Chapter 378 - 376: Military Camp
The special forces camp was quickly built near Chen Xin’s camp.
Today’s field army camps are no longer the military-green tent barracks that many remember.
With technological advancements and the army’s increasing logistical capabilities, military camps have become vastly different from before.
They have not only become more modernized but also increasingly convenient and quick to construct.
With prefabricated structures and mobile cabins forming the barracks, explosion-proof walls piecing together the camp walls and watchtowers, and the help of exoskeletons, a fully functional camp with all facilities was built in just a few hours.
This modular camp is the army’s latest field camp construction technology. All materials were pre-processed before departure, categorized by purpose, allowing for quick installation upon arrival at the destination.
This new technology was specially developed by the military to address past issues of costly, lengthy, and infrequent field camp setups with poor logistical support. Previously, it was only used experimentally in some military exercises, but this time, it was for a real combat assessment to some extent.
Because all materials were pre-processed and classified, assembly itself was quick. Even without construction machinery, the aid of exoskeletons allowed these special forces to assemble the prefabricated structures and place the mobile cabins, and even connect the camp’s water and electricity in a few hours, ready for use.
Mention must be made of Chen Xin’s contribution to this endeavor. Without his completion of the first isotope thermoelectric battery production line, allowing the country to produce these convenient energy sources in bulk, these special forces could quickly assemble the barracks, but connecting water and electricity would not have been as convenient.
Traditional power supply methods are nothing more than fuel generators and single-use power sources. The single-use power source is a traditional battery, which, though rechargeable, has limited capacity, sufficient only for small equipment. Camp power supply still relied on fuel generators.
This reliance on fuel posed a significant logistical challenge and tested the army’s support capabilities severely.
Modern armies, unlike ancient ones, do not simply rely on carrying provisions; the support system is critical to a modern army, with supply lines being a reflection of combat effectiveness.
If the enemy cuts the supply lines, a fuel shortage is a serious issue for the unit.
Now, with the isotope thermoelectric battery provided by Chen Xin, the army doesn’t even need generators. Two batteries alone suffice to power a temporary camp.
This is far superior to generators, considering that with technological progress, the heat generated by fuel generators is highly detectable by certain reconnaissance methods. The heat from just two boiled eggs can reveal a covert unit, let alone a generator set.
Moreover, isotope thermoelectric batteries can be used in vehicles, making fully electric ones far less dependent on logistics than fuel-powered ones.
For instance, a main battle tank’s fuel typically covers only four to five hundred kilometers. Even that is for road conditions; under complex terrain, one tank of fuel might not even cover an assault.
But the isotope thermoelectric battery, lasting for ten years, can power a tank to travel four to five thousand kilometers without a "fuel" issue, only requiring routine maintenance.
This alone can radically change a tank’s operational mode and alter the course of warfare.
This explains why the military committee dispatched an entire special forces unit to protect Chen Xin. Had it been before the disaster, he would have been taken to a heavily guarded military base, and foreign spies would be swarming like flies.
With the special forces camp construction completed, the combat team sent by the Commander to protect Chen Xin arrived at his location.
"Hello, comrade, we are the battle group assigned to protect you. You can call me Wang Hai; these are my team members. We will rotate with another team, providing round-the-clock protection," a soldier with second lieutenant rank saluted Chen Xin and introduced himself.
"Oh, hello. How will you be protecting me? Is there anything I need to coordinate on?" Chen Xin greeted Lieutenant Wang Hai, as they were here to protect him, and there was no reason to be unfriendly; rather, he should cooperate actively: "My main duty now is manufacturing components for the camp’s heating hub; I’ll go to the construction site as needed, and occasionally go out. You can plan your actions based on this."
"Thank you for cooperating; it won’t be as exaggerated as you imagine. We will set up security around you without affecting your work; if you need to go out, we will assign someone to accompany you," Wang Hai appreciated Chen Xin’s cooperation and explained their arrangement.
For the special forces executing this protection mission, having the protected target cooperate certainly makes their task easier and enhances their ability to carry out their mission.
Chen Xin’s inclination to cooperate comes not only from his personality but also largely from Qin Lan’s influence.
After all, Qin Lan was a special ops police officer and had also undertaken protection missions. Chen Xin heard of potential issues and impacts during his time with Qin Lan, so he knew how to cooperate with those protecting him.
After introducing his team to Chen Xin, Wang Hai deployed them around Chen Xin’s camp for security, while he and another soldier remained by Chen Xin’s side.
Chen Xin didn’t feel uncomfortable with more people around him, although it was somewhat unfamiliar, it didn’t interfere with him, so he let it be.
However, seeing the military exoskeleton protective suit on Wang Hai piqued his interest, especially since it was produced from his original schematics. Chen Xin wanted to see how the state-produced version compared to his creation.
"Can I take a look at your exoskeleton?" Chen Xin asked Wang Hai.