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Chapter 320: High Military Value

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

“Why?”

Xing Hai Technologies and other companies were all shocked. Why would they ban the sales?

“This battery has an extremely high military value,” The representative of the military named Bai said with a solemn expression. “Once it is exported and it winds up in foreign military usage, it will severely impair our national security.”

Upon listening to this, Chen Jin and the others got a spark in their minds and were immediately elucidated. They instantly got the meaning in Representative Bai’s words. Military value. High Energy 1 batteries bore enormous value in the military field!

For example, conventional submarines. They were divided into diesel submarines and AIP submarines. Conventional diesel-electric submarines generally used lead-acid battery packs as a power source to provide power to the submarine’s propulsion, internal lighting, and the operation of its oxygen supply system. However, the energy density of lead-acid batteries was too low, only enough for diesel-electric submarines to stay underwater for around ten hours. If the submarine was in a fleeing state, at a speed of more than a dozen knots, the batteries’ power would be exhausted within a couple of hours. By then, the submarine would have to rise to the surface and be exposed to danger. The submarine could not go far within a few hours at the speed of some dozen knots.

The AIP submarine powered by fuel cells was obviously much stronger than the diesel-electric submarine. It could lurk underwater for one to two weeks and possessed better navigation velocity. Therefore, it bore the title of a “small nuclear submarine.”

Even so, in underwater environments, it was difficult for the AIP submarine to navigate faster without relying on the power of its aerodynamic system (AIP). Generally, it could go at only about eight to nine knots. In the short burst state, it could navigate at around 10 to 20 knots. At this speed, once surface ships equipped with anti-submarine sonar locked onto them, with the speed surface ships had, which was generally over 25 knots, AIP submarines would basically have no escape. Therefore, looking at this from a certain degree, conventional submarines belonged to the “full attack, zero defense” weapon class. Once it had been locked on, it was basically a goner.

But the High Energy 1 battery was expected to alter the situation that jeopardized conventional submarines. For diesel-electric submarines, fully charged High Energy 1 batteries would be equivalent to one-third of fuel and provided underwater endurance that would be ten times higher than that of conventional batteries. For the AIP submarines, fully charged High Energy 1 batteries could provide high-power energy output, which would greatly increase its underwater navigation speed.

In fact, in 20X8, Japan launched an AIP submarine equipped with lithium batteries. Despite the fact that lithium batteries were easily inflammable, explosive, had low impact resistance, and had lower safety levels, the mass media in the military still thought that that was a “breakthrough”... because lithium batteries had high energy densities!

What about now? High Energy 1 batteries, which had five times the energy density of lithium batteries, were invented; it was safer, more stable, and could be used on submarines. It would transform conventional submarines into underwater exterminators which could “attack and run.”

The world pattern on military might would thus be changed. The Z nation was a powerhouse in submarines, owning more than 60 conventional submarines. Now, they would just have to do some tinkering about these submarines by swapping all their batteries for High Energy 1 batteries. The deadliness of these submarines would instantly surge.

In addition, the High Energy 1 battery with “high output power” could also be used to power torpedo, allowing it to have a higher speed and a longer range. By incorporating them in submarines... the submarine’s lethality would be further enhanced.

Aside from the navy, if High Energy 1 batteries were to be installed on unmanned aerial aircrafts, the aircraft would stay in the air for two to three hours. When used in artillery models, their voyage distance could be boosted several times. Even large electric drones could be made. By incorporating them with High Energy 1 batteries, it could still sustain long distances while saving large amounts of fuel at the same time... the cost of usage would be reduced.

The cost of warfare was expected to decrease!

For ground military, electric-powered tanks or armored vehicles could be developed, thus “electrifying” the military equipment. This might sound a little exaggerated, but it was not completely impossible. For instance, electric tanks. The powering structure of traditional fuel tanks was too complicated. The power pack, gearbox, turbocharger, filter, and air conditioner combined was at least a few tons heavy. If all this weight were swapped into High Energy 1 batteries and electric motors, creating an “electric tank,” its permanence would not be a third of the prior, but at least two-thirds of it.

The tank’s internal structure, on the other hand, would be greatly simplified, significantly increasing internal space. The difficulty of maintenance would significantly reduce, as well as the pressure held by logistic support. If it appeared on the battlefield, the tank’s infrared characteristics would also be smaller than traditional tanks, paired with exclusive “generator vehicles” following the tanks as assurance. Electric tanks seemed very promising!

In short, in the field of military equipment, the advent of High Energy 1 batteries would bring forth an immense reformation. Whichever nation were to complete this reformation first, without a doubt, that country would gain an enormous advantage, acquiring even the so-called “generation gap.”

These were the reasons behind the military’s ban on exporting High Energy 1 batteries! These batteries could be used on civilian vehicles, but if it was not properly regulated and ended up in the hands of foreign military research institutions, they would use it in armament research, and could turn over and threaten the Z nation. This must not be allowed! The others must not be as advanced as Z!

“Wait a few more years. If the foreigners have broken through similar battery technology, only then can you export those batteries. And it must be strictly regulated. They must only be available for civilian use,” said Representative Bai.

Chen Jin couldn’t help but clean out his ears. Were these words a little... familiar? Weren’t these the words that the countries imposing a technological ban on us were always saying? Why is it our turn to say this?

“Alright Representative Bai! We will not export High Energy 1 batteries for now. We’ll wait a few years,” said Chen Jin. However... the military hindering him from doing such a big business move, they should give him something as compensation right? When High Energy 1 batteries realized mass production and when the initial price was still high, should the military give him more orders and help push the cost price down?

“That’s a must for us.” Representative Bai nodded. “It’s just that the country has plans to speed up our military’s combat effectiveness. We have launched a comprehensive replacement plan for multiple services in the military, such as our air, sea, and artillery forces. We plan to give our battery system a complete makeover. In accordance with the initial price of the first batch of batteries at approximately 7,000 dollars per kilogram, the military’s orders will be at least one hundred billion units.” Representative Bai winked, “How is it? Are we sincere enough?”

More than a hundred billion? Chen Jin and the others nodded their heads. Not bad, the military’s sincerity was not bad at all.

Although a hundred billion was like a drizzle compared to the civilian market which would be in the trillions, the first batch of High Energy 1 batteries would have a tremendously high cost and sales price, which only a small portion of consumers would be able to afford. Therefore, the early stages of product promotion would be more difficult, and it might even be unsalable. Now, with the military’s hundred billion orders, the cost price of High Energy 1 batteries was expected to fall below 5,000 dollars per kilogram. There was no need to worry about encountering a freeze in the market during the early stages.

The military did not lose anything as well. The combat effectiveness of the army would hike exponentially and the country’s deterrence towards foreign forces would be immensely boosted. Was the country’s benefit of peace worth only a hundred billion?

A win-win. Cooperative measures such as this could be considered a win-win situation.