Chapter 148
Chapter 148
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 148
Chapter Title: Upgrading the Armed Forces
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The room instantly buzzed with murmurs.
To put it bluntly, this meant they had created a ship's design without any request from the military.
And in this country's defense industry system, that was no easy feat.
All eyes turned to me again, and I responded with an unfazed expression.
“Jaewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering is also considering future warship exports to allied nations in Asia. That's why we've been working on a design for a vessel with a downgraded combat system.”
People seemed quite shocked by that statement as well.
After all, we've never had a history of exporting warships, especially not ones equipped with a full combat system.
Though it was an excuse, it was a matter worth considering.
It might not be relevant now, but in terms of future multinational efforts to check China…
“Could we see the design proposal?”
The Chief of Naval Operations, who had been watching, asked Representative Lee Yong-moon.
His gaze flickered toward me. As soon as I nodded, Representative Lee Yong-moon immediately headed to the podium.
*Click!*
A moment later, the lights in the hearing room dimmed, and several image files appeared on the screen.
The image of a sleek, futuristic vessel, featuring an integrated mast and stealth design.
I figured someone would soon mention the term "mini-Aegis ship."
“Are you suggesting we turn the Yi Sun-sin-class into mini-Aegis ships?”
Sure enough, the expected words came right on cue.
The voice came from where the officials from the Defense Acquisition Program Administration were seated.
The person who had shot up and was gesturing at the screen was none other than the DAPA Commissioner.
“That’s correct. The vertical launching system has a capacity of roughly 60 to 70 cells. This would allow it to carry not only supersonic anti-ship missiles but also the new anti-submarine guided missiles currently being developed by the ADD. In that case, even if something were to happen to a Sejong the Great-class destroyer, these ships could continue anti-air and anti-submarine operations on their own.”
“But isn’t that an excessive expansion of our military power?”
The DAPA Commissioner immediately voiced his disapproval of my answer.
I met his gaze for a moment and asked back with a very serious expression.
“Commissioner, do you trust our neighboring countries?”
“What does that have to do with anything…?”
“China is one thing, but I’m asking if you trust Japan.”
“…”
“This may not be the place to say this, but frankly, I believe there’s a high probability that Japan could also become a potential adversary of ours.”
A stir went through the hall at my words.
After all, this was an era where it was difficult to mention such things in a public setting, even if many thought it privately.
But it was time for a change in thinking.
If a country we've already fought an economic war with isn't an enemy, then who is?
To go through that and still not be wary would be no different from being a fool.
“How can you say Japan could become our enemy?”
Ah… and there was a fool right in front of me.
“An enemy isn’t just someone you trade blows with.”
“…”
“Those who harbor hostility toward us and spit in our direction are enemies, too.”
“…”
“In any case, that same Japan currently possesses a total of six Aegis ships. On top of that, they enacted a plan to build six more two years ago, and three are already under construction. The problem is that Japan's overall fleet size is simply incomparable to ours. How do you plan to overcome that?”
“…”
“Do we have the budget to secure the same number of destroyers as Japan right now? If we can’t meet the quantity, we have no choice but to improve the quality. The performance of this design would at least allow us to hold our own against their numbers. Of course, that too will eventually reach its limit in the not-so-distant future.”
The DAPA Commissioner glanced around nervously at my words.
The piercing gazes of the naval officials were all fixed on him.
Perhaps conscious of their stares, his lips, which had been mumbling to form a response, clamped shut.
“Furthermore, an even bigger problem is that China is currently undergoing a massive naval buildup. Do you have any idea how far it will expand?”
I brought up China's movements to drive the point home.
Their recently revealed plan for maritime military expansion was now a well-known fact to everyone present.
If nothing else, that point must have been a painful truth.
“That is indeed a problem.”
The Chief of Naval Operations subtly backed me up.
His eyes, now looking at me, held a hint of a question.
About how on earth China was capable of building ships equipped with Aegis-like systems.
Honestly, I was taken aback by that as well, but thinking about it more deeply, some parts started to make sense.
Considering China had been attempting to steal technology from all over the world even before this.
And considering that this process had accelerated since my return, and that it had even led to past conflicts with the United States over the issue.
“Yes, for us.”
But… even though I was the one who brought it up, it probably wasn't something to be overly concerned about.
At best, the technology they could have acquired was the American Aegis system, not ours.
And an older version at that. The level of an air defense detection system built on that foundation would be obvious.
Moreover, it was unthinkable that they could have fully implemented it with their current level of technology.
Just a shoddy imitation, perhaps?
No, even giving them the benefit of the doubt, they'd be lucky to achieve 50% of its performance.
*The performance of China’s Type 055 destroyers before I returned proved it. Their fleet’s anti-air defense system had a hit rate of less than 30%, not to mention its abysmal detection rate.*
“Ugh.”
The DAPA Commissioner groaned and slumped into his seat.
Sensing an opportunity, the Chief of Naval Operations jumped in again.
“I would also like to mention one point you should all keep in mind. China will be a problem going forward, but so will the fact that we are about to become the United States' primary ally. Because of that, the possibility of us having to participate in expeditions we do not wish to has increased.”
“We’ll be sent on expeditions?”
The DAPA Commissioner asked with a startled expression.
The Chief of Naval Operations shot him a fierce glare.
“Do you think the U.S. elevated us to their primary ally for no reason?”
“…”
“In any case, we can’t just send our Aegis ships recklessly on such missions, so naturally, the Yi Sun-sin-class would be deployed. However, the current capabilities of the Yi Sun-sin-class are insufficient to deal with threats from all sides. Therefore, we must consider upgrading the new ships being built.”
The Chief of Naval Operations' argument was powerfully persuasive.
In fact, those were words I had wanted to say but had held back.
As they say, there’s no such thing as a favor without a reason.
His assertion that the U.S. hadn't elevated us to their primary ally for nothing.
Ultimately, I believe, as the Chief said, that the U.S. intends to use us as a card for future issues in the Middle East or for applying pressure on China. In preparation for that, an upgrade of the Yi Sun-sin-class is indeed necessary.
“…”
The hall fell into a momentary silence.
They were confused, as topics they hadn't anticipated were being brought up.
It seemed the Chief was also going all-in today; he appeared different for some reason.
His accurate grasp of the situation, for one.
And his unyielding attitude in dealing with it.
*Chief Kim Hae-woong. If he plays his cards right, I wonder if he might have a shot at the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff position in the next administration?*
******
“Thank you for your input.”
On my way out after the public hearing.
The Chief of Naval Operations rushed over to me and spoke.
I was already curious about him, so I smiled and shook the hand he offered. The moment I did, he squeezed it firmly.
“I hope there will be an opportunity to speak with you more, Chairman Jin.”
It was probably because we were on the same wavelength.
Simply put, he was just as curious about someone he could communicate with as I was.
There was no reason to refuse, so I promised we would meet in the future. He offered his hand again with a bright smile.
“Then please do contact me when you have time.”
“Yes, I’ll arrange something soon.”
“Oh, wait!”
Just as I was about to get into my car, he stopped me again.
What else could he have to say?
I looked at him blankly, and he threw an unexpected question at me.
“Have you heard the recent news about the Army?”
“What news…?”
“Lieutenant General Lee Jeong-ho, who was at the forefront of opposing the government's troop reduction plan, has retired from active duty. And he immediately joined the opposition party.”
That was something I had somewhat foreseen.
Most of the Army generals who opposed the current administration's policies were more like politicians than soldiers, and they never tried to hide it.
But what did that have to do with me?
As I tilted my head in confusion, Chief Kim Hae-woong continued.
“The problem isn't that he joined the opposition party, but that he's aligned himself with Representative Lee Yong-jae. As you know, Representative Lee is a prominent politician who has expressed a negative stance on military reform. So, I’m worried about what will happen if Representative Lee becomes the next presidential candidate and Lieutenant General Lee Jeong-ho becomes his right-hand man. Frankly, isn't that something Jaewoo, as a defense contractor, should be concerned about too?”
He was cautious throughout his speech.
It felt like he was worried about giving the impression that he was meddling in politics, even as he criticized political soldiers.
But as a representative of the military, it was only natural for him to express such an opinion.
I replied with an expression that said I had no intention of blaming him for his attitude.
“But there’s no guarantee the administration will change, is there?”
“Do you really think so?”
He looked me straight in the eye and asked.
I desperately wanted to ask him what made him so sure the administration would change, but I held back, glancing at the people around us.
“Well, I suppose only heaven knows. In any case, I just wanted to say that if that becomes a reality, a dark age could befall our military. So please don't mind my words too much, and have a safe trip back.”
He quickly wrapped up his words and turned away.
Watching his retreating back, I was reminded of Minister Lee Dong-wook.
For some reason, his back and Chief Kim's strangely overlapped.
“He expects the administration to change?”
That was surprising to me.
Of course, looking back at history, it was true, but so much had changed in the present that even I couldn't be certain.
Honestly, compared to before my return, it was hard to find any major blunders by the current government. I didn't know what he was basing his prediction of a power shift on.
“Hmm…”
Of course, there were some concerns.
Especially the discord between the ruling party's leader and the President.
Their clashes, which started around last year, had expanded into all sorts of areas and were increasingly causing fatigue among the public.
And that wasn't all. The various blunders by the ruling party's assemblymen were also playing a part.
*That’s the bigger problem, really. The infighting within the ruling party has become so fierce lately that there’s a risk it could completely fall apart during the process of selecting a presidential candidate.*
My brow furrowed as my thoughts deepened.
Next, I thought of Assemblyman Lee Ju-hyeok, who had shown strong charisma during the recent economic war with Japan and raised the opposition party's profile.
A sense of anticipation for him began to build.
*Even if the administration changes, if a man of his caliber becomes president, things might turn out differently. In any case, is the future really becoming this unpredictable?*
******
“CEO Kim Young-gi is here.”
The next day, as soon as I arrived at work, I had a visit from CEO Kim.
Wondering what brought him here so early in the morning, I looked at him, and he slid an approval document toward me.
“What’s this?”
“The military confirmed the contractor for the complex rifle project this morning.”
It meant the contractor for the K11 project had been selected.
After the performance comparison test of the fire-control system, the performance test of the firearm itself had taken place six months ago.
I hadn't paid much attention to it since there had been no news for a while, but it seemed a contractor had been chosen.
“Just from your expression, I can tell we were selected.”
“Yes, it was confirmed in the first round, so there was no need for a second.”
It was perhaps an inevitable result.
The 5.56mm rifle that formed the main body was a weapon that surpassed the level of the DSAR-15P developed by Dasan before my return.
And that wasn't all. The fire-control system, the battery efficiency, and the dual-purpose 25mm projectile launcher were all beyond comparison with the original.
The only disappointment was that despite developing such an outstanding 5.56mm rifle, we had to apply it only to the K11. But since that was a budget issue, there was no room for me to intervene.
“By the way… Chairman of the JCS Kim Tae-ik has expressed a desire to meet with you.”
CEO Kim said nonchalantly.
His expression was oddly meaningful, so I tilted my head. He couldn't contain his smile as he spoke.
“It seems the Army, already simmering with discontent, finally exploded.”
“Exploded? What do you mean?”
The word didn't seem to match his expression, which only deepened my confusion.
I mean, the Army's discontent had exploded. That wasn't something to smile about, was it?
CEO Kim’s lips twisted into a grin again as he spoke.
“The thing is, their explosion of discontent has become an opportunity for us.”
“…”
“The Army apparently told Chairman Kim Tae-ik that while the Air Force and Navy are undergoing massive force enhancements, the Army can't be the only one left in the dust.”
“But the Army also has the next-generation tank, the K9 upgrades and additional procurement, and the K21 development projects underway, don't they?”
“They say those were projects that were planned from the beginning, so it's nothing to brag about.”
“So what are they asking for…?”
“They asked to accelerate the Army's modernization. What was brought up was a request to consider the full-scale adoption of the Polar Bear for the Army as well, but that's obviously not feasible right now.”
“So?”
“So, after narrowing it down, the JCS proposed an individual equipment replacement project. Simply put, they're going to replace the existing K1 and K2 rifles with new ones. And they’ve also decided to complete the distribution of the new body armor, which until now has been supplied mainly to frontline units.”
I did a quick calculation in my head.
The new body armor was already about 45% distributed, so that could be set aside.
Our DSAR-15P cost a quarter of the price of the HK416 series, which was in the 4 million won range.
No, to be precise, it should be the JWAR-15P and JWAR-15PC (carbine version), right?
We had decided to use those official designations now.
In any case, even if they were supplied to the entire military, 500 billion won would be enough.
*Of course, 500 billion is not a small amount, but how does it compare to the costs of the ongoing Air Force and Navy enhancement projects?*
The government would most likely accept it.
*Grin.*
I couldn't hold back the smile that spread across my face.
Honestly, what great significance would that amount of money have for Jaewoo?
What excited me now was the opportunity to finally raise the combat readiness of this country's soldiers, and the influence that would have on the United States later on.
If our rifle had the same performance at a quarter of the price, the U.S. would surely be tempted.
“Tell him I can meet him as early as tomorrow.”