Military career: Starting with a recruitment letter

Chapter 306 Whale Fall, the Most Difficult Enemy
The night before the war began was a momentous one for both the assault division and the demonstration battalion.

Neither unit has an easy job.

If we have to point out a difference, it's that the soldiers of the 188th Division had a harder time.

Exhausted by the enemy's attrition tactics, the soldiers of the demonstration battalion slept soundly.

To maintain morale, Chen Mo didn't even tell the camp who their opponent was.

The cadres were only allowed to publicize that the demonstration battalion's exercise was purely to help the military region and test the results of the third phase of mechanization reform of the opposing unit.

Maintain unwavering faith.

. . . . . . .

It was 5:10 a.m.

The core cadres of the demonstration battalion, who had stayed up all night, were monitoring the enemy's communications and actions in a simple, information-based tent.

The main force of the 188th Division has finally begun to move.

At the same time, intelligence reports and notifications from the integrated surveillance, reconnaissance, and electronic warfare units flooded into the information command center like snowflakes.

Chen Mo, along with the officers of the battalion, monitored and listened to the sounds of orders, reports, coordination, and recording in the 188th Division's operations room, which was bustling with activity.

Our own staff also began taking notes.

They attempted to extract the most advantageous information from a vast amount of complex intelligence.

"Dong 13, the steel for constructing the tunnel positions departed 20 minutes ago and will arrive at the southwest defense line at 6 o'clock."

"Donglianggou, the attack helicopter battalion is ready. Your reconnaissance unit can be deployed."

"First call, urgent combat situation report, regimental command received, please speak!"

“One minute ago, a sniper from the sniper unit reported to the forward command post of the 2nd Regiment that enemy reconnaissance personnel had been spotted along the 203 line.”

"The reconnaissance battalion must clear enemy fuel, logistics, electronic, radar, and command facilities from the outer perimeter of the front line by 6:00 AM."

"Note that behind every one cockroach there are 50 cockroaches. All units must be on high alert."

"In addition, the directly subordinate helicopter squadron, in coordination with the sniper team, will conduct air and ground operations, forming a matrix net to clean up and kill the cockroaches."

"Report from the regiment's direct-command unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) team: the infrared netting operation will commence within twenty minutes. Sniper squads, pay attention to receiving enemy coordinates."

"."

The resistance of the strategic assault divisions has finally begun.

Satellite imagery shows that the enemy's main force is moving, with companies flowing like streams towards the stone statue firing range.

As the host country, they had the confidence to launch the operation only after dawn. After a night of tactical interference from a tired enemy, the overall impact was minimal.

At least, that's how it seems on the surface.

Chen Mo sat on a small stool, his gaze calmly fixed on the movements of the star map and the chaotic sources of intelligence.

The number of 188th Division troops on the star map is gradually decreasing, and some large signal sources have even disappeared.

He frowned, remaining silent for a long while before finally speaking.

"Old Hou."

"To!"

"Let's cooperate with Lao Wang and eliminate all the enemy spies in our vicinity. They've been watching us all night; they've gotten their money's worth."

"Yes!"

After giving his instructions, Chen Mo stood up, stretched, and looked at all the officers in the command tent, whose eyes were bloodshot from exhaustion. He smiled and said, "You've all worked hard."

"But we absolutely cannot afford to be careless in this battle against the 188th Division."

"That last frequency must have been their secret channel. We need to crack it as soon as possible."

"Also, since the enemy calls us cockroaches, let's use cockroach as the code name for all our operations this time."

"I quite like this nickname, 'the unkillable cockroach'."

Upon hearing this, everyone wore strange expressions.

What's so great about the name "cockroach"? The 188th Division is clearly insulting them, calling them bedbugs that don't cause much harm but are just disgusting insects.

Why does the battalion commander even like this?

Ignoring the doubts of the cadres present, Chen Mo walked to the makeshift desk, took out a cigarette, lit it, and took a deep drag, trying to stay awake.

His gaze swept over all the cadres. The decisive battle was about to begin. Facing the behemoth that was the Strategic Assault Division, Chen Mo had no better words to organize a mobilization meeting.

At this point, anything said seems inadequate.

Even talking about going all out feels like a tragic struggle, like an egg hitting a rock.

"Comrades."

“You have all spent quite a bit of time in the Kyoto Demonstration Camp, and a large number of the cadres even came from the Blue Army Camp.”

"Our informationized battalion has developed very rapidly. Even without the strong support of the military region, it is inseparable from everyone's hard work."

"It's dawn now, and our battle with the 188th Division is about to begin. But before we start, I'd like to hear what you have to say."

"Having stayed in the camp for so long, what exactly is this 'informatization' that you all think about, this 'informatization' that you keep talking about?"

Chen Mo's question quickly made everyone present temporarily set aside their obsession with cockroaches.

One by one, they looked up or down, appearing deep in thought.

The question prompts deep thought.

Having spent so much time in the demonstration camp, even without consciously learning, one knows that their exploration of information technology is entirely aimed at benchmarking against the Americans.

Since the emergence of Desert Storm, the reform of the mechanization system has been progressing step by step, despite the pressure to prioritize the development of the domestic economy: the first stage, the second stage, and now the third stage.

The changes can be described as earth-shattering.

Countless old units were disbanded, the size of the army was reduced significantly, and many corresponding policies were introduced.

But when it comes to what exactly information technology is and where it is specifically manifested, the key is whether it is the improvement of equipment performance, the improvement of the educational and professional qualities of command and combat personnel, or the improvement of the efficiency of command, communication and logistics support.

There is no clear explanation or statement.

The emergence of new units such as electronic warfare brigades has even led to new combat methods that emphasize information control.

However, these cannot fully explain information technology.

Discussions arose at the scene.

Chen Mo wasn't in a hurry, mainly because there was no use in being anxious. The combat zone was right in the enemy's assault division headquarters. Last night, their tactics of exhausting the enemy had been completely worn down, yet the enemy hadn't even turned off their radar.

They were simply afraid that the demonstration camp would take advantage of the night to move in and seize control of the home field.

He also had his concerns.

The demonstration battalion is only so big. Now the 188th Division has already taken action. I reckon that Lao Man, the reconnaissance company, and the sniper squad are on their way back.

As long as the other side doesn't cause trouble at night, the area is completely their territory during the day. Leaving it there is useless and will only increase casualties.

Moreover, Chen Mo glanced at the star map again, and the number of enemy troops on it was still decreasing.

Clearly, the opponent already has a complete battle plan. There's no use in him being anxious. He can't just open fire before the exercise is scheduled, can he?

The group discussed it for a while.

Cheng Dong, as the chief of staff, spoke first: "I believe that informatization is ultimately a form of information control."

“No problem.” Instructor Fang Peijun nodded: “I also believe that information technology is the right to control information, and the importance of the right to control information was fully demonstrated in Operation Desert Storm.”

"Let me also share my opinion."

Company Commander Xu Zhanqi began, “Taking our battalion as an example, our communications support has reached the highest level in the entire army. Our daily organizational efficiency is also 60% higher than that of ordinary mechanized infantry battalions. Furthermore, command from the battalion headquarters to the platoon level is more convenient, our operations are smoother, and our mobility is strong. In terms of logistics support, we adopt a computer data management model, which is both precise and has visual capabilities. Our electronic warfare units can interfere with the enemy from multiple angles. Considering all of these factors, informatization is definitely not just about suppressing the enemy’s information control.”

Tank Company Commander Qin Xiaojun pondered Xu's words and said, "What you said makes some sense. I'll add something about equipment."

"Our Type 98, oh no, it was changed to the Type 99 tank during the parade. There's not much to say about that; it's entirely a product of information technology, with an independent fire control system and radar early warning."

"Take our third-generation Type 85 rifle, for example. After improvements by the Wang team and the electronic warfare unit, the fire control system is equipped with the ISFCS-212B image-stabilized fire control system, as well as a laser rangefinder, and most importantly, the GUMS-2 digital ballistic computer."

"Through improvements, even most of the precision work of old tanks can be controlled by computers, so I don't agree with just talking about control."

The discussion became increasingly heated.

The camp has opened special study groups and adopted a bottom-ranking elimination system, which has been very effective. The enthusiasm for learning is high. In addition, these company commanders have gained some experience in leading troops in daily training, and their perspective has also improved a lot, forming a unique style of combat and troop leadership.

These people couldn't have reached this level when they first graduated.

The Army Academy trains its students, whether they are promoted to officers or admitted through examinations. The methods used are usually quite brutal, forcibly instilling various military skills and combat concepts.

This method cannot be said to be wrong.

Because at the beginning, the students of the Army Academy knew nothing. Those who entered the military academy through the college entrance examination were just local youths before.

Therefore, the most appropriate approach is to force them to learn about the operational model of a field army through a standardized training program.

As for how they broaden their horizons and sort out their combat thinking and mission after going down to the grassroots level, that depends on their individual fortune and experience.

It is clear.

These people are making pretty quick progress in the demonstration camp.

"It is too arbitrary to deny the right to control information based solely on equipment. I believe that informatization is a manifestation of the integration of equipment with technology, and a form of enhanced control, communication, support, and firepower."

"It's too complicated. I think information technology is a catalyst for maximizing the benefits of mechanization."

As everyone's opinions were expressed, Chen Mo listened attentively for a while before raising his hand to interrupt the subsequent discussion.

"Alright, alright, this is a difficult question to answer in a single way."

Let me share my perspective.

"In my view, all of information technology, when summarized, boils down to just one thing: computing." Computing?!
The battalion commander's answer was almost beyond everyone's expectations.

What is computation? Is it just simple computation?
Many people, including those from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Army Academy, and even the Arrow Academy, have studied this topic.

However, Chen Mo's viewpoint is not exactly the same as those people's research; in fact, it is completely different and has absolutely no relation to them.

He noticed the confusion on everyone's faces.

Chen Mo smiled and said, "Everyone is welcome to share their opinions on what information technology is, including me."

"But don't let my views influence your judgment. The new system needs to grow, which requires different ideas and bold conjectures to be constantly injected into it."

"The reason I say that information technology is computing is because before discussing this issue, we must first realize the essence of information technology."

"Let me ask you all, which of the four branches of the US military is the most powerful?"

The United States has an Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps.

As for which is more powerful!
“It’s the Navy!” Cheng Dong responded loudly.

Indeed, everyone present nodded; the only answer could be the Navy.

The field army challenged the army decades ago and concluded that it was nothing special.

If the challenge is to fight on home soil, the air force, along with air defense forces, should have just enough firepower to defend against it.

As for that damn Marine Corps, it's nothing special.

The navy is the only exception; even with the use of powerful weapons, there is virtually no chance of victory.

Because the other side possesses the most powerful fleet on the planet.

It is also the world's biggest trump card today.

"correct."

Chen Mo nodded: "Their navy is the strongest. There is also a widely circulated saying that in conventional warfare, the only thing that can defeat an enemy navy's carrier fleet is another navy's carrier fleet."

"But where exactly does their strength lie? Who knows?"

Chen Mo waited quietly for everyone's response.

"airplane?"

"wrong."

"Aircraft carrier?"

"wrong!"

"missile?"

"wrong!"

"radar?"

"Alright, alright, stop guessing." Chen Mo chuckled. "If you keep guessing, you might just reveal the deck and the torpedoes."

"The fundamental reason for the enemy fleet's strength is its computing system."

"Leaving aside the hull, power, radar, missiles, and aircraft, the core combat system, Aegis, short for Airborne Early Warning and Ground Integration System, is a computerized command and decision-making and weapons control system."

"To put it simply, it's a set of combat software. From Baseline 1 to Baseline 9, the scale of the system has expanded from the initial 1.7 million lines of code to 10 million lines."

Well.
What Chen Mo said was like listening to gibberish to those present.

Even if someone else's stuff is amazing, what does it have to do with me?
It doesn't have much of a direct relationship with our own development of information technology.

"It's okay if you don't understand. I'll just reiterate one point: this system uses computers to manage all the fleet's weapons, aircraft, and detectors."

"It can integrate dozens of types of aircraft carrier combat weapons and combat units, and simultaneously manage dozens of warships, hundreds of naval guns, hundreds of missile systems, all flight weapons, and all radars. In combat, it can assign hundreds of targets to different combat units."

"Therefore, we still have a long way to go."

After Chen Mo finished speaking, he grabbed a military cap from the conference table next to him and put it on his head.

The other officers all assumed that the battalion commander was about to issue combat orders.

Chen Mo smiled calmly.

"Alright, everyone should get some rest after a long night."

"We'll set off again once Lao Man and the forward reconnaissance company have withdrawn."

After Chen Mo finished speaking, he ignored the reactions of the cadres and left the tent. He then crawled into a sleeping bag nearby and closed his eyes to recover his energy.

This left a group of officials looking at each other in bewilderment.

The exercise is about to begin, and the strategic assault division has already entered the field. How can the battalion commander still sleep?

But gradually, everyone realized that something was wrong.

They were so focused on discussing information technology that they didn't notice that most of the markers on the satellite imagery and the enemy coordinates displayed by the early warning radar had disappeared.

"No, the 188th Division is shutting down all radio communications, drones, and radar within their units."

Wang Jianbin looked up and called out with a strange expression.

Only then did everyone understand what had happened.

But when the 188th Division took the initiative to withdraw these troops, instead of feeling relieved, a sense of tension began to spread in the command room.

This opponent is definitely the strongest one yet.

It's clear they're going to use pure system-of-systems warfare.

Wang Jianbin and Cheng Dong exchanged a glance, both giving a wry smile.

No wonder the battalion commander suddenly asked what information technology was just now; Chen Mo probably noticed the other party's intentions long ago.

This is a fight to the death.

But no wonder.

The strategy of exhausting the enemy did indeed take a heavy toll on the 188th Division, but it also put the enemy on their guard.

They can even hack into radar systems to commit electronic fraud, interfere with radio signals, and even infiltrate division-level internal networks at will.

This makes it very clear to the opponent that their electronic warfare unit is completely useless.

The use of radar, drones, and radio will only enhance the combat effectiveness of the demonstration battalion.

For the 188th Division, all the equipment from the third phase of reforms would only become a burden.

No wonder many of their orders just now repeatedly mentioned clearing the area around the battlefield to prevent the demonstration battalion's scouts from infiltrating, if I'm not mistaken.

The 188th Division was to learn from the lessons of the 7th Brigade and spend half a day setting up telephone lines throughout the entire stone statue firing range in the most rudimentary way, thus reverting the unit's communications to the level of more than ten years ago.

Leveraging its size, it can withstand the pressure of information technology systems.

This choice is wise and correct.

But it also directly cuts off some of the advantages of the demonstration camp.

The battalion commander was able to go to sleep because, at the moment, there seemed to be no other way to replenish his energy except through sleep.

In the main battlefield of competition, can you defeat someone else's entire division?

The pace of the military exercise suddenly slowed down.

The tactic of exhausting the enemy failed, and Commander Tang's decisiveness and ruthlessness exceeded everyone's expectations.

at the same time.

The main force of the 188th Division moved to the Shixiang firing range, and more than 10,000 people cleared the surrounding area to ensure that no reconnaissance personnel from the demonstration battalion were lying in ambush.

The "whale fall" tactic, issued by the division headquarters, was relayed to the 1st Tank Regiment.

The whale fall tactic is, in principle, similar to Chen Mo's wolf pack tactic.

However, the different units and organizational structures result in different effects.

Even their courage in choosing names is vastly different.

Tang Haodong personally went to the battlefield and issued orders to the 1st Tank Regiment to move to the front line.

The main force of the armored regiment provided support from both flanks.

One regiment serves as the main force, while the armored regiment patrols the flanks, firing a shot and then moving to a different location, occasionally concentrating anti-tank firepower to launch a forced attack.

Just like a group of sharks attacking a whale, destroy the organizational power of the demonstration battalion's land group, pin it to the outside of the stone statue, and compress the opponent's space to maneuver.

If we can hold out for six hours and deprive the informationized battalion of its mobility advantage, then the combined firepower of the entire division will be unstoppable.

After Commander Tang issued the order.

The entire division began its operation as if facing a formidable enemy.

The main combat regiment, with over a hundred Type 96A tanks rolling like dragons, shook the earth and spooked them to the edge of the region.

The helicopter squadron, along with light infantry from an armored regiment, as well as anti-tank equipment and anti-tank missiles, set up a wide range of firing positions within a 20-kilometer radius.

The roar of attack helicopters, the whirring of tank engines, and the screeching of infantry fighting vehicles mingled together.

This formed the most primitive and simplest armored march.

Chen Mo himself admitted that the 188th Division, led by Commander Tang, was the biggest enemy he had ever encountered.

And this moment.

This enemy has already revealed its sharp blade.

Wait patiently for the opponent to arrive.

(End of this chapter)