Main Weapon Is Not a 120mm Smoothbore Cannon, All Eliminated

As the representative from the machinery military factory openly expressed his doubts, the scene immediately fell into a clamor.

A group of Yan Country's military bigwigs began whispering among themselves, discussing in low voices.

Their hearts were filled with confusion and worry, as they had been eagerly anticipating the Second Generation Main Battle Tank to be equipped with the more powerful 120mm Smoothbore Cannon.

However, reality had dealt them a heavy blow.

The performance of the 212 Machinery Military Factory on this crucial project had been extremely disappointing. The planned 120mm Smoothbore Cannon project was still stuck on paper, with no progress whatsoever.

This situation left the military bigwigs feeling helpless and anxious.

They knew time was of the essence. If they couldn't resolve this issue quickly, it would severely impact the nation's military strength and strategic layout.

However, it couldn't entirely be blamed on the 212 Machinery Military Factory.

Without military funding, ensuring the project's normal progress would be almost impossible.

Especially in the early days of reform and opening up, everything had to make way for the economy.

Yan Country's military budget was slashed again and again.

All the major third-tier military factories fell into hardship.

And the 212 Machinery Military Factory was no exception!

They could barely guarantee the workers' wages and benefits.

Where could they find extra funds to invest in the research of the new 120mm Smoothbore Cannon project?

Being able to develop the 115mm Smoothbore Cannon was already quite impressive.

Currently, the 120mm Smoothbore Cannon project was still in the planning phase, but as long as sufficient funds were invested, success would surely be within reach.

Not only that, but the research and development of the Second Generation Main Battle Tank was also not something that could be accomplished overnight.

Even with the smoothest progress, it would likely take several years to complete the verification phase.

It must be emphasized that the design and development proposal for the Second Generation Main Battle Tank put forth by the 625 Machinery Military Factory was a completely new concept, requiring re-evaluation in many aspects.

Su Yiming, standing on the stage, was naturally aware of all this.

He responded in a calm tone, "Although the 120mm Smoothbore Cannon is unlikely to be ready in the short term."

"It will also take a considerable amount of time for the Second Generation Main Battle Tank to go from verification and testing to its official rollout."

"I believe in the capabilities of the 212 Machinery Military Factory. As long as they are given sufficient funding, they will definitely be able to design and develop the 120mm Smoothbore Cannon."

Su Yiming said with great confidence.

Just as the representative from the machinery military factory was about to refute Su Yiming, Lin Chenran, sitting in the last row, suddenly raised his hand, seemingly with something to say.

Seeing this, Old Wei's lips curved slightly, and he nodded, agreeing to let him speak.

After receiving permission, Lin Chenran stood up and bowed deeply to everyone present.

Then, he spoke in a clear and firm voice, "Perhaps many of you are not yet familiar with me, so please allow me to introduce myself first."

"I am the representative from the 077 Machinery Military Factory, and my name is Lin Chenran."

After Lin Chenran finished his introduction, the atmosphere instantly became lively, and people started whispering and discussing among themselves.

"So he's Lin Chenran, the factory director of the 077 Machinery Military Factory!" someone exclaimed in surprise.

"He's truly young and promising!" another person praised.

"I heard that the idea of converting the Type 59 Tank into a civilian engineering vehicle came from him."

Upon hearing this, Old Wei immediately waved his hand, signaling everyone to quiet down.

As a result, the voices of the representatives from the machinery military factories gradually subsided.

Lin Chenran continued, "If our Second Generation Main Battle Tank uses a 110mm Smoothbore Cannon or a 115mm Smoothbore Cannon, then for us to reach the international first-tier level in the field of tanks would be nothing short of a pipe dream."

His tone was firm and serious, causing everyone to fall into thought.

"Everyone should be aware that military powers like Bear Country and Eagle Country have long been using 125mm Smoothbore Cannons on their Main Battle Tanks and have been doing so for many years."

"Even some second-rate countries have adopted 120mm Smoothbore Cannons. Are we still going to remain at the stage of 110mm or 115mm Smoothbore Cannons?"

"This is undoubtedly choosing to fall behind."

Lin Chenran's words struck everyone like a wake-up call.

At this moment, Old Zhu also stood up and expressed his agreement with Lin Chenran's words, "That's right. Although our country's 120mm Smoothbore Cannon has not yet been successfully developed, with our country's scientific research capabilities, we will definitely achieve a breakthrough in a few years."

He swept his firm gaze across everyone present and continued, "We cannot only focus on immediate benefits but must also look towards future development. Only by possessing advanced weaponry can we ensure national security and the combat effectiveness of our troops."

Then, Old Zhu revealed a piece of information: "Our 617 Machinery Military Factory's Second Generation Main Battle Tank will also be equipped with a 120mm Smoothbore Cannon as its main weapon."

Although there was a tense competitive relationship between the 617 Machinery Military Factory and the 625 Machinery Military Factory.

Still, "what is right is right, and what is wrong is wrong."

We cannot harm the country's interests just because the 617 Machinery Military Factory and the 625 Machinery Military Factory are competitors.

Old Zhu was hailed as the "soul figure" of Yan Country's tank industry. With his outstanding wisdom and profound achievements, he became a legendary man who supported half of the history of Yan Country's tanks.

Every decision he made influenced the development direction of Yan Country's tanks.

At this moment, his declaration of support for Yan Country's Second Generation Main Battle Tank adopting the 120mm Smoothbore Cannon as its main weapon undoubtedly sealed the deal.

As expected, the representatives from other companies, who had yet to present their design and development proposals for their own Second Generation Main Battle Tanks, instantly wore looks of extreme embarrassment.

These representatives inwardly lamented their misfortune. They had been full of confidence, ready to showcase their proposals to everyone.

But at this moment, they discovered that their Second Generation Main Battle Tank design and development proposals were utterly lacking in any advantages!

They had previously believed their proposals were significantly better than the two that came before.

Although they all featured smoothbore cannons, either 110mm or 115mm, their tanks were superior in terms of speed and defensive armor.

However, reality dealt them a heavy blow—any Second Generation Main Battle Tank design and development proposal not equipped with a 120mm Smoothbore Cannon was directly and completely rejected by the Yan Country military.

At this point, the conference room fell into a deathly silence. Only the Second Generation Main Battle Tank design and development proposals from three Machinery Military Factories were spared.

These three lucky winners were: the 625 Machinery Military Factory, which had just presented on stage; the 617 Machinery Military Factory, belonging to Old Zhu; and the 077 Machinery Military Factory, where Lin Chenran, who had just strongly supported Su Yiming, was located.

Faced with this situation, everyone looked at each other, unsure of what to do for a moment.

Some wore expressions of surprise, seemingly unable to believe what was happening before their eyes;

Others frowned deeply, lost in thought;

Still others parted their lips, wanting to say something, but ultimately chose silence.

The entire conference room was filled with a tense and oppressive atmosphere, as if a storm was about to break.

"This..."

"That..."

Various exclamations and doubts intertwined, making the already chaotic scene even more complex.

The 077 Machinery Military Factory was actually so forward-thinking?

Betting on the "120mm Smoothbore Cannon" as the main weapon for their Second Generation Main Battle Tank.