Empire Conquest-Chapter 698 - 23 The King of Land Warfare_2
The previous generation "ZT-80" lacked the capability for true dynamic target engagement, and in static against dynamic scenarios, the hit rate was below 50%.
It was this relatively high hit rate that fundamentally changed the nature of tank-led armored warfare.
Additionally, the powerful night-fighting capability endowed by thermal imaging night vision devices enabled armored forces to launch assaults at night for the first time.
To be precise, it raised the bar for night warfare, making the night the home field for those with advanced technology.
In summary, it was the advancement of technology that led to a dramatic improvement in tank performance and, consequentially, a fundamental shift in armored tactics.
It was only after the introduction of the "ZT-99" that the Empire’s armored forces began their transition to multifaceted precision.
Against this backdrop, the Army began to place greater emphasis on the Air Force, particularly armed helicopters.
As Army leaders put it, in the past, they relied on a vast number of tanks to counter the enemy’s steel torrents, and when there were not enough tanks, they had to rely on the striking power provided by the Air Force, particularly armed helicopters designed for anti-tank warfare, to compensate for the lack of armored power.
Of course, many overlooked a more critical issue.
The shift from multifaceted to precision in the Army’s armored forces was rooted in cost, or rather, a matter of money.
The factory price of the "ZT-99A" was nearly twice that of the "ZT-80DG," with daily maintenance costs 50% higher and total lifecycle costs exorbitantly more expensive.
With a higher unit price, naturally, fewer could be purchased.
Furthermore, with the increase in tank costs, the previously viewed expensive armed helicopters started to seem more affordable, making them easier to accept by the Army.
Although more than 7,000 "ZT-99" series tanks have been procured, which seems like a large number, they have been officially in service for 13 years. In the same duration, over 20,000 "ZT-80" and even more, 30,000 "ZT-55" units, were produced.
Thus, the relative production of the "ZT-99" is actually not that high.
Indeed, it was the prohibitively high procurement costs that caused the Marine Corps to wait over a decade before they decided to purchase the "ZT-99AL."
The least of their worries was the "ZT-99A’s" combat capability; the real concern was that there were only 68 tanks for two battalions.
In fact, this was where the "Zhi-10A" demonstrated its value.
Without the battlefield information provided by the "Zhi-10A," there would have to be a greater deployment of armored forces and, undoubtedly, more main battle tanks.
With information from the Joint Command Aircraft, it was possible to reduce the number of defensive forces or to guard a longer front with the same number of troops.
Simply put, tactics were shifting from static defense to mobile defense.
Upon arriving at the front line, the troops began moving north.
According to battlefield information provided by the "Zhi-10A," an Iraqi armored force was moving towards the border. As the force originated from south of Baghdad, near Nasiriyah, it was reasonable to believe that it was an elite unit of the Republic Guard, likely equipped with the latest T-72 tanks.
Moreover, this armored force was significant in size, with at least 100 tanks.
It was at that moment that Ding Zhennan received a message from Shi Shouliang at the Joint Force Headquarter.
The Grand Secretary had already approved the deployment of the "Divine Archer" long-range air defense system to King Khalid Military City and would also expedite the deployment of long-range strike forces, primarily consisting of "War-16A" aircraft.
For this reason, Shi Shouliang asked Ding Zhennan to return as soon as possible.
Deploying the air defense system was something Ding Zhennan didn’t need to worry about, but he would certainly need to draft an operational plan for the strikes against Iraqi missile launchers.
According to Shi Shouliang, they would have to consider launching preemptive air strikes against ballistic missile forces as soon as the "War-16A" Plane Group arrived.
That is to say, adjustments to combat deployment needed to be made.
All of this was to happen within just a few days; there was no time to delay.
"Commander, we’ve arrived."
Upon hearing the tank commander’s reminder, Ding Zhennan noticed the command vehicle had stopped, and several accompanying soldiers were already disembarking, busy unloading communication equipment.
This was the front line!
Approximately 2000 meters to the north lay the border between Saudi Arabia and Iraq.
Speaking of a border, there was actually nothing there, and the only recognizable landmarks were stone markers carved every kilometer.
After disembarking, Ding Zhennan, guided by a battalion staff officer, climbed a sand dune ahead.
The staff officer also brought along an image intensifying night vision device.
It was a model used by Special Forces, equipped with laser ranging capability, albeit cumbersome and somewhat complicated to operate.
The night sky was clear, and it was a half-moon night, so visibility wasn’t too bad.
The tanks had all deployed into position and were concealed on the spot.
All the tanks and armored vehicles had an inverted "V" pattern painted with luminescent powder on the side of their turrets.
With a low-light night vision device, it could be seen from several kilometers away.
That thing was actually an enemy identification mark.
It could be seen by friendly forces from the side and rear but not by the enemy in front.
Iraq’s Armored Forces, including several commanders such as Liu Zunshan, were about 20 kilometers away, giving battle orders to other tank commanders.
Although they could make contact by radio, once the battle really started, it was feared that no one could attend to anything else.
Just like in the drills, only a few Cavalry Chariots rushed forward and were on the side of the tank’s fire line to avoid being hit by mistake.
Indeed, these few Cavalry Chariots were on a reconnaissance mission.
Other Cavalry Chariots, by platoon, were grouped behind the tanks. In addition to using better-performing infrared image intensifiers to support the tanks, they could also attack the enemy’s tanks with Heavy Anti-Tank Missiles that had a range of up to 8 kilometers in battle.
Playing the main force, 34 tanks were all deployed along the border line, from north to south.
This time, by platoon, every 4 tanks formed a battle group, and the platoon leader’s vehicle’s enemy identification mark was two overlapping inverted "V" symbols, which could be recognized at a glance.
The tactics were also simple, fire immediately as Iraqi tanks crossed the border.
Put simply, it was about destroying the enemy as far away as possible!
Indeed, 32 tanks of 8 platoons, along with the company commander and deputy company commander’s tanks, were all within the 2000 to 2500 meters area south of the borderline.
At this distance, the "ZT-99AL", while stationary, had an 85% first-round-hit probability against stationary targets.
Actually, it still lacked something.
In last year’s drills, before the tank troops engaged the "enemy," the Air Force’s Attack Aircraft and the Land Air Force’s armed helicopters had conducted two rounds of aerial strikes in succession.
Unfortunately, that was not possible now.
The Land Air Force’s helicopters were still in the Empire’s port preparing to be shipped, and the Air Force’s Attack Aircraft units were still in the homeland. It was estimated that it would take at least a week for them to be deployed.
If the deployment of the "War-16A" Plane Group was advanced for search and attack operations against ballistic missile launchers, the deployment time of Attack Aircraft might be further delayed by several days.
Now, the only thing that could be relied upon was the Marine Corps’ tanks.
"Commander, they’re coming!"
After the reminder from the staff officer next to him, Ding Zhennan picked up his low-light binoculars and looked to the north.
There was some movement on the horizon, albeit not very clear, but it was evident that there were many tanks and armored vehicles, as the raised dust was quite noticeable.
Visually estimated, they were about 10 kilometers away.
Being able to see them did not mean they could open fire.
Shi Shouliang had already issued orders that unless Iraqi forces crossed the border and entered Saudi Arabian territory—that is, invaded Saudi Arabia—they were absolutely not to fire first.
Starting ground combat was completely different from establishing a no-fly zone.
Simply put, establishing a no-fly zone was a defensive military action aimed at protecting Saudi Arabia, with no possibility of invading Iraq. Firing on Iraqi forces inside their territory and actively launching an attack would be no different from a military invasion.
The Empire, fighting under the banner of opposing aggression and helping Kuwait regain its country, could not afford to make any moves that would be seen as an aggressive invasion of another country.
That was precisely why the Empire’s military actions had garnered the support of numerous countries.
Actually, they couldn’t aim accurately at such a long distance.
After about ten minutes, the Iraqi Armored Forces advanced to near the border.
That was about 5 kilometers away, where the Iraqi tanks and armored vehicles could be clearly seen, but the Iraqi forces had already halted their advance.
Before crossing the border line, all the tanks and armored vehicles came to a stop.
Perhaps, the Iraqi forces had discovered the Marine Corps south of the border line!?
