52: Modern Warfare Miracle!

The next day.

The Self-Defense Counterattack War continued.

The Dragon Country's army was unstoppable, advancing to within 50 kilometers of the Monkey Kingdom's capital.

The international community was shaken.

The Dragon Country's army's combat effectiveness and brilliant tactical execution greatly shocked countries around the world.

At the beginning of the war, no country had ever imagined that this war would be such a one-sided situation!

As of now, according to data provided by the United Nations to the international community, the Dragon Country's participating forces suffered approximately 1,200 deaths and over 5,000 injuries.

On the other hand, the Monkey Kingdom suffered over 90,000 deaths, over 20,000 injuries, and over 30,000 captured.

The death ratio reached 1:75!

Looking back at the history of World War I, World War II, and other wars of various scales around the world, such an exaggerated death ratio has almost never appeared.

Military academies in various countries even called this a miracle of modern warfare.

But at the same time, facing the Dragon Country's army's exaggerated combat power and incredibly strong advance speed, the Soviet Union could no longer stay calm.

Because if they delayed another day, the Monkey Kingdom's capital might directly fall.

That morning, the Soviet Union officially announced the military exercise codenamed "Orient-79."

For this exercise, the Soviet Union deployed over 300,000 troops, with all four major branches—land, air, sea, and nuclear—participating.

This was almost one of the largest military exercises conducted by the Soviet Union since the Cold War.

The purpose of this Soviet Union exercise was only one: to deter the Dragon Country and to prove to the international community and its allies that it was fulfilling its obligations under the military alliance treaty with the Monkey Kingdom.

In this exercise, the Soviet Union mobilized more than 20 combined land and air divisions and air force units in just two days.

It deployed over 3,000 T-72 tank clusters and 6,000 armored vehicles to form an assault group.

They simulated a "deep breakthrough" tactic, aiming to cut off Yan Jing's northern connections within 48 hours and isolate and annihilate the Dragon Country's Northern Army Group.

In terms of artillery, "Hurricane" rocket launchers and "Peony" self-propelled howitzers were deployed, with a single division's salvo capable of covering a 30 square kilometer area.

As for the air force, more than 900 strategic aircraft, including the Tu-22M Backfire and MiG-25, were deployed.

Facing the Dragon Country's full-line breakthrough of the Monkey Kingdom's northern defenses, the Kremlin showed an even tougher stance.

The Mammoth Bear Empire's (USSR) military dispatched the elite 106th Guards Airborne Division to practice the tactic of "airdropping around Yan Jing in two hours," attempting to demonstrate its rapid combat capability.

In terms of the navy, whether in the East Sea or the southern waters, the Soviet Union fleet was stirring.

The Strategic Rocket Forces placed SS-20 missiles in "alert status" and test-fired RS-20 "Satan" intercontinental missiles in Siberia, hinting at the possible use of tactical nuclear weapons!

This strategic exercise by the Soviet Union, involving all its land, sea, air, and nuclear forces, greatly alarmed the entire international community!

Such military power and such a scale of military exercise even made the USA and various European NATO countries tremble!

The Soviet Union sought to convey the signal through the exercise that "if China expands the war, it will face a two-front war!"

...Lingxi.

Operational Command Center.

Peng Lin and General Xu Liyou also received news of the sudden change in the international situation at the first opportune moment.

They had fought too fiercely this time, severely stimulating the sensitive nerves of the Soviet Union, which forced them to make such a large-scale response.

"Yan Jing's urgent telegram: the Soviet Union has drawn a red line for us, the war must not enter within fifty kilometers of the Monkey Kingdom's capital!"

"They are going too far!" General Xu Liyou said, slamming his hand heavily on the table, his eyes cold.

At this moment, Peng Lin also fell into deep thought.

In his previous life, having not experienced this war, he always wondered why, since the self-defense counterattack war was won, they didn't just take the Monkey Kingdom's capital in one fell swoop.

Now, amidst the great power game, he finally understood the helplessness of the country and the military.

In later generations, the Dragon Country was the only major power in the world capable of contending with the USA.

It was also one of only two players in the world.

All other countries in the world, in the eyes of the Dragon Country and the USA, were merely pawns in their mutual game.

Even the war between the big and small bears that had lasted for so many years was a result of the Dragon Country and the Pretty Country's (USA) game.

As a player, if the Dragon Country wanted to stop this war, it could do so simply by exerting pressure.

But now, in this era, only the Soviet Union and the USA could be considered players globally.

Even if the Dragon Country won the self-defense counterattack war, it was merely a relatively strong pawn in the game between the two superpowers.

Although even if the Dragon Country continued to fight, the Soviet Union would very likely not dare to truly take action.

After all, truly fighting with the Dragon Country would mean a world war.

The USA and NATO would also take the opportunity to expand their international influence and encircle the Soviet Union.

But at this juncture, the Dragon Country's century-long plan of reform and opening up could not be gambled on!

The lives of the Dragon Country's one billion people could not be used as a wager either!

"What are the military's instructions?" Peng Lin asked with a calm expression.

Knowing history, he had already calmly accepted all of this!

"The military has instructed us to continue advancing!" General Xu Liyou said to Peng Lin with determined eyes.

But upon hearing this answer, Peng Lin was suddenly startled.

Could it be that because of his changes to this war, the butterfly effect had already begun, and history was about to change?

"The military will immediately organize a large-scale military exercise in North China, demonstrating a nuclear counterattack plan!"

"We Dragon Country people are never afraid of intimidation!"

"Director Zheng's instruction is to at least advance the troops to within ten kilometers of the Monkey Kingdom's capital!"

"Let the Monkey Kingdom's capital be exposed within the range of our army's ten thousand cannons!"

"We can choose not to fire, but we must make the Monkey Kingdom understand that Dragon Country people cannot be bullied!"

"Our army will besiege the Monkey Kingdom's capital with at least ten thousand cannons for more than ten days!"

"As for how to coordinate the fifty-kilometer and ten-kilometer bottom line, that is the Pretty Country's (USA) business!"

"Our army has already demonstrated strong combat power and organized a large-scale military exercise in North China for counterattack; now it's up to the USA to confront the Soviet Union!"

"They can't just watch the show and do nothing!" General Xu Liyou said.

The General Headquarters did not issue an order to withdraw troops to the front line; the troops continued to advance.

At the same time, the logistics units were also trying their best to dismantle and transport the equipment and materials that the Dragon Country had aided the Monkey Kingdom.

And in this situation, the role of the Zhi-8 heavy transport helicopter became prominent.

Originally, some heavier equipment, such as steel mills, fertilizer plants, and power plants, could not be transported by ordinary manpower and vehicles at all.

The only thing the logistics units could do was destroy them.

But now, the powerful carrying capacity of the Zhi-8 could directly airlift this equipment back to the Dragon Country!

The war has now entered the stage of high-level maneuvering, even the maneuvering between the USA and the Soviet Union.

While Peng Lin felt greatly aggrieved, a stubborn streak also rose within him!

The Soviet Union considers its "steel torrent" to be the best in the world?

He simply refused to believe that!

It was definitely a regret for the "world's number one army" in their respective eras that the Dragon Country's heavy synthetic brigades of later generations did not appear in the same era as the Mammoth Bear Empire's (USSR) steel torrent.

The Dragon Country now already has light synthetic brigades, fully meeting the needs for mobile operations and combat in complex terrains such as jungles, mountains, and plateaus.

Peng Lin set his next goal on the heavy synthetic brigade.

Steel torrent?

World's number one army?

He wanted to challenge it with a heavy synthetic brigade!

For example, the "sensor-fuzed munition" equipped by the heavy synthetic brigade is a nemesis specifically developed in later generations for the large-scale cluster charges of the steel torrent.

Sensor-fuzed munitions are divided into mother bombs and submunitions. The submunitions are equipped with special sensors that can actively scan the ground during descent, identify thermal signals or metal characteristics such as tank engines and turrets, automatically lock onto high-value targets, and achieve "fire and forget."

A single mother bomb can carry dozens of sensor-fuzed submunitions, and a single salvo can cover several square kilometers, simultaneously searching for and attacking multiple targets.

The so-called "steel torrent" will be directly paralyzed tens of kilometers away, or even beyond the defense zone!

Thinking of this, Peng Lin directly created a research and development task:

【Research Project Name: 155mm Truck-Mounted Howitzer】

【Difficulty Assessment: C】

【Task Progress: 0%】

【Task Reward: 500 Research Points】

...【Research Project Name: Weishi 400mm Modular Rocket Launcher】

【Difficulty Assessment: B】

【Task Progress: 0%】

【Task Reward: 2000 Research Points】

Both the 155mm howitzer truck and the Weishi 400mm modular rocket launcher are core heavy fire weapons of the heavy synthetic brigade.

They are known for their large caliber, great power, modularity, and high mobility.

Both can provide large-area fire coverage for armored clusters and target areas!

Besides this, Peng Lin couldn't help but think about the most core equipment of the heavy synthetic brigade: heavy tanks!

In the current military development concepts of various countries, heavy tanks are still the undisputed kings of land warfare!

They are also one of the most researched and heavily invested weapon systems in the world!

Currently, various countries have initially developed and produced third-generation main battle tanks.

The Soviet Union has achieved the most in this regard.

Their T-72 tank entered service in 1973, far ahead of the world.

In addition, the Mammoth Bear Empire's (USSR) famous T-80 main battle tank also entered service in 1976.

And to deal with and counter the Mammoth Bear Empire's (USSR) steel torrent and advanced third-generation main battle tanks, the USA developed the M1 Abrams main battle tank, which might enter mass production and service this year.

Furthermore, Prussia's famous Leopard 2 has also entered service, joining the world's third-generation heavy main battle tank club.

Compared to these countries, the Dragon Country is still using a modified version of the Mammoth Bear Empire's (USSR) Type 59.

Although the military is preparing to initiate a main battle tank project named "79" or "80," there is no doubt that this second-generation tank project is likely to face the awkward situation of being obsolete upon service.

Now, Peng Lin has gained a certain level of attention and influence both in the Fifth Ministry of Machine Building and in the military.

Therefore, he plans to directly advocate for the Dragon Country's military to skip the second-generation main battle tank and directly develop a third-generation heavy main battle tank.

Not only must they catch up with the technology of the USA and the Soviet Union, the two major world powers, but they must also directly surpass it!

He set his sights on the 99A main battle tank "Wall of Sighs" of later generations!

【Research Project Name: 99A Heavy Main Battle Tank】

【Difficulty Assessment: A】

【Task Progress: 0%】

【Task Reward: 5000 Research Points】

Or, perhaps it should now be called the 79A Heavy Main Battle Tank!