Material Empire

"We also solved this fiber mass production technology by accident." Xiao Weihao interjected slowly, with a secretive smile on his face, which made people feel that what he said was a lie.

In fact, strictly speaking, China was able to solve the mass production technology of high-strength and high-modulus polyethylene fibers by accident. It took less than half a year from Qin Hai to tell Yu Lihong and others the technical know-how to the final realization of industrial production. Compared with the development of several large European and American companies for more than ten years, it can only be regarded as accidental.

However, McCartney, Seitzler and the others couldn't believe this kind of words. Coupled with Xiao Weihao's expression, people could only think in the opposite direction. And once it begins to doubt the origin of this technology, the US side will imagine what a huge scientific research system the Chinese military has established and how much time and money it has spent to solve this technical problem, which in turn means the scientific research strength of the Chinese military. is unfathomable.

This is exactly the impression that Xiao Weihao wanted McCartney and others to create. One of the responsibilities of the security department is to conduct strategic deception, so that opponents can't figure out their true strength.

"Mr. McCartney, if this body armor is really made of high-strength and high-modulus polyethylene fibers, then its protective performance will indeed be much stronger than that of Kevlar. As for whether it can reach 2.5 times, it needs actual testing. Know."

Seitzler no longer entangled how the Chinese side solved this technical problem, but turned to the technical evaluation of this new product. He has studied the relevant technical indicators of high-strength and high-modulus fibers in the past, and he has also imagined the use of this fiber to make protective equipment. It is only because the output of this fiber is too low and the price is too expensive that his idea is only possible. Failed to implement.

"We need to test the body armor, can you provide the corresponding samples?" McCartney nodded and asked Liang Rongjian.

"Yes, in addition to the one in your hand, we can also provide two other body armors for you to conduct actual tests." Liang Rongjian replied.

McCartney said again: "The price of your body armor is also a matter of concern to us. You should know that our army is currently equipped with Kevlar body armor, which can provide enough protection for our soldiers, and The price is very low. If the price of your body armor is higher than that of Kevlar body armor, we will basically not consider buying it.”

"Mr. McCartney thinks that the performance of your army's current body armor is sufficient to meet the needs of the battlefield?" Xiao Weihao said with a smile, "According to the information we have, the Kevlar body armor currently used by your army is effective in preventing fragments. The performance in terms of damage is poor, and it is difficult to defend against high-speed fragments below one gram. Due to the insufficient cutting resistance of the fiber, fragments with sharp edges will often cut through the body armor and cause damage to the skin of soldiers."

"The situation you mentioned...Of course it happens occasionally." McCartney's face was a little ugly, and the feeling of being slapped in the face after putting on the fork was very uncomfortable.

"Also, in terms of protection against direct projectile damage, the transient deformation of the body armor using 6-layer Kevlar fabric exceeds 40 mm, which will cause soldiers to suffer serious non-penetrating damage. If this indicator is to be reduced to If it is 20 mm, more than 11 layers of fabric must be used, which will more than double the weight of the body armor, thus losing the mobility of soldiers on the battlefield... Am I right?" Xiao Weihao continued to talk eloquently.

These materials were collected by Xia Yangjie and the others from various foreign documents when they were developing the body armor, and they did not involve the secrets of the Chinese military. In fact, Xiao Weihao knew far more about Kevlar body armor than this, but some information was only held within the security department, so he would naturally not disclose it on this occasion. However, just such public information is enough to defeat McCartney.

"Obviously, Mr. Xiao is very familiar with the body armor we are currently using. Then we might as well say frankly, what kind of protective performance your body armor can achieve, and what price do you hope to sell it at?" McCarnes said. Shrugging his shoulders, he said helplessly.

No one knows the real situation of the body armor currently equipped by the U.S. military better than McCartney. In the just-concluded Gulf War, the body armor equipped by the U.S. military has withstood the test of the battlefield, which not only shows the necessity of the equipment, but also exposes the existence of bulletproof vests. clothing disadvantages. Two months after the end of the war, applications from various troops to replace a new generation of body armor flew to the Equipment Command like snowflakes. A masterpiece that made McCartney's eyes shine.

This time, I heard that a Chinese company came to sell body armor, and McCartney came to meet with them with a bit of a mentality. Unexpectedly, what the Chinese company came up with turned out to be a revolutionary new product, which made McCarniss unmoved.

He originally planned to pretend to be indifferent and force the Chinese to lower the sales price, but who knows that the Chinese side has done enough homework to make the US military's foundation clear. Under such circumstances, what confidence does he have to bargain with the Chinese side.

At this moment, a thought flashed in McCartney's mind: Those journalists and scholars who leaked the secrets of the US military are really damned.

"We have the performance data of this new type of body armor here, and Mr. McCartney can tell it at a glance." Liang Rongjian handed over a stack of information, and then said: "You can re-test these performances, and we are willing to wait for you The test results. As for the price, we use Kevlar body armor as a reference, its price is 350 US dollars, our new body armor is 520 US dollars, and the helmet is 170 US dollars.”

"Hmm..." McCartney fell silent, lowered his head and began to read the information Liang Rongjian gave him. Such an offer was within his acceptable psychological range. As for pretending to be annoyed and refusing to accept the price, this kind of tactic would be humiliating in front of experts.

"We have kept the materials and samples. After we conduct the test, we will contact you." After turning over the last page, McCartney put the materials on the coffee table beside him and said to Liang Rongjian.

Liang Rongjian said: "Okay, we will be staying at the Gwinnett Hotel in Washington for a few days. Please let us know any results you have. However, I'm afraid we won't be able to stay in the United States for too long, so..."

"Don't worry, I think we will come up with the results as soon as possible, and your trip in the United States will not be delayed." McCartney said with a smile.

The host and guest stood up respectively, shook hands and bid farewell. With two entourages, McCartney sent Liang Rongjian and others out of the gate, watched them get into a taxi, and then returned to the office. Seitzler eagerly pursued McCartney. "Mr. McCartney, if what they say is true, I think we should buy their body armor."

"Why?" McCartney asked knowingly.

"According to my research on high-strength high-modulus polyethylene fibers, fabrics made of this fiber are more than 2 times tougher than Kevlar fibers, and their cut resistance is more than 3 times higher, which can reduce fragment damage by 50% or even more. A lot. I think this kind of body armor can meet the requirements of those soldiers." Seitzler said.

"The most important thing is that their price is cheaper than Kevlar body armor." Another entourage named Culver added that when Liang Rongjian made an offer to McCarnes just now, he didn't say a word, but in fact he was thinking He laughed secretly.

The Kevlar body armor that Xiao Weihao and the others bought from the United States is a product publicly sold in the American market, and the price is indeed 350 US dollars a piece. However, the price of body armor ordered directly by the U.S. military from manufacturers is nearly twice as expensive as that on the market, reaching as much as $620.

It is not uncommon in the group procurement of the US military that the price of large-scale procurement is higher than the retail price. According to the supplier's explanation, the style of military body armor is very different from the retail version, which strengthens the protection requirements of certain parts, and also needs to add a number of tactical pockets, buckles and other components, thereby increasing the overall cost. Of course, sensible people know that these are all excuses, and the real reason for the abnormally high prices of these bulletproof vests is the collusion between inside and outside.

Although Xiao Weihao was engaged in security work, he didn't know this secret, otherwise they could have quoted a higher price this time around.

"The Ministry of National Defense hopes to improve the relationship with the Chinese military. If we can order body armor from China, it will undoubtedly send a signal of reconciliation to the Chinese military. I believe they will accept this kind of goodwill. Our biggest enemy now It's stupid, there is no need to be an enemy of China." McCartney is worthy of being the deputy director, and his words are more political than the two assistants.

"We understand." Seitzler and Culver responded in unison, "We will immediately arrange a performance test for these bulletproof vests, and also conduct accounting calculations, so as to give the Chinese an answer as soon as possible."

"In terms of price, as long as it does not exceed the Kevlar body armor, or a little more than 10% is acceptable. The key is that the design of these body armor must meet the requirements of our army." McCarnes explained to Culver.

Culver understood: "Yes, I have noticed that many parts of the body armor they designed do not meet the requirements of our army. We will submit these requirements to the other party in detail."

Modifying the design naturally means that the cost will increase. The current quotation of the Chinese is 520 US dollars. The leader said that it can be raised to 620 US dollars, and it does not matter if it exceeds 10%. As for the price difference...everyone knows.

Culver couldn't help but smile when he thought of this.