Chapter 24
Chapter 24
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: A Surprise Guest
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The look on Michael's face as he gulped was quite a sight.
It was as if he couldn't believe a country that had struggled to produce a single decent missile could possess such advanced technology.
But I had precision guidance technology built on globally trusted semiconductors and sensors, applicable not just to a mere 155mm shell, but even to 5-inch naval artillery rounds.
[If it can hit a moving target, that means it has guidance capabilities, but there was no mention of that in the catalog you sent.]
[My apologies for that. For security reasons, we couldn't disclose its core functions until the official unveiling. I should also add that, depending on the options, this shell can be guided by laser, or by air, ground, and sea-based surveillance radars.]
[…….]
Michael stared at me, utterly dumbfounded.
And why wouldn't he be?
After all, if what I said was true, you might as well call it a missile.
In the future, the lines between rockets, missiles, and artillery shells would blur—that was the prevailing trend in the weapons market. So to me, this was nothing special. But for the people of this era, the shock must have been immense.
[We have a brief announcement. The event has been slightly delayed due to the late arrival of some of our distinguished guests.]
Just then, an announcement suddenly came over the PA system, informing us of the delay.
Most of the invited guests were already in their seats.
Curious, I looked toward the venue entrance and saw a US general in a dress uniform walking in, escorted by military police.
“General Jeffrey? What is he doing here...?”
The first to recognize him was Lee Dong-wook, the Deputy Commander of the Combined Forces Command.
At his words, I glanced over and saw that the man had four stars on his shoulder.
Apparently, I wasn't the only one to notice; a murmur rippled through the crowd.
[It's been a while, Deputy Commander Lee Dong-wook.]
[I trust you've been well, Admiral?]
General Lee Dong-wook hurried over to the mysterious US officer and exchanged greetings with him for some time.
In the meantime, Michael quickly joined them, exchanged some words, and then suddenly looked in my direction.
[Mr. Jin!]
Michael beckoned to me, where I was standing idly.
As I made my way through the crowd, Michael introduced the man with an expression that seemed to announce the return of a king.
[This is Admiral Jeffrey, the U.S. Chief of Naval Operations.]
[A pleasure to meet you. I'm Jin Hyun-seung, the Head of Policy at Jaewoo Thales.]
The moment the introduction was over, I extended my hand almost reflexively.
Admiral Jeffrey, who had a memorable smile, held my handshake and studied me for a long moment.
[…….]
[Ah! My apologies. I hadn't realized you would be so young.]
[I didn't expect you to be so young either, Admiral.]
It wasn't just empty flattery.
He actually looked much younger than Lieutenant General Michael.
It wasn't easy for a man who must have spent a lifetime battling the salty sea winds to look so youthful.
[Flattery or not, it's nice to hear. By the way, the Secretary of the Navy was originally scheduled to attend, but I came in his place due to unforeseen circumstances. Please understand that we didn't contact you in advance for security reasons.]
At his words, I glanced at Michael.
He looked troubled, as if unsure how to explain the situation.
In the end, he chose to tell the unvarnished truth.
[The truth is, the U.S. Navy has been keeping a close eye on this Jaewoo Thales project. That's why when the invitation to the demonstration arrived, the Secretary of the Navy himself decided to attend.]
Attracting the U.S. Navy's interest had been my intention from the start.
Need always creates demand.
I figured the U.S. Navy, which was already feeling the need for smart naval artillery shells, would naturally be interested.
But I never imagined their interest would be this great.
Frankly, having the Chief of Naval Operations here was intimidating enough, but to think the Secretary of the Navy himself planned to fly in...
“Hmm...”
Then, it suddenly occurred to me that the final decision-maker for U.S. Navy weapons procurement was the Secretary of the Navy.
And a person with such immense authority wanted to personally observe our weapons demonstration?
This was starting to feel very promising.
[Now, now, let's save the deep discussion for a little later and focus on the event for now.]
Admiral Jeffrey settled the restless atmosphere as if he were the host of the event.
Just then, the gun barrel was in position, waiting for my signal.
After confirming that people were settling back into their chairs, I gave the hand signal, and the announcement came over the PA system again.
[The impact point for the shell about to be fired is a military test range on Ganghwa Island. Our distinguished guests can watch the live feed on the provided screens.]
“It's starting.”
General Lee Dong-wook muttered under his breath.
BANG!
A sound that shook the very earth erupted as the cannon barrel spewed fire.
Remembering the announcement, everyone's eyes turned to the screens in unison.
KABOOM!
A moment later, the shell, having flown a full 100 kilometers, guided by a nearby laser designator, scored a direct hit on the top of a test vehicle that was being towed.
Top attack.
It's an attack method that targets a tank's turret, where the armor is weakest. But since the target was a flimsy passenger car, the vehicle itself was completely disintegrated, sending shrapnel flying in all directions.
[…….]
Admiral Jeffrey's expression, from what I could see, was completely rigid.
As if trying hard not to reveal his inner thoughts.
But could he hide it? The unusually rapid tapping of his finger betrayed his excitement.
[Preparing the second round.]
A moment later, following the announcement, the reloaded self-propelled howitzer fired again.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Three rounds in total.
And they were fired with a time delay by adjusting the angle of the barrel.
As if realizing the reason, a gasp of astonishment escaped Michael's lips.
[Are you attempting to have them all impact the same spot?]
[That's right.]
The three shells landed in the exact same spot as the vehicle that had been pulverized moments before.
It was clear proof of its extremely low circular error probable.
A stunned Admiral Jeffrey whipped his head around to face Michael.
[What did you say the distance was?]
[100 kilometers.]
[That's practically the range of a short-range missile!]
[You could say that. That's precisely what caught our Ministry of Defense's attention. And what's more, that destructive power... it's really on par with a short-range missile, isn't it?]
A sharp observation.
To replace a missile with such a small shell, an increase in firepower is essential.
Fortunately, Jaewoo Thales, a world-class explosives manufacturer, possessed the technology to create an explosive with three times the yield of conventional ones, and I had incorporated it into these shells.
[Yes, with that kind of firepower, it certainly...]
Unlike before, Admiral Jeffrey made no attempt to hide his emotions.
But it was still too early to be surprised.
Because the part you'll really be interested in is up next.
[Next, we will proceed with the test of the 5-inch naval smart shell. We ask our distinguished guests to please keep your eyes on the screen.]
Another announcement rang out, and the image on the screen changed.
This time, the screen showed the waters off the coast of Jinhae.
Soon, the camera began to focus on a destroyer, and the 5-inch naval gun of the *Eulji Mundeok* turned to aim at the input coordinates.
I shot a quick glance at Admiral Jeffrey.
His lips were pressed into a thin line, and he was showing such intense concentration that he wouldn't have noticed if someone dropped dead next to him.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
A total of five smart shells were fired from the naval gun.
The target was a barge in the East Sea, about 100 kilometers away.
Sure enough, a moment later, the containers stacked on the barge for the test began to explode one after another with a slight delay between them.
[How can the explosive power of a mere 127mm shell be that...]
Swallowing without realizing it, Admiral Jeffrey stared at me with wide eyes.
I took a moment to wet my throat and met his gaze directly.
[As I mentioned, this shell is loaded with an explosive that has three times the yield of conventional ones for the same mass. With that much power, it can easily match the firepower of a small, short-range missile.]
[Putting that aside, what was the reason for firing in succession?]
[That was to demonstrate an advantage that missiles don't have.]
[An advantage missiles don't have?]
[Firing multiple missiles, each costing a fortune, at a single target is practically a waste, isn't it? But I wanted to show that it's perfectly feasible with artillery shells.]
[So, you're demonstrating the viability of saturation tactics?]
Jeffrey's expression showed he finally understood.
However, the South Korean military personnel, excluding him, still looked bewildered.
This time, I continued with a more detailed explanation for their benefit.
“As you all know, a destroyer's defense system is broadly divided into two categories: anti-air missiles and anti-air guns. But that's a defense system designed to counter incoming anti-ship missiles and aircraft. It's virtually impossible to block a barrage of countless precision-guided shells flying at three times the speed of sound.”
[Three times the speed of sound? You've increased the shell's muzzle velocity that much?]
Admiral Jeffrey interjected.
So he wasn't completely ignorant of Korean.
No, seeing how he pinpointed the core issue and asked about it, his Korean might be much better than I thought.
[Because simply increasing the explosive's performance isn't enough to penetrate a destroyer's double hull. Ultimately, kinetic energy is the key, and to maximize that, we've developed a new propellant charge.]
“In that case, it's practically game over. Frankly, it's like getting bombarded with twenty supersonic missiles a minute. How could anyone defend against that? It would be difficult even against subsonic missiles. Even an Aegis-equipped ship would struggle to stop it.”
General Lee Dong-wook, who had been listening, added an explanation in Korean, as if for the benefit of those around him.
Just as the military officials, finally understanding, nodded their heads, Admiral Jeffrey suddenly grabbed my sleeve and asked.
[I'm just asking on the off chance, but is it possible to extend the range even further?]
[A RAP shell. That is, if we improve the performance of the rocket-assisted projectile, it should be quite possible. We happen to have one in development, so in about two months, we should be able to increase the maximum range to 120 kilometers.]
[You're telling me there's still room for improvement when it's already performing several times better than existing RAP shells?]
[You seem to have misunderstood. The RAP unit attached to our smart shell is a conventional one. The reason for the extended range is due to the dramatic improvements in muzzle velocity and gliding capability. So naturally, there's still room to improve the RAP unit itself, wouldn't you agree?]
[…….]
[In any case, if the RAP unit is also improved, it would be the icing on the cake for the U.S. Navy. Not only could it serve as a short-range supersonic anti-ship missile, but it could also strike land targets, making it capable of supporting over-the-horizon amphibious operations.]
A familiar expression appeared on Admiral Jeffrey's face as he listened.
Desire.
The very same expression Michael had shown when we were discussing the export of the new armor-piercing rounds.
Just as I was starting to feel optimistic about the possibility of an export deal, he said something astonishing.
[Actually, before I even entered the country, I secured an understanding with the Republic of Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff.]
[What...]
[That if the smart shell developed by Jaewoo Thales meets the U.S. Navy's required specifications, they would approve the export... And from the looks of it, you've already exceeded our requirements.]
[…….]
[With that in mind, I believe we need to have a serious conversation after the event is over.]