Empire of the Ring

The long-awaited Aegis destroyer finally was delivered to the Kazakh Royal Navy through the Abu Dhabi Ports in the United Arab Emirates.

The prestige of the 8,000-ton Aegis destroyer was great.

Youngho and ministers of the Kazakh government who entered the vessel at the Port were guided by Captain Victor Jun. He was explaining the specifications of the Aegis destroyer in a very excited voice.

"The name 'Aegis' comes from the chest armor that Zeus, a Greek god, wore. This vessel is a perfect attack weapon with a triple air defense system with Aegis radars that monitor 360 degrees around the vessel, missiles, and machine guns, and it's also often called God's shield."

Engrossed in his explanation, everyone was nodding.

"We can find aircraft or missiles up to 1,000 kilometers away, and we can track 900 targets at the same time. We can detect the trajectory of ballistic missiles and it has the ability to adapt and control the enemy's guided missiles, aircraft, submarines, etc. at sea."

Victor, after stopping to take a moment to breathe, spoke again,

"Not only that, it is equipped with two Lynx anti-submarine helicopters, so, we're not afraid of nuclear submarines."

"You mean there are two, not one?"

Prime Minister Kasim and Air Force Chief of Staff were asking again with a look of surprise.

"That's why we call it the Aegis destroyer. The aircraft carrier would have to be a little nervous if it meets the Aegis destroyer."

As explained, with a single warship was enough to overpower a number of aircraft, warships, missiles, and submarines, it was a truly important strategic weapon.

As it was such a powerful weapon, its construction cost was a billion dollars and maintenance cost was also astronomical, which made it hard for many countries to own one.

Currently, only five countries had Aegis destroyers—the United States, Japan, South Korea, Spain, and Norway—but Kazakhstan now was also on the list.

However, only South Korea and Kazakhstan had the strongest firepower in their class.

That was because of the difference in the vertical launch pad.

The two Aegis destroyers, which were acquired this time, boasted 175-meter length, 23-meter width, 8,200 tons of drainage, and a maximum range of about 11,000 kilometers, with about 300 onboard crew member capacity.

It also had 130 vertical launchers, more than 40 more than its equivalent Aegis destroyers.

And with the latest Aegis system, it was able to attack up to 20 targets, found by its radar, simultaneously with ship-to-air missiles.

If there were any aircraft or cruise missiles that passed this, the Ram missile would intercept them in two stages.

Finally, the "Goalkeeper," the hydrant shield of the triple air defense network, would destroy the targets by shooting 4,200 machine shells per minute.

"Your Grace, my heart was exuberated throughout the voyage."

Victor, who was drinking tea with Youngho in the captain's room, looked full of amazement.

He was touched by the fact that a country like Kazakhstan could own strategic weapons that even advanced countries could not possess.

"I'm also amazed to finally meet the Aegis destroyer. Now the crew must have mastered the Aegis, right?"

"Of course. We are confident that we will neutralize any enemy that appears."

"I'd like to give you a break because you've had a lot of trouble, but the situation in Syria is serious."

"The fact that you came all the way here and welcomed us has lifted all my fatigue. I'm just sad that I've entered the Caspian Sea and haven't been able to show it to everyone."

"In the next two years, we'll have three more Aegis destroyers and a multi-purpose landing ship, so you'll be even busier. I hope you will go out to the ocean confidently in the name of the Kazakh royal family and the people of your country."

"It's an honor to play such a big role, Your Highness."

Victor Jun, who participated in the deployment of the Aegis for six months in Korea, was promoted to captain and took over the commander position of the Aegis destroyer.

"After looking at the Aegis, the frigates look like toys."

"The latest frigates have formidable force, so they are invincible in the coastal waters. If they can be protected by Aegis destroyers, they'll be quite powerful in the oceans, too."

Three frigates built in Turkey had already been completed and handed over to the Royal Navy, but they had not been deployed as their operational capabilities were still in doubt.

"Is the collaboration between the military and our navy going well?"

The Korean ship servicemen of the Aegis destroyer of the Korean Navy were accepted as members of the armed forces at the Royal Navy to make up for the poor performance of the royal navy soldiers.

"Our soldiers respect the Korean soldiers because they're so generous in passing down what they know. Some of them are even calling each other brothers."

"I'm glad to hear that. We plan to hire them as instructors at the Naval Academy and the non-commissioned officer's school when the contract period is over, so please help them learn the language quickly."

"We've got soldiers one-on-one, so a year should be enough to learn the language."

Since the Kazakh Navy Academy was not even established yet, officers or noncommissioned officers were being trained in Korea for commissioned education since the previous administration. The acquisition of the retired Chamsuri-class high-speed boat from Korea had led to commissioned education in Korea.

However, Kazakhstan could not keep leaning on others forever.

It was a basic problem that there were no marine education institutions despite dreaming of an oceanic navy.

The need for military academies and non-commissioned officers' schools had emerged as Kazakhstan now had dozens of missile ships, including Aegis destroyers and frigates.

So from this fall, the Navy Academy and the Noncommissioned Officer School were scheduled to open in the royal territory, so experienced working-level officials from South Korea were now being hired.

***

Two Aegis destroyers sailed proudly in the Arabian Sea, and on one of it, Youngho, Prince Al-Sarki, who was in charge of the United Arab Emirates' intelligence service, and the UAE's defense minister.

Youngho had invited them to show off the destroyers and also to discuss business with them.

He approached Prince Al-Sarki, who was gazing at the scene where the pilot-launched ship-to-air missile flew, and the scene of the 127-millimeter warship and Goalkeeper machine gun.

As Youngho approached, the prince fired questions as if he had been waiting for this moment.

"Your Grace, This is a great scene. I can hardly feel the vibrations of a missile being launched. It must be true that no fighter jets or ships can touch this ship."

"The firepower I'm showing you is only a small fraction. If all the firepower of the Aegis destroyer is used, one city will be devastated."

"Do the frigates ships anchored in Abu Dhabi own this level of attack or defense?"

"It's not as great as the Aegis, but it has great firepower, too. But why are you so curious about the frigates?"

"I want our navy to have a frigate, too. I've been focusing too much on air power, but I think it's time to pay attention to naval power. A frigate will be enough fire power in the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea although I think it'd be better if there's a smaller missile ship."

The purpose of bringing the prince on board the Aegis destroyer was being achieved.

"Then shall I help you?"

"Your Highness? Can you build a battleship in Kazakhstan?"

"The shipyard in the royal territory makes small-sized missiles and special ships. And at Danish Shipyard is currently building an Aegis destroyer as well as renovating the frigates. Both are owned by the Kazakh Royal Family."

"But, isn't this ship made in Korea?"

"The Korean Aegis destroyer had stronger firepower and we also lacked design skills, but now all those problems have been solved."

The prince was very surprised to hear it.

"How many tonnage vessels can you build at your shipyard?"

"We can build a 300-ton-class missile ship and a special ship."

"What do you mean by a special ship?"

"I can't say it because it's military secrets. I hope I'll be able to tell you one day."

Youngho did not share about making a submarine since he knew that the United Arab Emirates was not interested in buying submarines.

"That's great. Can I visit the shipyard some time?"

"You can visit any time you want. Our shipyard can also provide any weapons systems you request. For us, Sweden's weapons systems are easy to bring in."

The slip of Sweden was a remark aimed at Saab, the Swedish arms company.

"What does Sweden have to do with you?"

"Our royal family is investing in Saab. Didn't you know our main fighters are American and Swedish Saab's Gripen?"

Youngho emphasized Saab because he had a strong intention to supply air force aircraft as well as to boast of the royal family's financial resources.

"Your Highness, why are you so obsessed with naval power?"

"It's because I know the limits of Kazakhstan. What if a country with only its resources is blocked from exporting? Wouldn't you have to open up a sea path? No one's going to protect our cargo. If we let other powers do the job for us, they'll do it for a huge bill that we can't afford."

"I understand what you mean. It's amazing how we can't even dare to take such a step when we're surrounded by the sea."

"The reason why other countries want to interact with Kazakhstan is because they want our resources. If you have a lot of things, you have to have the power to keep them so that a fair deal can be made. It's a shame that our resources had been sold at a price that was too low."

"That's something we need to take into account. Resources are going to run out one day, and I think we've been wasting a lot of them."

"The Arab Emirates has invested so much money that it has become the financial hub of the world. Your transformation will be a model for all developing countries."

"It seems glamorous on the outside but there have been many problems internally. Our people want to live comfortably without moving their fingers, so nothing can be done without foreign workers."

The overflowing oil dollar had made the people of the United Arab Emirates lazy. They imported people to cook, clean, and drive for them.