Damn the World, Ride a Submarine - Chapter 208



Only Krnovel

Episode 208 – Armored Forces

It was to have a complete remote combat system with unmanned tanks, unmanned fighter jets, and drones.

In order to maximize the combat capabilities of unmanned fighter jets, the latest medium- to long-range air-to-air missiles were introduced in large quantities.

The first was the highly reliable AMRAAM missile, developed and improved since 1984. It was an air-to-air missile that flew at Mach 4 and detonated a fragmentation warhead with a 20 kg warhead and a high-explosive blast.

It was decided to purchase large quantities of AIM-120D missiles with a range of 160 km.

The Korean Air Force also had the foresight to push for AMRAAM integration for the FA-50 light attack aircraft starting with Block 20.

* Integration: When used in a military sense, it refers to combining a specific weapon system or technology with an existing military platform to improve functionality or provide armament capabilities.

*AMRAAM: Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile. This is a next-generation medium-range air-to-air missile with active radar guidance produced by Raytheon.

In addition, we secured as many AIM-260 missiles as possible, which the US Air Force had ambitiously developed and started production of.

The AIM-260 is the latest medium- to long-range air-to-air missile that has been secretly developed since 2017, with a maximum range of 300 km. That is the distance at which a fighter jet taking off from Seoul can intercept an enemy aircraft in Busan from around Suwon.

Now that the pilots and tank crews were ready to be protected, it was time to absorb the high-quality manpower that was abundant on Korean soil.

Inspired by the developments of OSS-ART and Dr. Kim Beom-jun, I decided to further increase my forces.

There was no need to mention China’s Yunnan province, and it seemed that a huge ground war would break out in the Far Eastern Republic as well.

It was decided to increase the number of artillery brigades of the OSS to four and to introduce an additional 1,000 K2-A3 tanks, a new model of the K2 Black Panther.

It was a natural progression to make all tanks unmanned.

Based on that, he decided to create an OSS armored force and gave instructions for preparations.

The OSS armored force consists of 1,200 tanks, 300 ammunition supply vehicles, 1,200 TARC (tactical remote command vehicle), and 400 K9-A2 self-propelled howitzers.

And a separate armored aviation unit was created and 100 FA-50 remote attack aircraft for close support were assigned to it.

In addition, the armored force created its own drone brigade and added 2,500 drones of various types.

Among the drones, there are mid-altitude anti-tank drones such as MQ-9 and Bayraktar, as well as one close-range reconnaissance drone per tank.

He also ordered the upgrade of self-propelled battleships and the construction of 20 armored landing ships.

It was intended to serve as a supply ship in peacetime, while being capable of deploying the entire armored force in times of emergency.

The armored landing ship, which was developed and built, was a landing ship specialized for the projection of armored forces such as tanks and self-propelled guns.

It is equipped with a foldable bridge on the loading ramp and a separate marine pontoon boat, allowing landings of up to 200 m without landing craft.

The problem was the timing of the tank delivery. When 1,000 tanks were ordered at once, Hyundai Rotem responded that it would take two years.

‘It might explode as soon as next year…’

As always, it was solved with money. 10.3 trillion won was paid in advance as a lump sum for the purchase of 1,000 tanks.

OSS agreed to bear all of the liquidated damages that Hyundai Rotem had to pay on the condition that we would receive the tanks to be delivered to other countries first.

And to increase production, we decided to build a new tank factory and facilities at OSS-LAN in Kiribati, owned by OSSel, and we will bear all the costs.

However, the condition was that North Korean migrant workers be trained so that production would be possible in the future without technical support from Hyundai Rotem.

Preparations were made for the creation of the OSS Armored Corps. The headquarters was to be located at Camp Marshall until the system was ready.

It was decided to form a total of four armored divisions and three independent brigades. The armored divisions will include three tank brigades, an artillery brigade, an assault brigade, an aviation corps, and a drone regiment.

The three independent brigades included a mobile assault brigade, a missile brigade, and an aviation support unit.

A large-scale recruitment campaign was planned in Korea to supplement the force, targeting reservists with experience in branches such as tanks and artillery, as well as those awaiting discharge.

This has the effect of increasing Korea’s employment rate, so the government is actively supporting it, so it seems that there will not be a major problem in securing troops.

A commander for the armored forces had to be appointed, but there were no armor or tank warfare experts within the OSS.

I was recommended one person through various routes. It was General Kim Poong-ik, who had retired as a three-star general. He also expressed his desire to work with the OSS, and I prepared an interview for the final decision.

I flew the G650 ER jet to Korea and met him at my office in OSS-LAND, Kiribati.

General Kim Poong-ik was a figure who held key positions in the armored and artillery units of the Republic of Korea Army, rising to the level of division commander, and was from a military family that had produced army generals for generations.

At our first meeting, I got the same impression I had when I first met Commander Choi Eun-seok. He was neat, disciplined, strong, but humble.

He saluted in a quiet but firm tone.

“Loyalty!”

I too received a proper salute.

“Nice to meet you. I hope this can be a comfortable opportunity for conversation.”

“Your Majesty, thanks to you, the Korean peninsula has been saved from the war crisis and many young people have been saved from death. It is an honor to meet someone I have always respected.”

“When you say things like that, I feel embarrassed.”

“No. I was just telling you the truth. I wanted to join the OSS after I was discharged, but the Navy was the main force, so I didn’t have the opportunity.”

“Is that so? That’s fortunate. We have just created an armored force, but we have been struggling to find a suitable commander.”

“If you just leave it to me, I will carry out my mission with all my heart.”

I could sense a strong will and a certain determination in his eyes.

“The general’s career and abilities have already been verified. I invited you here just to see his face once. Haha.”

“Oh, thank you. I will be loyal.”

“But General, your name is…. Does it have anything to do with that Pungik self-propelled howitzer?”

“Yes, that’s right. My father named it Poongik out of admiration for Lieutenant Colonel Kim Poongik, an artillery hero during the Korean War. The K105A1 Poongik was also given that name and became official.”

“Oh, that’s a historic name. Tell me the story of Lieutenant Colonel Kim Poong-ik. Haha.”

“Yes. Major Kim Poong-ik, who was the commander of the 2nd Training Battalion of the Army Artillery School during the Korean War, lined up 105mm field guns on the road and waited for the enemy during the Battle of Uijeongbu at the beginning of the war.”

“…”

“And after waiting until the enemy tank T34-85 got within 50 meters, we stopped its advance by firing direct shots at the enemy tank.”

“So, you’re saying that you shot the tank directly with a towed gun?”

“Yes. Major Kim Poong-ik, who stopped the advance of enemy tanks, was attacked by enemy tanks from the rear and died a heroic death together with the 2nd Battery Commander and the 6th Battery members.”

“ah ···.”

“To commemorate him, not only was there a bust of Lt. Col. Kim Poong-ik at the current Army Artillery School, but the PX was also named Poong-ik Mart, and the K105A1 self-propelled howitzer was also named Poong-ik.”

“What a fateful name.”

“I will do my best to keep that name.”

“Okay. I have something to show you, General.”

I flew to OP5 with General Kim Poong-ik to demonstrate the remote unmanned tank system that OSS-ART was developing.

Upon arriving at OP5, I boarded the TARC armored vehicle with General Kim Poong-ik and conducted a live-fire test while remotely controlling the K2-A3 tank.

“How is it?”

“Your Majesty… this is really….”

He expressed his emotions through his facial expressions and voice.

“Your Majesty, this is truly a dream combat system. I have seen many armored combat systems from our allies, but I have never seen such an advanced system. Oh, my heart is filled with awe.”

“This is all thanks to Dr. Kim Beom-jun.”

General Kim Poong-ik straightened his posture and saluted Dr. Kim Beom-jun.

“Thank you, Doctor. Your research will save countless lives.”

“Oh, no. It was possible because of your support and assistance.”

Even amidst the delightful sight, General Kim Poong-ik’s eyes could not take their eyes off the TARC’s tactical command system.

“Thanks to you, Marshal, the tank can now do its job.”

“Fortunately, the.”

“During the war in Ukraine and elsewhere, tanks became the number one target on the battlefield, to the point where the uselessness of tanks was being debated. Tanks that were supposed to protect soldiers were not able to advance without the protection of infantry.”

“That said, it’s hard to imagine a battlefield without tanks. Drones could take over the role of infantry.”

“Ah… That’s why soldiers are sacrificed in wars that were won by all, even in the US military. If we have this kind of integrated command system, it will be possible to carry out missions with armored forces alone.”

“I’m glad you see the value in it. We will also be deploying our own aviation and drone brigades to the OSS armored forces, so please develop a unified combat doctrine.”

“Oh, so you’re saying that the armored force also includes the aviation corps?”

“Yes, first of all, it will include unmanned FA-50 light attack aircraft and attack helicopters.”

“Can fighter jets be remotely controlled like tanks?”

“Yes. The combat radius is still limited to 350km, but it will be sufficient for supporting armored forces.”

“The K9 self-propelled howitzer has an operational radius of 360km. That’s more than enough. Wow, that’s really amazing. It seems like this will be the armored force of my dreams.”

So, Lieutenant General Kim Poong-ik was appointed as the commander of the OSS Armored Forces, and a small appointment ceremony was held. Then, he boarded the ARK together and observed the TOC system in the situation room, and explained about the BMS.

– TOC (Tactical Operations Center)

– BMS (Battlefield Management System)

Commander Kim Poong-ik was amazed by the majesty of the ARK and was speechless at the advanced combat systems of the TOC and BMS.

“We need to create our own TOC and BMS for the OSS Armored Corps. We will develop it at OSS-ART based on the General’s experience and in accordance with the Armored Corps combat doctrine.”

“I never knew that the Marshal would understand the mind of the field commander so well.”

…