Damn the World, Ride a Submarine - Chapter 232



Only Krnovel

Episode 232 – Battle Robot

Dr. Kim Beom-jun seemed to be about to unwrap a new gift package. I could tell from his cheerful voice.

“There was an achievement that I think the CEO would like.”

“Really? Haha.”

“Mass production of two types of quadruped combat robots to replace infantry and four types of unmanned combat vehicles for infantry has begun.”

“Oh! That’s great news. There are six of them?”

“First, the infantry fighting vehicle was designed to replace the assault squad in combat.”

“Oh~”

“Three types of infantry fighting vehicles equipped with heavy machine guns, designated marksman sniper rifles, and grenade launchers, as well as an unmanned reconnaissance vehicle that can remotely launch and recharge drones.”

“Even a grenade launcher… and if you could launch a drone from an unmanned reconnaissance vehicle, that would be really useful.”

“The unmanned reconnaissance vehicle also acts as a communication relay station for drones, dramatically increasing the operating range of existing drones. Drones such as the Revolver 860 can be operated from 50 kilometers away.”

“Okay. Haha.”

“The combat robots are developed specifically for building searches and urban warfare. First, the passage-clearing robot is equipped with a shotgun for door breaching and a robotic arm that can install breaching charges.”

* Door Breaching: The act of breaking or forcibly opening a door to open a passage.

* Breaching Charge: An explosive or bomb that can be used to blow up doors or other obstacles.

“Oh! Even the breaching charge”

“And all combat robots are equipped with infrared detection cameras and directional parabolic microphones.”

* Parabolic Microphone: A type of microphone that can receive sound at a super-directional angle of 10 to 20 degrees using a reflector such as a satellite dish.

“Ah, so I guess I can detect the status inside the building just by sound.”

“Yes. It was developed by referencing the tactics and actual cases of regular infantry searching buildings and engaging in urban warfare.”

“As expected~”

“And the combat robot has a 300-round drum magazine developed separately and attached to the AR series 5.56mm rifle.”

“Oh, right. I guess it would be better to equip a large magazine rather than having a robot do all the magazine changes.”

The robot developed by Dr. Kim Beom-jun and OSS-ART was a full-fledged combat robot. I had a gut feeling that it would be an achievement that would change the form of ground warfare.

“Doctor, how about recoil control and firing accuracy?”

“Recoil control is achieved by modifying the gun so that some of the gases generated when firing are vented in the opposite direction, and by attaching a separate compensator to significantly dampen the recoil.”

“As expected ~ that’s a great idea. Since it’s not a person, there shouldn’t be a big problem if the gun’s residual gas is discharged to the rear.”

* Compensator: A type of flash hider that suppresses recoil by adjusting the direction of the muzzle flame and gas ejection.

“Exactly! You got the idea. Haha. And I installed some kind of mechanical gimbal so that after firing, it finds its aiming point again.”

“Okay. Okay.”

“Not only at close range, but also at a distance of 250m, you can achieve the same performance as a special marksman.”

“So then. Are you saying that even an operator with poor marksmanship can hit the target just like a top marksman by just looking at the screen and aiming?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Wow, that’s great. Then we could even create a completely unmanned robot army.”

“Yes. That’s why I’m contacting you. There’s a problem with production volume and production speed.”

“Well… it’s a means to replace the existing military….”

For robotic combat drones to be valuable as a tactical strike tool, we felt they would need to be comprised entirely of robots at least at brigade level.

“As far as I know, it takes 10,000 to 20,000 infantry to form a division. However, with the current production capacity, the maximum is 200 units per month.”

“That won’t do. If anything becomes an auxiliary means, new tactics won’t be developed.”

“Yes. As you mentioned earlier, we did develop it with mass production in mind, but…”

“???”

“At the current level of production, it is calculated that it will take more than three years to form one robot division. I am contacting you to discuss how to solve this problem.”

“If you invest money, the production speed will naturally increase, right? I will tell Director Lee Shin-young, so don’t worry and just increase your production facilities.”

“That’s true, but what should the monthly production volume be?”

“Wouldn’t it be necessary to produce at least 10,000 units per month to create an army?”

“Yes? 10,000 a month?”

“That should be enough. If possible, aim for 100,000 units per month, and continue to expand production facilities. Also hire more production management personnel.”

“Then, there might be cases where the facility is messed with later on…”

“Don’t worry about that. Just build the production facilities. When the war starts, frontline combat robots will be swept away like consumables.”

“I see… but it’s still a waste of resources….”

“And no matter how good a robot is against humans, the combat exchange rate will be less than 1:1.”

“…”

“Doctor!”

“Yes, sir.”

“We are making robots that will sacrifice themselves instead of soldiers. In other words, the more robots there are, the fewer human sacrifices there will be.”

“ah…”

“Hyundai Motors produces 150,000 cars a month. If you think about it, if we build a factory of that scale, it will be easy. And if we sell a small number of robots to our allies, we won’t lose money.”

“Ah… I understand. Then I have one more request.”

“Yes, feel free to tell me.”

“OSS-ART currently does not have enough space to build a factory of that size.”

“I see. Okay, I understand. I’ll talk to Director Kim Wan-jun and make arrangements to have you assigned to one of the remaining OP islands.”

“thank you.”

“But Doctor. Is it difficult to operate a group or use AI for autonomous combat?”

“Yes, we have considered and researched that part thoroughly, but it is still very much incomplete.”

“Yes, that’s too bad.”

“In particular, there is a high possibility of error and the problem of friend identification. We could use friend identification codes like fighter jets, but…”

“That way, there would be no way to distinguish between soldiers and civilians.”

“Yes, there are still many risks in giving autonomous combat to ground drones that replace infantry.”

“You can’t use imperfect technology to decide a person’s life.”

“Of course. And also, the risk of electronic warfare and hacking cannot be ruled out.”

“I see. I understand. Anyway, thank you for your hard work.”

“Thank you, sir, and there’s one more thing left.”

“Oh! Come on. Haha.”

“The unmanned operation of armed helicopters has also been completed.”

“I feel like I’ve been given a real gift today. What type of plane is it?”

“This is a Korean version of LAH. We tried to use Apache, but the fuselage was too bulky and information sharing was not smooth, so we used LAH.”

“Well done. Since it’s a drone anyway, I think we can ignore things like cockpit protection…”

“…”

“It seems that a light attack helicopter would have many advantages in terms of taking advantage of remote control.

“Thank you for understanding.”

“It seems like a better choice than wasting time trying to unmanned a medium- to large-sized vehicle.”

* LAH (Light Armed Helicopter): Light attack helicopter (KHP) A small attack helicopter developed by KAI during the Korean helicopter program.

Although conceptually smaller than the Apache, it is a full-fledged attack helicopter equipped with a triple-barreled 20mm Gatling gun, a 70mm 7-tube rocket launcher, and Cheongeom air-to-ground missiles.

…

The ARK, crossing the North Atlantic, passed Senegal and Mauritania and was about to pass the Strait of Gibraltar. It could not just pass by Casablanca, which brings back memories.

I wanted to quietly walk through the Casablanca market with Hyein like a tourist, but people tried to stop me and it wasn’t easy due to various circumstances.

Since we couldn’t tour Morocco secretly anyway, we decided to have the ARK officially dock in Casablanca.

There was also a need to rest the tired submarine crews who had been returning from the ocean.

It was an official port call, but it was kept secret. But when the ARK and its escort fleet appeared off the coast of Casablanca,

My visit on the ARK itself became another attraction for tourists. Word quickly spread and reporters from various countries flocked to visit.

My entry into Casablanca was a tiring affair for many.

However, I wanted to create a memory for Hye-in, who couldn’t even go on a proper honeymoon.

I booked a suite at the Casablanca Hotel and was able to stay there for three nights.

A helicopter from the escort squadron landed on the deck of the ARK, and Hyein and I took it to a helipad near the hotel.

Thanks to Director Kim Jun-myeong’s thorough preparation, we were able to arrive at the hotel without any problems.

The suite with an open view of the ocean gave me a strange yet cozy feeling, different from the ocean I saw from a submarine.

The best thing of all was the daily routine of blending in with people as if nothing happened.

Although security guards were stationed here and there a few steps away, Director Kim Jun-myeong was considerate enough to have them enjoy their time at the hotel in their everyday attire like any other tourist.

Hyein jumped into the water as if showing off her amazing body at the pool, and I was amazed once again when I saw her smiling as she came out of the water.

It was a pleasure I hadn’t felt in a long time to taste exotic food in a bustling hotel restaurant.

Several reporters who recognized me approached me, but my security guards carefully stopped them, so there was no major problem.

But I told him not to stop me from taking pictures from a distance. Although I absolutely hated having my picture taken, I didn’t want to ruin my time with Hyein by making a fuss.

Despite the small commotion, the enjoyable time with Hyein continued.

Even at the hotel restaurant, Hyein’s appearance stood out. She was wearing a white evening dress that exposed her shoulders.

“Oppa! It’s like a dream.”

“People seem to have noticed something. Don’t you feel uncomfortable with the stares?”

“It’s okay. As long as I’m with you, oppa, that’s fine.”

“I feel reassured when you say it like that.”

“Well, I feel proud. It really feels like I’ve become the wife of a truly great person. Hahahaha.”

…