“……”
The President watched me with calm eyes.
A silent urging for me to explain.
I used the teaspoon, coffee cup, and various other objects on the table as I continued.
“To intercept a ballistic missile during its boost phase, you need to detect it and deal with it just as quickly. 'Detecting it quickly' means using the reconnaissance assets I mentioned before. Signals intelligence and ground surveillance aircraft. Or satellites and unmanned aerial vehicles. But unfortunately, we don't have any of these properly in place yet.”
“UAVs?”
The President showed particular interest in the term UAV.
Well, since the topic had come up.
I rattled off the advantages of UAVs.
“Yes, like the high-altitude UAVs the United States currently operates. If we had those, we'd possess a more reliable detection method than any other reconnaissance asset.”
“Are the American UAVs really that impressive?”
The President asked, a look of surprise on his face.
I picked up a teaspoon to guide his eyes for a more detailed explanation.
“The Global Hawk not only has outstanding detection capabilities, but it's also characterized by its long flight endurance.”
“I’m aware of that.”
“But if we were to have about four of them, it would be almost like operating a reconnaissance satellite 24/7. Moreover, the Global Hawk is equipped with signals intelligence gear, so we wouldn't need a separate SIGINT aircraft. In other words, it alone is sufficient to detect signs of a ballistic missile launch.”
As I said it, I was reminded of when our military acquired the Global Hawk before my regression.
The incident where they were delivered without the SIGINT equipment, unlike the American version.
That was actually due to the U.S. refusing to sell them for a long time, which led our military to acquire SIGINT aircraft first. In the end, that issue caused a lot of commotion.
Our military argued that there was no need to spend money twice.
Others, meanwhile, raised a fuss about acquiring a watered-down version of the Global Hawk.
“But just being able to detect it doesn't mean the boost-phase interception system is complete, does it?”
“That's right. Detection is just detection. You need a means of interception.”
“Then how do we intercept…”
The President's eyes gleamed as he asked.
Picking up two more teaspoons, I continued my explanation in greater detail.
“Actually, the most ideal method is to mount missiles on the UAV. In that case, detection and interception can happen almost simultaneously.”
“I see. That would certainly make for a faster response time.”
The President nodded.
But he still seemed to have questions, staring at me intently as he asked.
“But is it possible to take down a ballistic missile in its boost phase with just an ordinary anti-air missile? It wouldn't even be able to catch up to the ballistic missile's speed, would it?”
“With an ordinary anti-air missile, yes. But it's a different story if it's a hypersonic interceptor.”
“…Even with a hypersonic missile, you can catch it during the boost phase? I was under the impression that a ballistic missile's boost phase lasts only a few minutes.”
“Considering the propulsion of the types of ballistic missiles currently being developed, the limit is about 1 minute and 30 seconds. But the distance between the South and North isn't that great. So, if an interceptor with a speed of over Mach 6 is activated in the air simultaneously with detection, it's possible to intercept it within that time.”
In that respect, the short distance between North and South Korea could be considered a blessing.
If the distance were greater, securing the necessary time for interception would be a secondary problem to the missile's range itself.
But most of North Korea's missile assets were located not far from South Korea.
If we just had high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft, and if we could mount an interception system on them, it was a perfectly viable scenario for us.
‘That’s the problem, though.’
We had no way of acquiring them.
“One thing to keep in mind is that this is all under the premise that we possess high-altitude reconnaissance UAVs. And that those UAVs can be armed. In other words, it's an unrealizable proposition for now.”
I quickly stated the facts, lest the President get his hopes up.
As reality dawned on him, the President’s brow furrowed deeply.
“I see. We don't have high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft. And even if we wanted to acquire them, the United States wouldn't sell them to us.”
“Even if they did sell them, it would still be a problem. Arming them is something even the U.S. hasn't attempted, and there's no way they would permit us to try.”
“Hmm…”
His expression turned serious again.
Given the circumstances, the problem was back to square one.
But that wasn't the method I really wanted to propose.
Meaning, it wasn't time to be disappointed yet.
“At this point, if I may offer a piece of hopeful news, that's not the only way to achieve a boost-phase interception.”
“……”
At my words, the President straightened his posture.
His gaze was practically burning with impatience.
I picked up a pen and paper from the table and continued my explanation.
“First, for reconnaissance assets, we can use the early warning aircraft and signals intelligence aircraft we'll soon begin developing, instead of UAVs. And then we launch the interceptor from the ground, not the air.”
“But if you launch the interceptor from the ground, the response time will be slower…”
The President trailed off mid-sentence.
It was as if he had an inkling of what I was about to say.
Nodding slightly, I continued.
“Exactly. We apply the hypersonic propulsion technology currently being developed with Russia to the interceptor. If we build a system that links it with the UAV's detection system and the Central Air Defense Control Center, allowing for immediate launch upon detection, we have a good chance of success even from the ground.”
“But is it really possible to respond within just 1 minute and 30 seconds?”
“In our country's case, it's possible from the ground if the interceptor reaches Mach 12. At that speed, if the ballistic missile's launch site is within approximately 300 kilometers, it can reach the target in just one minute.”
“…Mach 12?”
“Yes, the realm of true hypersonics.”
“Hah…”
The President stared at me as if in disbelief.
It wasn't surprising that he was shocked.
But I continued, unconcerned.
“The problem with a ground launch, however, is that you have to add the post-launch reaction time and velocity change factors. But if we operate the KTMO CELL (Korea Theater Missile Operations Cell), we can reduce that to about 15 seconds.”
“That's cutting it close.”
“Yes, which is why the best method is to deploy the interceptors in the area closest to the truce line.”
“……”
The President was silent for a while.
As I wondered what he was thinking, he glanced at me and asked.
“My goodness, to think it's a matter of seconds. Well, setting that aside, what about using the fighter jet we're currently developing as a reconnaissance asset? I heard it was possible with a fighter of the level we're developing.”
I was taken aback by his words.
He wasn't entirely wrong.
At times like this, it was clear his knowledge in this field was anything but ordinary.
“It's true that the RF signal detection capabilities of the AESA radar we plan to install are well-suited for ballistic missile detection. So we could use the system I mentioned earlier, with simultaneous detection and interception. For example, in the case of the United States…”
I stopped myself before I could finish.
I had almost brought up the F-35.
The fact that the U.S. had conceived of a boost-phase interception system by utilizing the radar and sensors of the F-35 for reconnaissance missions.
“The case of the United States?”
The President prompted me when I hesitated.
I glanced around cautiously before deftly changing the subject.
“Ah! In any case, it is possible to use fighter jets. The only drawback is that there are quite a few problems with that approach.”
“What kind of problems?”
“Even with rotations, operating a manned fighter jet 24/7 is practically impossible. And it would lead to a reduction in the aircraft's lifespan due to overuse.”
“…I hadn't thought of that.”
The President looked like he had a headache, perhaps due to the depth of our conversation.
I had given him all the advice I could for now.
As I subtly began to rise from my seat, he spoke again.
“I'm just asking, but is there any possibility of us developing a high-altitude UAV on our own?”
“Unfortunately, that's…”
I trailed off, hesitating for a moment.
Israel.
The high-altitude reconnaissance UAV they had halted development on came to mind.
A machine with outstanding radar, IR signal detection, and RF signal detection capabilities.
And powerful enough to withstand the weight of a missile weighing a full ton.
But that, too, was eventually scrapped due to changes in the surrounding environment and some technical issues.
I shook my head and said again.
“Unfortunately, it's impossible.”
I said it, but a sense of regret lingered.
Historically, Israel possessed world-class technology in the field of UAVs. Moreover, they were one of the countries we could cooperate with on various fronts.
Honestly, if we set our minds to it, reviving it for joint development wasn't entirely out of the question.
‘If that were to happen, building a system capable of true simultaneous detection and interception wouldn't just be a dream…’
******
[This morning, the government announced countermeasures to respond to the threat of North Korean ballistic missiles.]
A few days later, just as he’d told me, the President announced to the media that the construction of the KMD was complete.
Interception tests at low, medium, and high altitudes were all over the news.
Thanks to this, the Blue House was reportedly swamped with visits from neighboring countries and U.S. government officials for a while, but curiously, there was no news about the exact details.
- The development of the hypersonic interception system has been approved. As with the Hyunmoo, the development itself has been classified, so there will be no delays due to the National Assembly.
A few days after that, I received a call from the Blue House.
It wasn't a particularly profitable endeavor, so I wasn't thrilled, but an increase in our military's strength was something to be viewed positively.
I immediately headed to the hypersonic development center, a joint project with Russia.
[What brings you here so suddenly?]
Natasha, who was in charge of monitoring the Russian researchers, was back in Korea.
She was about to lead me into the research facility after a brief greeting.
[Let's talk for a moment.]
I immediately stopped her and stared at her for a long time.
[Is there something on my face?]
Natasha tilted her head, puzzled by my silent stare.
But perhaps sensing something was off, her expression soon turned serious, and she met my gaze directly.
[Please relay a message to President Putin. Tell him I think it's time we stopped this tug-of-war.]
[…….]