Damn the World, Ride a Submarine - Chapter 130



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Episode 130 – E-9E AWACS

As human technology and civilization developed, it became more difficult to exterminate or eliminate specific groups.

It was like a spark that they could subdue for a while, but could flare up again at any moment.

Even Russia and the United States failed to change Afghanistan or drive out the Taliban, and failed to solve the problem of warlords and dictators running rampant in Africa.

Moreover, Russia was still alive and well.

Although the Federation was dissolved, it still had a territory larger than China and a population of over 100 million (the population before the dissolution of the Russian Federation was 150 million).

…

After the meeting with Kim Jong-un, everything was moving quickly.

North Korea even showed sincerity by organizing the administrative system and demarcating the areas of the OSS in Rajin and Sonbong.

Preparations were being made to move people held in each political prison camp and reeducation camp to Rajin Port.

ESSO decided to provide coal support to North Korea first.

It will melt the solid permafrost, but not just the frozen ground.

It will slowly melt the eyes and ears of the North Korean people.

The reason we decided to provide coal to North Korea first was because, unlike oil, it is unlikely to be diverted to military equipment and, given North Korea’s environmental conditions, it is a fuel that can be directly used for heating in the winter.

The coal and food that went to them would help them survive a little longer in the second winter.

It was decided to provide 250,000 TOE of coal, which is half of North Korea’s usual annual consumption.

It was agreed to provide North Korea with 10% of the coal produced annually in the Far Eastern Republic. If calculated in simple weight, this amounted to over 500,000 tons.

– TOE (Ton of oil equivalent): Oil equivalent ton, weight comparing energy resources to the calorific value of oil (crude oil). Crude oil has a TOE value of 1 TOE, anthracite coal has a TOE value of 0.473, and natural gas has a TOE value of 1.3.

And of the 1.5 million tons of grains such as wheat, corn, and barley imported from Ukraine to East Asia, 300,000 tons were allocated to North Korea.

It was decided that the import price would be paid first by OSL and then deducted from the profits from economic cooperation with the North.

In addition, it was decided to provide about 1,000 trucks to transport coal, food, and other supplies, as well as a small amount of diesel fuel. It also launched a project to purchase large quantities of discarded used clothes from South Korea and Japan and send them to the North.

As the first cargo ship loaded with coal left the port of Vladivostok, Kim Jong-un requested a call.

“Your Majesty!”

“Yes, Chairman.”

“Thank you for your bold decision this time. I think it will be of great help to the Republic.”

Kim Jong-un expressed surprise and ceremonial gratitude for ESSO’s prompt energy assistance. It seemed like a nagging was in order.

“Keep your promises and do what you have to do quickly.”

“It’s great, it’s great.”

“Mr. Chairman!”

“Yes, go ahead, Your Majesty.”

“Coal is the starting point. You must use it well.”

“Yes, I will use Altolan together.”

“Can I speak comfortably?”

“Yes, go ahead.”

“Chairman, we must show that this coal is distributed equally to the people. Only then will it be easier for me to do my job.”

“Come on, I was thinking about it.”

“…”

“I know what the enemy is worried about. I had ESSO employees directly participate in the distribution. I pushed it through despite the opposition of the old guard.”

“Well done, Mr. Chairman. That was a wise decision.”

“Guilty?”

“Of course. That way, I can bring in more from either Japan or the US.”

“Well, the enemy is helping us like this without caring about South Korea and the US. We should help them no matter what. I am so grateful.”

“Oh, Rajin, I plan to build a textile and garment factory in the Seonbong district. I will make it possible for food aid to be sent in the name of land rental fees.”

“Good. Take care of it right away.”

“Yes. Thank you. And Mr. Chairman!”

“Your Majesty! Say anything.”

“I would like to have the Chief of the Reconnaissance General Bureau and our Chief Lee meet once.”

“Gi-Geon, what do you mean?”

“I would like to share information with China and Russia. We have to keep an eye on their movements. We don’t know what will happen after this winter.”

“Ah, ah. I see.”

“And. If you have any connection with the Korean Autonomous Prefectures in the three northeastern provinces, please share it with us.”

“I’m guilty. If those bastards had other ideas, the Joseonjok, who are of the same ethnicity, would have helped. I followed the will of the enemy.”

“Thank you, Mr. Chairman.”

I intuitively felt that I had to make full use of Kim Jong-un’s forward-looking attitude. Then, I agreed to reopen the Kaesong Industrial Complex.

However, the problem was that North Korea had frozen the assets of companies in the Kaesong Industrial Complex in the past. Therefore, it was necessary to relieve the anxiety of companies located in the complex.

To that end, it was agreed to additionally designate the Kaesong Industrial Complex as a leased area for the OSS.

In other words, this meant that the Kaesong Industrial Complex, following Rajin and Seonbong districts, had become OSS land.

And companies entering the Kaesong Industrial Complex are automatically enrolled in an asset protection insurance policy jointly created by Samsung Life Insurance and OSLAM.

This insurance was designed to protect all assets not only from asset freezes in North Korea but also from natural disasters.

It was decided that the insurance money would be covered by a portion of the rental fee for the industrial complex site that the North would receive.

Secretary General Jin Min-gyu also had a busy day every day.

There was not a single day that he did not fly a jet. He had to give up his G700 jet, the second OSS jet, as the Secretary General’s personal plane.

He met with heads of government and officials from each ESSO member country.

Now that North Korea has become a member of ESSO, we have convinced them that allowing North Korea to function as a normal country will only help Northeast Asia’s security and economy.

Secretary General Jin’s efforts and the silent pressure of the OSS led to the decision by South Korea and Japan to directly provide food aid to North Korea.

The lever for that decision was this:

The first coal support was distributed directly to North Korean residents by ESSO and NGOs.

This was clearly a change from the past in North Korea, and it became the biggest justification for persuasion.

It would be unbearable for China to change the North Korean regime, but I thought it would be commendable if the North Korean people themselves changed the regime someday.

Right now, I don’t even have the energy to raise my voice or share my opinion with anyone. It was a desperate crisis of survival, so I couldn’t expect that.

…

ESSO’s hypothetical enemies were China and Russia. China bordered North Korea and the Far Eastern Republic, while Russia bordered the northern part of the Far Eastern Republic.

The biggest problem was that there was no early warning system in North Korea and the Far Eastern Republic.

Fortunately, just in time, three airborne early warning aircraft were delivered as a result of long-term preparations for the introduction of OSS early warning aircraft.

These were three of the six E-9E AWACS aircraft ordered from Boeing.

– AWACS (Airborne early warning and control)

The E-9E was a completely new aircraft model that had never been seen before. The E-7 (Boeing 737) system was transplanted onto the Boeing 767 fuselage to increase flight time and convenience.

And the additional fuel space and improved fuel efficiency allowed for longer mission endurance.

The E-9E could stay in the air for 16 hours on a single sortie.

The spacious cabin allowed the crew to work in two shifts in case of emergency, and aerial refueling also allowed for longer flight times.

This meant that 24-hour airborne early warning and control missions were possible with just two aircraft.

In the case of the E-737 Peace Eye (Boeing 737 AEW&C) operated by South Korea, the endurance time was only 8 hours, so 4 aircraft including the spare aircraft were required.

The Philippines, where the new camp is located, was sharing the US military’s early warning assets.

Judging that early warning resources in the East Asian region were more urgent than in Mindanao, they were deployed first in Khabarovsk and Vladivostok, the Far Eastern Republics.

Although early warning aircraft were deployed in the Far Eastern Republic, they were clearly limited as they could not enter North Korean airspace.

At a meeting of military officials, North Korean officials dismissed the proposal as “a proposal that doesn’t even make sense.”

The result was not surprising. It was a natural result. There is no way that any country would allow a foreign reconnaissance plane to enter its airspace.

This time, I requested a direct call with Kim Jong-un.

“Mr. Chairman!”

“I thought the enemy was going to call me.”

“Yes. I requested a call because of an early warning system problem.”

“I understand your intentions, Lord. But it is not easy.”

“I know. But don’t you have no assets to monitor China’s borders, let alone Chinese and Russian air power?”

“That’s true. That’s why I’m deeply troubled.”

“Do you agree with the necessity? Mr. Chairman!”

“I’m guilty. If those bastards send out fighter jets right now and enter our land, we’ll know. This is a big deal. Gather all the ranks and ask them.”

“What did you say?”

“In other words, he takes off everything except his underwear and runs around like crazy. He’s really jumping around. It’s the first time I’ve seen him raise his voice like that in front of me.”

“…”

“Oh, I understand. It’s not an easy decision.”

“If you have a knife, then what are you going to do with it? I become a dumb person who has eaten honey.”

I don’t think Kim Jong-un would say that it is difficult for early warning aircraft to enter the airspace just because of opposition from the military.

It seemed like he wanted to receive something more if he had no choice.

“then…”

“Your Majesty, what plan do you have?”

“There has to be something that can convince the military.”

“What was there?”

“I understand that North Korea’s air power is very weak. If we could increase that, wouldn’t the military accept it to some extent?”

“Guilty. All our planes are junk.”

“First of all, if we can support about 20 Su-27 fighter jets in the Far Eastern Republic…”

“Are you in your 20s? Are you really going to wear it, sir?”

“Yes, it may be complicated in many ways, but that is my intention.”

“But. Do you just pick that up in the Far Eastern Republic?”

“I will take care of that part. And I will also donate six MV-22 aircraft.”

“Oh, the one that the enemy came to Rajin Port in. Is that the one that can be either a helicopter or an airplane? Are you just giving it to me like that?”

“Yes, that’s right. And I’ll give it to you for free.”

“That’s right. It’s good that you gave us fighter jets. But the Republic’s circumstances are such that even if we have planes, we can’t fly them…”

“Yes. How about providing enough fuel to maintain the aircraft we are donating for a year?”

“Okay. Yes, try to convince him. Your Majesty.”

“Your Majesty, thank you.”

“…”

“But. Are you going to just sit there and do nothing in South Korea?”

…