The Rollout of the Next-Generation Fighter
As Taesik busied himself with the preparations for his wedding to Miso—deciding on their new home and interior design—he felt a strange sense of fatigue. Even though he had lived through this process once before in his previous life, it was no less exhausting. Fortunately, Miso didn't demand much, only seeking his input on matters where his opinion was truly necessary. After helping her select her wedding dress, Taesik headed down to Sacheon to attend the rollout ceremony for the next-generation fighter. Starlink Aerospace was in the final stages of preparation for the event, which the President was scheduled to attend.
CEO Jo Yoon-je must have been notified of his arrival, as he was waiting at the main entrance to greet Taesik the moment his car pulled into the factory complex.
"CEO Kim, thank you for making the long trip."
"You must be busy with the event preparations; why are you out here?"
"The rehearsals are finished, and we’re just waiting for the guests, so I had some time. Would you like to see the venue before the event begins?"
Following CEO Jo’s lead, Taesik entered the factory, where a portion of the floor had been transformed into a ceremony venue. Unlike traditional events, the factory lights were dimmed to highlight the next-generation fighter as it emerged from behind the podium. As Taesik inspected the seating arrangement for the VIPs, he turned to CEO Jo.
"Why is my seat placed in front of yours? You are the protagonist of today’s event. Aside from the guests, you should be seated in the front."
Ignoring CEO Jo’s attempt to defer to him, Taesik moved to a seat in the back and insisted that Jo take the front seat. Looking slightly embarrassed, CEO Jo swapped the nameplates and moved to the area behind the podium where the fighter was positioned.
"CEO Kim, this paint scheme hasn't been finalized with the Air Force yet. Doesn't it look quite good?"
"The gray base with the colorful accents on the tail fins is quite pleasing."
Noticing that the prototype on display was a single-seat model, Taesik asked, "Is the two-seat version currently being assembled?"
"Assembly is complete, and it’s currently being painted. We prepared the first unit for the rollout ceremony, and for the main event, a Starlink Aerospace test pilot will descend from the canopy."
As he circled the aircraft, Taesik noted that, unlike the KF-21 from his previous life, the weapons bay was integrated internally, and an IRST (Infrared Search and Track) sensor was mounted in a dome shape in front of the canopy.
"What is the radar cross-section?"
"It's higher than the F-22, but slightly lower than the F-35. The stealth design turned out better than expected; we confirmed it's being detected as a size smaller than a ping-pong ball."
"Has the development of the stealth coating already been completed?"
"A domestic paint manufacturer took a research-grade coating they had developed and improved it for our next-generation fighter. They were very cooperative, saying they wanted the honor of supplying the coating for this project without charging for R&D costs."
"While I was focused on other things, you really accelerated the development, CEO Jo. Have you estimated the mass production unit cost?"
"Considering the development costs, it's expected to be around 75 billion won."
"That's about 20 billion won cheaper than the F-35."
"Yes. To gain an edge in the export market, we invested heavily in manufacturing facilities this time. By replacing traditional workers with robots to automate rivet hole drilling and riveting, production time and efficiency have increased tremendously."
"It’s not quite at the level of a Smart Factory yet, is it?"
"Since it's the aerospace industry, it's difficult to implement the same level of automation as consumer electronics. However, we have automated the most labor-intensive processes, like riveting and composite material handling, which has significantly reduced man-hours."
"The TA-50 takes about two years to produce. What is the lead time for this next-generation fighter?"
"If the suppliers can keep up with the parts, we can produce it in 1.8 years. The biggest problem is the engine; domestic engine development is still lagging, so we need help from the U.S."
"Well, it's time. Let's talk while we move to the Loyal Wingman rollout venue."
Taesik and CEO Jo moved to the adjacent Air Force base through the connecting passage. High-ranking officials from the Ministry of Defense and the Air Force were already seated. Before the VIPs arrived, the attendees were busy sharing their impressions of the Loyal Wingman parked in front of the podium. After exchanging brief greetings with the generals, Taesik admired the drone. As an unmanned aircraft, it lacked a canopy and ejection seat, which made it look unusual at first, but the gray paint gave the aircraft a mysterious aura.
CEO Jo whispered, careful not to be overheard by others, "CEO Kim, the mass production price hasn't been set yet because the unmanned software pricing hasn't been finalized, but its range and combat radius are far superior to the next-generation fighter."
"I remember the data you included in the report. The President will be here soon, so please get ready."
CEO Jo, who had to conduct the event alongside the President as the representative of Starlink Aerospace, headed toward the podium. He pulled out the materials he had prepared and began to double-check his tasks.
Ten minutes later, the sound of a helicopter echoed outside the fighter hangar. A broadcast announced the President's arrival as black security vehicles pulled in. The attendees stood up to welcome him, and a moment later, the President entered through the hangar door, waving his hand.
Given the sensitive nature of the event, the President delivered a speech encouraging Starlink Aerospace and its staff for developing weapons to counter external threats. He then approached the Loyal Wingman with the Minister of National Defense. CEO Jo stood by the President's side to explain the specifications.
"The Loyal Wingman has a length of 12 meters, a range of 3,500 km, and is equipped with an AI-based unmanned operation system. It is a stealth-capable aircraft that can carry up to four weapons, and it can perform missions such as surveillance, reconnaissance, and bombing in place of a manned pilot."
The President nodded at CEO Jo's explanation and asked, "Didn't Starlink Aerospace release the Valkyrie a while ago? How is it different from the Loyal Wingman?"
"You can think of the Valkyrie as a one-time-use subsonic suicide drone. It is launched from a rail to penetrate deep into dangerous enemy territory in place of a pilot, and it's an inexpensive aircraft costing only 4 billion won. In contrast, the Loyal Wingman is equipped with an AESA Radar and can fly at Mach 1.2, acting as a wingman for the next-generation fighter."
"If one pilot flies in formation with an unmanned aircraft, isn't the workload too high?"
"That is why an AI-based operation system is necessary. The AI handles piloting and tactical functions, and the human pilot simply designates the defense sector and targets for the Loyal Wingman to handle; it makes all other decisions on its own. By the way, the next-generation fighter we will roll out shortly comes in two types: single-seat and two-seat. The two-seat version will be the primary aircraft for flying in formation with unmanned drones."
Satisfied that an AI-based aircraft was being developed during his term, the President moved to the next-generation fighter rollout venue. Unlike the Loyal Wingman event, this ceremony was attended by ordinary citizens, academics, suppliers, and military officials. The general attendees believed the President was attending the main event after exchanging pleasantries with officials. Taesik and CEO Jo arrived at their assigned seats a little earlier than the President and waited.
Once the President was seated, two Starlink Aerospace employees introduced the specifications of the next-generation fighter, and the President took the podium to deliver a congratulatory speech.
"Today is the day our independently developed next-generation fighter rolls out. Once ground and flight tests are completed, we will enter full-scale mass production. We plan to deploy 120 units into active service by 2025. The development of this fighter has opened a new era of self-reliant national defense. This is an achievement made possible by the efforts of all developers in the private, public, and military sectors, as well as the support of the people. I feel a great sense of pride and offer my gratitude and respect."
After the congratulatory speech, the staff member in charge announced the introduction of the aircraft. The wall behind the podium opened, and the fighter began to roll forward. Amidst thick smoke, the aircraft revealed its form as the wall opened completely, and the attendees broke into applause, jaws dropped. The stealth-shaped aircraft emerged in a magnificent display. After the pilot descended from the cockpit, the President presented him with a bouquet.
As the rollout was broadcast live on YouTube, citizens left comments, expressing their joy that South Korea finally possessed its own stealth fighter and praying for it to be deployed quickly after testing.
After the one-hour ceremony concluded, the VIPs and attendees departed. Starlink Aerospace employees took commemorative photos at the venue, stroking the aircraft they had designed and built. Once the embargo was lifted, the news explained the specifications and future production plans of the stealth fighter unveiled by Starlink Aerospace, and panels of experts discussed how the aircraft would contribute to the development of South Korea's defense capabilities.
After encouraging the Starlink Aerospace staff, Taesik headed straight to Seoul to help Miso with the wedding preparations. Miso beamed with happiness as Taesik helped her despite his busy schedule. Sensing that Taesik was very different from the second-generation chaebols or executives she knew, she asked softly:
"Taesik, you seem very different from the chaebol heirs or executives I know."
Taesik couldn't tell her that he never wanted to experience divorce again due to neglecting his family, so he replied:
"Marriage is two people coming together to build a home. We should always face the hard times together."
Seemingly pleased with his answer, Miso asked for his opinion while checking the items needed for their new home. The two sat side-by-side like newlyweds, deciding on the items while the secretaries from the Misung Group stood by, taking notes to assist with the preparations.
During the wedding preparations, Taesik and Miso almost forgot about their U.S. investments. Managing Director Park Ji-hong, perhaps having heard the news of their wedding, didn't contact them except for urgent matters. When news broke on December 17th that Bitcoin-related futures would be listed on a U.S. exchange, the price of Bitcoin skyrocketed. The two focused entirely on their wedding preparations, with the final update being that the Bitcoin holdings had been sold off.
Chairman Lee Hyundo appeared in a wheelchair on the day of the wedding. Perhaps reporters had caught wind that the Chairman had left the hospital and that his third daughter was getting married, as they swarmed the hotel with telephoto lenses. The Misung Group had anticipated this and deployed security guards in advance, and Starlink Security President Park Kyung-hoon personally took charge of the VIP protection for Taesik and Miso.
After finishing the wedding ceremony with the blessings of both families, Managing Director Park Ji-hong was waiting for them near the reception hall, having just arrived from the U.S. He delivered the investment results to them verbally.
"Congratulations to you both on your wedding. The U.S. investment results are a massive success."