What the hell is a private enterprise?

Chapter 585 Golden Friendship
(Additional image: Crimson Thunder)

With the warships selected, four British warships began to emerge from the smoke screen of the rapid formation.

It must be mentioned here that although the Empire had twice deployed SR71 Blackbirds to obtain ultra-high-definition aerial photographs, the four battleships' smoke-trapping skills had prevented them from being identified as their true identities. The Allied forces simply assumed they were warships from the Second Fleet.

Of the three battleships and one aircraft carrier that appeared this time, only Hood is an old acquaintance from Ghosts Returns, St. Vincent is an enhanced version of G3, which is nothing more than General Fisher's wild idea of ​​building ships from blueprints, and only Malta can be considered a historical aircraft carrier.

The reason for using warships with British markings was not only to add more mystery and confuse the public, but Tang Wen also had another plan, though it depended on whether it could be implemented.

Having just successfully seized air superiority over the airspace near Eagle Furness, he disregarded the slow fleet, while the fast fleet continued its southward advance under the cover of four plumes of smoke.

Based on the current speed, the fast fleet should arrive at its destination around 16:15, which is about two hours later!

……

Aldgrove Base
In fact, the retreat was part of the plan.

While the discovery that most of the attacking aircraft were V1s was a cause for celebration, even a 90% interception rate would still result in enormous damage, not to mention that the actual damage fell far short of expectations.

The dilapidated anti-aircraft equipment and ammunition transported by the Empire were already scarce, and after the V1 swept through like locusts, less than one-tenth of them were still able to maintain combat effectiveness.

There are still about 2.5 troops remaining in the Eagle Vernes area, but perhaps they are too lazy to bother with them, as the Third Fleet's fighters generally do not attack unless they are damaged by noise.

In reality, thousands of V1 missiles had already left North Sumatra in ruins. Even without maintaining a density capable of creating a hurricane during the interception, the exaggerated noise caused many soldiers to become dizzy and temporarily lose their fighting ability.

The Marine Corps commander still wanted to hold Lossiemouth by sheer numbers, but he was given a severe dressing-down over the phone by Band.

Even though the Air Force lost so many planes and the Lossiemouth base was ravaged several times, the total casualties would only amount to a few hundred. Although the economic losses were significant, the public would not directly feel them.

Land warfare is different. A single 380mm shell can wipe out an entire battalion. All 2.5 men would be nothing compared to the V1's strength. Just wait for the families to besiege Downing Street!

Although Prime Minister Blair did not explicitly state that he would abandon the North Soviet Union and South, he said that "preserving manpower must be the first principle." How could Band and Tren not understand this?
The public doesn't need to worry about it; they had already fled long ago by the time the news spread, and the facilities that needed to be destroyed had already been destroyed. There's really nothing to regret.

However, the Empire felt it was losing face and confidently declared that it had found a solution to the Prism Tower problem.

"In reality, those anti-human fighter jets are as fragile as paper. GA Corporation can guarantee zero losses for the Air Force!"

General Atomics Vice President Riess flew directly to Oldgrove by transport plane to promote their secret weapon against the lost Empire's aircraft:
F100 Super Sabre!

To be precise, it's the RF100 "Ninja" unmanned wingman!
This plan had been marketed to Wayne and was favored by the Air Force, and had been included in the procurement plan.

The Third Fleet's ridiculously poor-quality aircraft terrified the Allied forces, but made General Atomics extremely grateful and want to kowtow to Lao Xi twice:
In fact, the F100 drone is under a lot of pressure in the Empire. Many people believe that the F100 has been retired for 28 years and is already a piece of junk, with unknown maintenance costs!
The modification costs are high and the aircraft is outdated; it might even crash while flying.

Raytheon seized the opportunity to propose another solution:
以早期型的APG66小型雷达（曾用于A4、F5等小型飞机）为基础进行改造，塞进一个吊舱挂在B52下方，然后再给B52增加一堆复合挂架，使B52获得锁定、引导、发射中距雷达弹的能力。

雷神公司的改造方案支持1架B52通过内置滚轮挂架和机翼吊挂导弹，最多能够搭载80枚AIM120，火力绝对碾压F100改造方案。

Seeing the situation was unfavorable, General Atoms quickly modified and repackaged the F100 unmanned wingman:
-
Renamed RF100, codenamed "Ninja", signifying its attack from the shadow of the main fighter jet;
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With the addition of mounting brackets, it can carry 6 AIM-120 missiles;
-
The refurbishment plan has been finalized: replace the engine directly!

最后一批F100在79年退役，到现在原装的J57涡喷发动机的确废了，但J57涡喷发动机后来有个衍生涡扇发动机型号叫JT3D，军用版叫TF33。

JT3D一共生产了8000多台装在了波音707、727、DC8等飞机上，到现在还广泛保有，还被运10仿制，而军用版TF33更是B52的发动机！

相比于J57靠加力才能达到72千牛推力，JT3D/TF33非加力状态就有77千牛，并且减重230公斤，直接燃油效率提升54%，综合提升可以达到65%以上。

Moreover, the JT3D/TF33 is 58cm shorter than the J57, and its diameter is only slightly increased, so it can be installed with a little adjustment.

发动机直接从退役的B52拆TF33、或者民航市场淘二手JT3D更换，再加上无人化能够大量减重，RF100作战半径能逼近1300公里左右，非加力巡航速度提升10%。

Furthermore, General Atoms drew inspiration from unmanned mosquitoes to add maneuverability to the RF100 that bombers never possessed!
However, the unmanned wingman maneuvers at this time are not completed by AI, but by pre-written built-in programs, such as climbing and then diving or rolling, which need to be manually confirmed and executed by the main pilot when the conditions are right.

The cost of the RF100 increased from $400 million to $600 million, but General Atomics insisted that the RF100 was a completely different product and worth the price, and shamelessly claimed that it was an "automated fighter jet," which gained considerable recognition.

For some time, the RF100 and the heavily modified Thunderbolt B-52 remained evenly matched in terms of air superiority, until the arrival of the Third Fleet:
Prism Building believes it is necessary to guard against the possibility of Hans suddenly appearing around the world. Obviously, the expensive B-52 is not suitable, and its survivability is poor. It would be quite a pity if one of them crashed.

The RF100 can use retired bombers or even civilian engines. It is not expensive, and it is fast and quick to deploy, keeping up with the speed of the main engine. So they placed an order for 500 aircraft to try it out first, and the unit price dropped to $550 million.

Including the cost of upgrading the F-15 and F-16 mainframes, the total order amount is US$33 billion.

When this order comes out, Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group will definitely be devastated, because a J7PG (top-of-the-line double delta wing version) costs only $650 million. Imperial Aircraft Industry Group's price is enough for them to manufacture new aircraft!

So General Atoms forcefully entered the fiercely competitive fighter jet market and then tried to market it to its allies.

However, when Pierre heard that a piece of junk refurbished with retired aircraft engines was priced at $600 million, he cursed the military-industrial complex for its greed, saying that the empire was only buying it because it had money to burn.

However, allies like Holland and Bilis were somewhat interested, because they saw potential beyond just defending the lost empire:

The RF100 is much cheaper to maintain, which means that while keeping the size of the air force unchanged, a large amount of expenses can be reduced, including pilots, ground crew, support facilities, and training costs. In the future, an air squadron can be replaced by one pilot and several readily available RF100s, which can save a lot of money!
After the Cold War ended, everyone was careful with their money and trying to find ways to cut back on expenses.

However, the Prism Building's most aggressive sales pitch was to Britain:
You've already lost so many planes and pilots, and you still have so many overseas interests to protect. Shouldn't you take a dozen more first?
However, both Bender and Terren were furious:
With a formidable enemy at hand, you still haven't forgotten to promote your products? Doesn't Daiying have a single true friend?
Moreover, distant water cannot quench immediate thirst. The earliest delivery time that General Atoms could give to its export customers was October 1998. If they delayed even slightly, the Fourth Fleet might arrive!
Seeing the complete lack of unity within the Allied forces, Teren had no choice but to ask Blair to come up with another solution.

Little did they know, Blair was also throwing a tantrum at that moment.

……

"$100 billion? Why don't they just rob it!"

Blair waved the bill and yelled at Robin, who had just walked in:
"Look, this is our most steadfast ally!"

Robin remained silent; he knew what Blair was angry about:
The war isn't over yet, but the Empire has already started settling accounts. As of midnight on the 25th, this mainly includes: -
Aircraft loss compensation (Allies and the Empire lost a total of 106 aircraft, with the Empire covering the losses of allies);
Ammunition costs;
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Dispatch costs;
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Costs associated with the deployment of bombers and reconnaissance aircraft;
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Intelligence costs;
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Air defense weapon support;

As of midnight on the 25th, the total amount of the above expenses has reached 65 billion US dollars!
The loss of aircraft was the largest component, with the value of more than 100 aircraft approaching $50 billion.

Today's large-scale air combat is even more terrifying, with the bulk of the cost being ammunition:

运输机拉来的2000枚AIM120按照帝国内部价格也有17.6亿美元，鱼叉价格7亿美元左右，算上其他杂七杂八的费用，25日0点后后续为平定第三舰队费用预估在35亿美元内，加起来刚好100亿美元！
This figure nearly made Blair vomit blood, and it doesn't even take into account the significant losses suffered by the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy, which would likely be double that amount!
The workers cut budgets everywhere, cut countless projects despite the criticism, and lost all the money they had left over overnight!

Of course, the Empire indicated that its relationship with Britain was not ordinary and that it could provide a long-term loan with installments, at a low interest rate of 2% per annum, but with three insignificant conditions:
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By transferring 400 tons of gold reserves (worth approximately $50 billion) to the Federal Reserve as collateral, the UK can receive a portion of the returns from this gold investment.
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HSBC deepens cooperation with the Federal Reserve, opening up many overseas financial systems;
Rolls-Royce and BAE Systems (with British Aerospace) transferred a number of key aerospace patents to the Empire.

Upon receiving the "loan notice," Blair was furious and began to curse, and Robin vaguely heard him say something outrageous like, "400 tons of gold is enough to hire the Third Fleet to land in Boston."

After a long tirade, Blair gradually calmed down, turned around, and coldly asked:
"Is that bastard Johnson in charge now? What's his next move?"

Robin stammered, "He...he said the main force of Prism Tower would arrive, and we'd pretend to hand over Eagle Furness first, then deliver a thunderous blow when the enemy is off guard." "Ha, and then ask me for more money, is that it? The next time it arrives, it'll probably be a $150 billion bill!"

Robin didn't dare to reply, and after waiting with his head down for half a minute, he suddenly heard a voice:
"Send Wilson to negotiate again immediately. Forget about this bullshit 24-hour system. We must calm these crazy Hans down."

The conditions... as long as they're not too outrageous, I'll agree. Let's feign interest first, then discuss whether to accept them!

……

"Hello, Mr. Wilson."

Schmidt (Tang Wen's third-person perspective) sits on the torpedo, opposite Javin Wilson, who has changed his clothes.

In fact, although the latter felt humiliated after being thrown out of the torpedo tube after landing, he still kept asking to see him, which was quite a sign of enduring humiliation.

When news of the fall of the North and the retreat of the Allied forces arrived, Wilson was so anxious that he even wanted to dive down to find the U-boat, but was stopped by the Stasi.

The U-boat noticed the commotion. Tang Wen originally wanted to postpone the discussion until the evening, but thinking that Dai Ying would probably be making a ruckus by then, he decided to make contact ahead of time.

Upon their reunion, Wilson was very docile, abandoning his pretense and honestly adopting a conciliatory stance.
"The Cabinet wishes to convey to you that Britain has no intention of provoking any conflict. The past events had their inevitable historical reasons and were not due to the sole will of any one party. If the Third Fleet is willing to withdraw its troops, we can provide certain humanitarian compensation."

Although he was still hesitant and roundabout, he had at least earned the right to continue. Schmidt (Tang Wen) nodded slightly, then uttered a surprising statement:

"If Britain had been willing to become our ally back then, what harm would it have done to hand over the High Seas Fleet to the Royal Navy? You would have gained the ocean, and we would have gained the land under the sun. Why become enemies and let others reap the benefits for nothing?"

These words were completely unexpected by Wilson. He had thought that the other party would humiliate him several times before reluctantly engaging in negotiations, but... he didn't know how to respond to this!

Unable to answer directly, he could only nod vaguely in agreement:
"That must be yet another unforeseen scenario."

"But Dai Ying betrayed Europe, actually selling everyone out to the nouveau riche!"

Schmidt's face suddenly turned ferocious again, and he gritted his teeth and said:
"You are sinners, and you not only deserve retribution, but also the burden of punishment!"

Wilson was startled by this shift, but he keenly sensed that Schmidt's focus seemed to be on the Empire.

Talent Skill: Amplify the contradictions, activate!
He quickly apologized and made amends, after all, many people in the UK were skeptical about the fact that Fatty Qiu had exchanged so many overseas bases for dozens of dilapidated destroyers, and many even thought that he was an undercover agent sent by Master Luo!

Originally, the UK was doing quite well in Europe thanks to its offshore advantages. Who would be so bored as to have a bunch of tyrants and a mountain of debt for their own country?
After fully expressing empathy, Wilson hesitantly stated:
Churchill is wicked, the Empire is wicked... Well, the Royal Ark is gone, which is a heavy blow to England. Can we just let our little friction go?

He even added:
"If the Third Fleet is willing to return to Wilhelmshaven, we can open our waters for passage, provided it maintains a distance from Lunton."

This is a response to the demands made by Lütjens in his telegram: revenge and a return to Hans.

The Third Fleet has done enough revenge; you guys can go back home and show off now!

However, Tang Wen would have almost forgotten about it if he hadn't mentioned it. He had just said it casually at the time, thinking that only someone who was full and had nothing better to do would go to Port William. Wouldn't that be like a fish jumping onto a chopping board? If Prism Building knew about it, they would probably be ecstatic.

Schmidt completely ignored the argument and went straight to the point:
"First, we demand compensation for the reconstruction costs of the High Seas Fleet, calculated based on inflation rates and purchase rates, and paid to us in gold."

Wilson was taken aback at first, then quickly started calculating in his head. Relying on his excellent mathematical skills as an intelligence officer, he quickly came to a standstill:
If calculated using the usual purchasing power and inflation methods, this would probably require at least several hundred billion US dollars, equivalent to thousands of tons of gold!

If Britain had that much gold, what would be the point of talking? The Federal Reserve would probably have to empty its reserves to give it to you.
He once suspected that Schmidt had gone mad, but after calming down, he felt that something was off about the previous exchanges during the negotiations; the other party seemed much more slick.

After a rapid mental search, Wilson decided to feign pitifulness:
"This is far beyond the UK's ability to pay. Even the Royal Navy is now unable to maintain its carrier strike groups and is considering decommissioning them, or even abandoning overseas deployments."

The implication is that rebuilding the High Seas Fleet would have required an enormous sum of money in the early 20th century, and how is that different from rebuilding the Royal Navy today? It's impossible to reach that figure through a private settlement!
Schmidt ignored his complaints about being poor and instead asked:
"The Royal Navy has already shrunk to this size. If it continues to shrink, how can your overseas interests be maintained?"

Wilson: "..."

Schmidt: "Alright, the Emperor knows how badly you have declined. The current Empire is the mountain weighing down on Europe. If Dai Ying can realize his mistakes and turn over a new leaf, the Third Fleet's punishment can stop here."

"What does it mean... how does one know when they've turned back from the wrong path?"

"Then naturally we should stand on the side of the lost empire and establish an order that belongs to our Europe!"

Tang Wen made up his mind without thinking, still demanding an exorbitant price, waiting for Wilson to come down and negotiate the money back.

Then the other party cautiously asked:

"After joining, how will the Emperor guarantee the safety of his allies? You will need to station fleets, return to the continent, and launch another offensive..."

Emperor: ...

No, is the UK's stance really that flexible?
But he couldn't show weakness at this moment, so Schmidt immediately replied enthusiastically:

"We are ready. We will launch a pincer attack from Anchorage and Boston, and then advance from Dunkirk towards the World Island with the British..."

Wilson's face grew paler as he listened. He was only testing the waters; how could he be serious?

He quickly shook his head:
"We'll just focus on protecting our own territory. We're powerless to fight external threats, but we'll never interfere with what the Emperor does."

Schmidt immediately pressed further:
"So you're going to reject the Empire's friendship?"

"No, no, no, I absolutely didn't..."

After repeatedly pulling and tugging at Wilson until he was dizzy and disoriented, Schmidt finally nodded in satisfaction:
"Since you are willing to repent and reform, the tolerant Emperor will recognize you as allies. However, there are too many examples of betrayal by Britain, and the Emperor is very uneasy. He will not station a fleet there before the inspection is completed."

"It's good that they're not stationed here," Wilson breathed a sigh of relief, but Schmidt added:

"But your attitude deserves praise. The Emperor is willing to select a batch of advanced warships from the Third Fleet to sell to you for only 500 tons of gold."

Wilson: "Third Fleet... advanced warships? Isn't that unnecessary?"

Schmidt: "So that means rejecting friendship? Great, we still have 3 V1 missiles and 5000 fighter jets to deploy. Looks like they won't waste them."

The staggering numbers made Wilson tremble and prompt him to make a final stand:

"So, what's inside the warships they sold us?"

"Oh, I can't say now, but I'm sure you'll like it."

(End of this chapter)