Chapter 82
Chapter 82
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 82
Chapter Title: The Hedgehog Strategy
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[The government has approved the merger between Jaewoo Aerospace and Korea Aerospace Industries. Furthermore, after approximately three months of due diligence, it appears that Daeyoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering will also be acquired by Jaewoo. Some have raised suspicions that the government's decision constitutes preferential treatment…….]
A short time later, after completing its due diligence, KAI was finally in Jaewoo's hands.
Just as Vice President Kim had predicted, the media was rampant with all sorts of speculation, but that only lasted a few days.
Our swift response, led by Jaewoo Group's public relations department, took control of most of the media, and eventually, the tone of public opinion began to shift.
[It is true that the government continuing to manage KAI is a significant burden. Moreover, we must not overlook the government's original reason for attempting to consolidate the aerospace sector. Simply put, the integration of the two companies is in line with the government's policy. Besides, with the existing major shareholders in agreement, what could be the problem?]
As our spokesperson—no, the debater—said in his closing remarks, Samjung, one of KAI's major shareholders, readily agreed to hand over its shares.
Considering their relationship with us, it was an expected outcome.
The only remaining major shareholders were Hyunwoo and Daeyoo, but since Daeyoo's shares were being managed by the government following the group's dissolution, the acquisition was no problem. As for Hyunwoo, they were entangled with us in many ways and were also under government pressure, so they didn't hesitate to agree.
[The problem is how to resolve the deficit.]
The debate had already shifted to the issue of resolving KAI's chronic deficit.
It was a strategy to move the point of discussion forward, naturally making the previous topic a foregone conclusion.
Of course, we had to bear the side effects. Thanks to this, there was a ridiculous situation where Jaewoo Aerospace's stock price once plummeted by nearly twenty percent.
“Congratulations, Chairman.”
Afterward, the system integration of KAI and Jaewoo Aerospace proceeded without any delay.
The first priority was integrating the design departments.
Thanks to this, we would soon be able to produce nearly 1,500 blueprints a month on average, and by early next year, it wouldn't be unreasonable to attempt manufacturing bulkheads.
“As soon as the mid-term defense plan is announced, we should probably get flight permits from the military soon.”
The Sukhoi airframe, which had been sitting idle, seemed like it would finally get to fly.
The purpose was to test the performance of the AESA radar we had already developed to be installed in our own indigenous fighter jet.
With that, we no longer needed to go through the trouble of flying to Israel to test performance on an actual aircraft.
*Tsk*, this is why we need an airframe that we can freely modify for equipment testing.
“I'm most looking forward to the moment it flies with our radar installed.”
CEO Yoon looked just as excited as I was.
He was the man who would now effectively lead not only Jaewoo Aerospace but also KAI.
Although his workload would increase, he also seemed quite pleased with the KAI acquisition.
“Oh! I wonder how the Daeyoo Shipbuilding acquisition is going.”
“The due diligence is mostly a formality. The debt will be forgiven through the Korea Development Bank anyway. In the meantime, we should start doing some on-site inspections.”
“You'll be busy again for a while.”
“It's my life, what can I do? By the way, the scale of this assembly building is incredible.”
The last place we toured was the assembly building for the supersonic trainer, which was well under development.
It was another piece of homework we had to take on now that KAI had come over to Jaewoo.
Come to think of it, the time had come to redefine our relationship with Lockheed Martin.
[Hello.]
Thinking there was no need to drag things out, I made the call immediately.
The recipient was Kevin Bryan.
He was the very same man who was present when I met with Jeffrey, the Chief of Naval Operations, in the U.S.
-I was actually planning to head to Korea tomorrow.
Kevin's voice on the other end of the line was filled with excitement.
The news of Jaewoo's KAI acquisition was clearly an issue they couldn't ignore.
The difference from before was that I could no longer sense any wariness in his tone.
[……That's great. I have quite a lot to discuss as well.]
******
[It's been a while.]
After a thirteen-hour flight, Kevin arrived in Korea and came straight to the group headquarters.
Perhaps because we were no longer enemies but partners sharing a part of the business, his expression was definitely much brighter than before.
[Congratulations. I hear the mood of the joint strike fighter program has shifted back in Lockheed's favor?]
According to recent news, the U.S.'s next-generation joint strike fighter program was once again tilting in Lockheed's favor.
No matter what improvements they proposed, Boeing couldn't overcome the fundamental problems with their design.
It looked like the F-35 would see the light of day as planned.
[It's a huge relief. By the way, looking at Jaewoo these days, I'm almost bewildered, wondering if this is the same Jaewoo I once knew.]
He bantered lightly, subtly gauging my reaction.
He was indirectly expressing how we had grown to a formidable scale.
Thinking about it, even I felt how much things had changed.
[Actually, what I want to talk about today isn't the advanced trainer that Lockheed and KAI are jointly developing.]
Kevin tilted his head at my subtle remark.
It was understandable. After all, that was the only immediate business between Lockheed and us, so he was naturally taken aback when I said I wanted to discuss something else.
I took a short breath and continued.
[Before that, I'd like to see if Lockheed and Jaewoo can join hands once again.]
[Join hands again? Are you saying Jaewoo is going to restart the parts supply business with us?]
[Of course not.]
[Then what in the world…….]
Kevin wore a look of continuous bewilderment.
In that moment, I took an F-16 model out of my drawer and waved it at him.
[The F-16. One of Lockheed's masterpieces, with thousands sold worldwide. Of course, about half of those were purchased by the U.S. government, but the number of orders from other countries is still substantial. But here's a question: how many of those do you think don't need an upgrade?]
[…….]
He remained silent.
[Actually, I've been thinking about this for a while. What would happen if we installed Jaewoo's AESA radar on the F-16? Naturally, the weapons systems would have to change, and as a result, wouldn't it become a completely different aircraft from what it is now?]
[What do you mean…….]
This was something I had decided to try first thing after acquiring KAI.
Upgrading the F-16 through collaboration with Lockheed.
If that were possible, the F-16 would reach a level unattainable by other 4th-generation aircraft.
In other words, it would be reborn as a 4.5-generation aircraft, lacking only stealth capabilities, which would instantly boost our military strength.
And not just that. The massive radar supply and modification business could turn KAI's chronic deficit into a surplus.
[How could you think of…….]
Kevin looked astonished.
But perhaps realizing it wasn't entirely impossible, he soon began muttering with a dazed expression.
[If the radar is replaced, the avionics will have to be replaced too, and then, of course, the performance upgrade costs…….]
[That's my point. Furthermore, for older airframes, parts and engine replacements would also be done concurrently. Then the scale of this project would be on par with a new fighter jet sales program. No, considering the number of F-16s sold, it would be even bigger than most new fighter sales programs.]
[…….]
Kevin looked excited throughout the conversation.
It would be stranger if he weren't excited, given that a way had emerged to revive an aircraft he thought was already dead and buried and turn it into a source of profit.
But then, his eyes narrowed as he looked at me.
[I'm just asking, but what kind of limits are you planning to put on the radar's performance?]
It was a natural question to ask.
Unless one was a fool, there was no reason to make the export version identical to the original.
He was likely asking because he was worried that an excessive downgrade might reduce its appeal, but in truth, there was nothing to worry about in that regard.
[No matter how much it's downgraded, an AESA is still an AESA. You're well aware that it's fundamentally different from the mechanical radar currently installed on the F-16, aren't you?]
[You have a point. I admit it was a foolish question. By the way, no matter how I think about it, this isn't something I can answer on my own. Could you perhaps give me some time?]
Kevin took a step back.
It wasn't just him being cautious; the project would be so massive if realized that he probably found it difficult to make a decision on his own.
[I can give you all the time you need. One thing to keep in mind is that Jaewoo wants to build a stronger relationship with Lockheed through this project. Although there were some unpleasant incidents in the past, what kind of businessman would foolishly dwell on the past?]
[…….]
At those words, Kevin stared at me intently.
As if trying to discern the truth behind my words.
He soon stood up, smiled faintly, and extended his hand.
[Looking at you, I can't help but think it's a huge relief we didn't end up making an enemy of Jaewoo. Very well, I'll report this to my superiors as soon as I get back.]
******
[The government has announced a long-term defense plan that will be implemented over the next ten years, starting from next year. The plan's main components are reported to be the development of an indigenous fighter jet, the establishment of a Korean-style Aegis system, and a project to secure medium-sized submarines. It was also revealed that the mass acquisition of medium-range ballistic missiles is included.]
[Officials are interpreting the gist of the government's military buildup as a kind of 'hedgehog strategy.']
A few days later, the government announced the mid-term defense plan as scheduled.
As expected, the first thing the media clamored about was the concern that the expenditure was excessive for the size of the national economy.
But, perplexingly, it received full support from both the ruling and opposition parties, leading to a strange phenomenon where only the media outlets that pointed it out were made to look foolish.
“What in the world……”
In truth, even I was taken aback by the bipartisan cooperation on this defense budget increase.
As far as I knew, the ruling and opposition parties had a habit of tearing each other apart the moment they found any fault.
Of course, the public sentiment of 'We'd even welcome a fundraising campaign if it's for acquiring weapons!' probably played a part, but even so, it was the first time in my life I had seen the ruling and opposition parties so united.
‘By the way, the "poison sting" strategy that was supposed to be implemented around 2020 is already being put into action… this is unexpected.’
The massive expansion of missile capabilities was virtually identical to the "poison sting" strategy our military had implemented before my regression.
In short, it meant that if provoked, they would wreak havoc comparable to the damage from a nuclear attack.
A strategy that says, "If you mess with me, at the very least, you won't get away unscathed."
Perhaps because of this, the concerned reactions from foreign media also increased significantly.
[The Japanese government is expressing serious concern over our large-scale military buildup. In particular, they claim the mass deployment of strategic ballistic missiles is a move targeting Japan…….]
“They got that part right.”
In fact, regarding the missile buildup, Japan's claim wasn't wrong.
If the plan was only to deal with North Korea, there would be no reason to deploy a large number of medium-range missiles.
They will probably come up with countermeasures soon, and I can roughly guess what they will be.
Acquiring their own long-range strike capabilities.
“*Tsk, tsk*……”
But it won't be easy.
To make that possible, they would need to amend their constitution first, but the atmosphere in Japan at this time wasn't anti-Korean enough for that, nor was the far-right's grip on politics absolute.
Considering that, the current government's actions might actually be for the better.
Just as getting hit repeatedly can numb the senses over time.
We need to poke them like this in advance to build up their immunity.
[The Chinese government is also reacting sensitively to our mass deployment of medium-range ballistic missiles. They have indicated that in the worst-case scenario, it could severely damage economic exchanges between the two countries…….]
“Right, it might be better for our exchange with China to decrease now. That way, we won't make the same mistake of investing excessively in you only to get stabbed in the back.”
I spent almost the entire day listening to the reactions of neighboring countries.
The strange thing was that the United States and Russia were still quiet.
Russia's silence was understandable, given their numerous involvements with us, but the U.S. was a bit surprising.
What could it be?
The reason for their silence while we were stirring things up this much in Northeast Asia.
*Ring!*
Just as my thoughts were getting tangled, my phone rang.
The number pattern looked like an international call.
I quickly pressed the call button, and Hassad's booming voice rang out.
-It's been a while, Chairman Jin.
In truth, it hadn't been that long.
We had exchanged countless opinions through the Saudi sovereign wealth fund's steering committee.
I had been hearing his voice at least once a week.
-The Saudi sovereign wealth fund has just confirmed the amount it will invest in the fund you are leading.
“……”