Empire Conquest-Chapter 693 - 21 Missile Threat_2

Led by the Tiaoman Empire, the Western Continent Group indeed possessed a large number of ballistic missiles, and the key issue was that the Western Continent Corps actually lacked effective striking capabilities.

For many second and third-rate countries, this was even more so.

In the Iran-Iraq War, the military value of ballistic missiles was proven.

However, strictly speaking, it was only by way of demonstration.

Once they reached a strategic stalemate, both sides lacked the means to break through each other’s defense lines and were unwilling to accept the reality of not being able to win, they could only shift their focus to the rear of the front line, hoping to force the other side to surrender by striking non-military targets.

Initially, both sides mainly relied on the Air Force.

Unfortunately, facing increasingly sophisticated air defense systems, conventional breakthrough tactics were tantamount to sending pilots to their deaths, with casualty rates that neither side could afford.

Under these circumstances, both sides turned their attention to ballistic missiles.

Though their cost-effectiveness was very low, there was no risk of being shot down, and there was no need to worry about pilot casualties or capture by the enemy.

Within just a few years, both warring parties purchased and used up thousands of short and medium-range ballistic missiles.

Limited by accuracy, both sides used ballistic missiles to attack each other’s cities!

By the end of the Iran-Iraq War, the Iraqi Army still retained thousands of "Scud" missiles imported from the Western Continent Group, as well as "Hussein" missiles, which were imitations of the "Scud."

These missiles were truly the trump card weapons of the Iraqi Army.

Last month, when discussing military action against Iraq, the Army emphasized repeatedly the threat posed by those thousands of missiles.

According to Qin Fenglie, even if those missiles could not change the outcome of the war, they could still cause the Imperial Army to pay a heavy price.

With some luck, a ballistic missile loaded with half a ton of explosives could kill hundreds of Imperial soldiers!

On this basis, Shi Shouliang suggested deploying the "Divine Archer" system in Saudi Arabia when necessary to obtain ballistic missile interception capabilities.

Even if it was just for reassurance, it was much better than having nothing.

Of course, to repel ballistic missiles, deploying the "Divine Archer" alone was definitely not enough, and according to the Empire’s strategy, the primary consideration would certainly be offensive operations.

When drafting the plan, the Air Force proposed that the already active "War-16A" participate in searches and destroy missions targeting ballistic missile launch vehicles.

The reason was simple: only the "War-16A" had sufficient range and payload capacity for such missions.

The Air Force initiated the "Advanced Multi-purpose Fighter" project to obtain a tactical platform that could execute battlefield-breaking missions and counter long-range enemy weapons. To achieve the design targets set by the Air Force, the "War-16A" almost completely sacrificed its air combat capabilities and attained a maximum payload of 13 tons; moreover, after refueling midair, it could operate within a radius of more than 2000 kilometers.

In short, Iraq’s ballistic missiles had to be treated as a threat and could not be overlooked.

That’s why Qin Fenglie suggested that in addition to deploying the "Divine Archer" system, defensive anti-missile cover should also be provided to Saudi Arabia’s major cities and military bases, primarily Riyadh and King Khalid Military City, and consider arranging for "War-16A" to carry out hunting missions.

Furthermore, a decision had to be made quickly.

According to Qin Fenglie, once Zhou Yongtao approved it, it would certainly take some time to deploy, so there was no room for delay in the decision-making process.

For this, Zhou Yongtao immediately called Lin Shiping.

Seeking Lin Shiping was actually to clarify how serious the threat from Iraq’s ballistic missiles was and whether it was necessary to take drastic actions.

It wasn’t that Zhou Yongtao didn’t trust Qin Fenglie, but rather he felt that the threat from Iraq wasn’t that severe.

After all, Zhou Yongtao was a veteran soldier and a former Navy Marshal; his confidence was not ordinarily strong.

At this time, he needed professional advice from Lin Shiping.

Yes, accurate intelligence.

"Admiral Shi Shouliang’s concerns are indeed valid and cannot be considered overly cautious," Lin Shiping said after taking a deep breath, "What we fear is not the probable but the possible."

Zhou Yongtao didn’t respond; as Lin Shiping lit his cigarette, he stood and walked to the window.

If it weren’t for exceptional circumstances, no one dared smoke in front of Zhou Yongtao.

According to Zhou Yongtao, no naval officer liked the smell of tobacco.

"Based on the intelligence we have, during the Iran-Iraq War, the ’Scud’ missiles launched by the Iraqi Army had a hit rate on tactical targets of less than one percent, hence they were eventually used to attack cities. The issue is, our main military base, King Khalid Military City, resembles a city too, and its area is comparable to a mid-sized city."

"Are you suggesting that Hussein would use missiles to attack King Khalid Military City?"

"If other countermeasures are ineffective or unreliable, that is his only option."

Zhou Yongtao sighed deeply, clearly understanding why Lin Shiping said this.

In fact, after losing today’s air battle, unless Hussein was willing to risk a ground attack, or if a ground operation yielded unexpected results, the only reliable counterattack weapon left, without hope of regaining air superiority, was the ballistic missile.

Even if it was only symbolic, it could boost morale.