29: Build the world's best army!

After thinking of the combined arms battalion, Peng Lin found it difficult to suppress his thoughts.

In later generations, a light combined arms battalion typically consisted of about 500-600 personnel, with 3-4 infantry companies, 1 fire support company, 1 reconnaissance platoon, and 1 engineer platoon.

The combined arms battalion broke the limitations of traditional battalion-level units with single arms.

It also achieved "reconnaissance-strike-support" integration, increasing reaction speed by 30%-50% compared to traditional battalion-level units.

In terms of equipment configuration, light combined arms battalions primarily used the Lynx all-terrain vehicle and the "mengshi" high-mobility vehicle.

Because all its vehicles were light off-road vehicles, it was very suitable for rapid deployment and mobile operations using heavy transport helicopters.

It possessed a mobility range of 500 kilometers in one hour.

In terms of firepower, the infantry company had squad machine guns, sniper rifles, rocket launchers, and other weapons.

It possessed anti-infantry and anti-armor capabilities with a "point and area combination."

The fire support company had mortars, vehicle-mounted rapid-fire cannons, and other firepower.

And now, Peng Lin already had new weapons and equipment such as the Sniper Grenade launcher, Individual Thermobaric Weapon, z-8 heavy transport helicopter, and "sickle" suicide drones.

It had almost initially met the standard firepower configuration for a light combined arms battalion.

For example, in the infantry company, his Sniper Grenade launchers, Individual Thermobaric Weapons, and other equipment could be deployed.

The fire support company would be equipped with "sickle" suicide drones, which possessed long-range, precise heavy firepower strike capabilities.

Coupled with the Z-8's heavy transport and rapid deployment capabilities.

Such a combined arms battalion, whether in terms of mobile deployment, firepower effectiveness, or collaborative survivability.

It would be an invincible existence.

Now, such a combined arms battalion truly only lacked wheeled armored vehicles and high-mobility assault vehicles!

As for other firepower equipment such as squad machine guns and vehicle-mounted rapid-fire cannons, the Military Industrial Design Institute was fully capable of rapidly developing them.

Since becoming the Chief Engineer of Changhe Factory, Peng Lin, in addition to his own R&D, also paid great attention to the cultivation of technical backbones.

For example, for light firepower such as rifles, squad machine guns, and vehicle-mounted rapid-fire cannons, Peng Lin specifically compiled textbooks on firearms and mortar engineering.

His goal was to cultivate a group of middle-level technical R&D team leaders for Changhe Factory who could take on major responsibilities.

This way, Peng Lin would only be responsible for R&D in cutting-edge military industrial fields in the future.

And these technical team leaders, after thoroughly understanding Peng Lin's technical achievements, could conduct horizontal R&D.

For instance, when Peng Lin developed the Individual Thermobaric Weapon, he solved the technology of the thermobaric agent.

Now, the technical backbones of Changhe Factory have thoroughly understood the thermobaric weapon technology and independently helped Peng Lin develop 50 kg and 100 kg class thermobaric warheads.

Furthermore, if these technical team leaders can master the coaxial counter-rotating dual-rotor technology in the next few years.

Then they can also develop other coaxial counter-rotating dual-rotor helicopters based on the Z-8 helicopter.

Even the future upgrade and replacement issues of the Z-8 would no longer require Peng Lin's concern.

In the vast systemic engineering field of military industry, one person's energy is always limited.

Only with a complete training system and a constant stream of talent can Dragon Country Military Industry truly take off in this era.

This was also the reason why Peng Lin attached such importance to talent cultivation.

At this moment, Peng Lin could already initially enjoy the fruits of his talent cultivation.

For example, the new rifles, squad machine guns, vehicle-mounted rapid-fire cannons, and other weapons he planned for the combined arms battalion.

They could be entirely handed over to the technical team leaders of the Military Industrial Design Institute to handle.

He would only be responsible for the final acceptance and key technical guidance.

And this was also his responsibility as the Chief Engineer.

"Right now, to build a combined arms battalion, the only remaining problem is the vehicles."

Peng Lin quietly planned in his mind.

The various vehicles currently used by the Army really could not be used for the combined arms battalion he envisioned.

After all, the combined arms battalion needed the rapid deployment and all-domain mobility provided by heavy transport helicopters.

However, current military off-road vehicles were not only cumbersome, but they could even get stuck in mud and be unable to get out.

How could this bring out the true combat effectiveness of the combined arms battalion?

So after much deliberation, Peng Lin finally decided to build cars!

"Factory Director, I am preparing to develop new military wheeled armored vehicles and high-mobility assault off-road vehicles."

"What do you think of this plan?"

Peng Lin asked Factory Director Gu.

Building cars was a major undertaking.

Most importantly, Changhe Factory simply did not have a vehicle production line.

Aside from ordinary firepower weapons and equipment, Changhe Factory's main focus was the R&D and manufacturing of helicopters.

Therefore, to develop new military vehicles and lay down a production line, the most important thing was to secure Factory Director Gu's support.

"Develop new military assault off-road vehicles?"

"The cost of laying down a production line is too high."

"Although our Changhe Factory is currently undergoing extensive expansion, those production lines are all for the Z-8 and weapons like the Sniper Grenade."

"Can we directly acquire an existing car factory?"

Factory Director Gu asked Peng Lin after a brief thought.

When he had just accompanied Peng Lin to inspect various military off-road vehicles, he had already seen Peng Lin's dissatisfaction.

Therefore, Peng Lin's idea of developing new military vehicles was within his expectations.

"Directly acquire a car factory?"

"That would naturally be excellent."

"Where is there an existing car factory for us to acquire?"

Peng Lin immediately became interested and asked.

Directly acquiring a car factory would not only provide existing production lines but also skilled technical workers.

This would save an immeasurable amount of trouble.

So he naturally strongly agreed.

"Leaving aside other things, our city's Changhe Automobile Factory is facing closure."

"In fact, many military industrial enterprises are currently on the verge of collapse."

"Although we currently have a major war to fight, we are not short of weapons and ammunition."

"Because the various weapons, equipment, and ammunition produced in earlier years are enough for our Army to use for decades."

"The country has currently put forward the goal of economic construction as the center, and coupled with the lack of Army orders, many military factories are transforming from military to civilian production."

"If you think it's feasible, I can take you to inspect the Changhe Automobile Factory at any time."

Factory Director Gu told Peng Lin.

Their Changhe Military Factory was able to continuously expand production and receive a steady stream of orders.

That was because of new equipment such as the Sniper Grenade, Individual Thermobaric Weapon, and Z-8.

However, older equipment like the Type 69 Rocket Launcher and Type 67 squad machine gun were no longer procured by the Army.

There were two military factories in Changhe: one was the Changhe Aircraft Manufacturing Factory where Peng Lin was located, and the other was the Changhe Automobile Factory mentioned by Factory Director Gu.

The Changhe Automobile Factory was facing the risk of closure because it could not get Army procurement orders and its car manufacturing level was inferior to military factories like Jiefang and Dongfeng.

"Alright then, let's go take a look now!"

Peng Lin said excitedly.

He had originally thought that his plan to design and produce new off-road assault vehicles and build a combined arms battalion would take at least a year.

After all, laying down a production line was not a simple matter.

But now there was an existing automobile factory waiting for them to acquire.

Would the creation of the combined arms battalion still be far off then?