Back in 1978, I was admitted to Northwestern Polytechnical University.

Chapter 312 A comprehensive aid package including the USS Midway aircraft carrier
“These Easterners are trying to force us to agree to their conditions!” Barsari could no longer sit still in the meeting room. He stood up and paced back and forth.

“Yes, leaving us here is just a tactic they're using in negotiations. Who says Easterners are simple and kind? They've long since turned into unscrupulous merchants!” the assistant added.

"Hmph, we Somalis have backbone. Since they're trying to fool us like this, we'll just abandon this batch of fighter jets from the East! Let them lose an order."

"That's right, let's go!"

Several people echoed his sentiments, and then Barsari took the lead, opened the meeting room door, and went out.

There's no one outside. What are all the employees in this company doing? The client is about to leave, and they're not even in a hurry? Well, then we might as well really leave!

Barsari stormed downstairs, his brand-new leather shoes pounding loudly on the stairs, but still no one was there!

and many more!

There's a bunch of people at the entrance of this little building?

Barsari strode to the door, stood on the steps, and looked down at the people below. Among the crowd were several familiar faces: Manager Liu, who had greeted him, and General Manager Qin, as well as... a few Americans.

"Mr. Stilwell, rest assured, as soon as you make the payment, we will immediately arrange production for the order!"

The words drifted into Barçari's ears on the wind, and his eyes widened.

What does that mean? The Americans are also placing orders for products from the East?

buy what?
Even a fool could guess that it was the Super-7 fighter jets and the C801 missiles that were being purchased. After all, this combination is incredibly powerful! Now, who in the world doesn't know that it was this combination that sent the British naval fleet to the bottom of the sea!
The Americans got in the car and left CATIC. Only then did the others plan to go back, and then... they saw the trolls watching from the doorway.

"Oh, Mr. Basari, what brings you out here?"

"Yes, I'm so sorry for the poor hospitality. I hope you can understand. After all, just now... By the way, are you leaving, or..."

"Manager Liu, President Qin, we are here with the intention of buying the aircraft, and we would like to talk to you again."

Originally, Barzagli thought the other party was deliberately putting him on the bench, but now... Barzagli has realized that the other party really had business to discuss and had negotiated another deal with the Americans while he was being sidelined.

They don't have to worry about orders at all; they don't even need to promote themselves, people just come to their door to sell.

If you want to leave, no one will stop you; in the end, you'll be the one who suffers the loss.

"Okay, let's go to the conference room to talk."

Inside the meeting room, the critics had lost their initial anger. They continued, looking miserable, "We really need your advanced fighter jets, and we really don't have the money..."

"We understand your situation, which is why we promoted the Q-5 fighter jet. It's the most suitable option for you. As for funding, we can think of other solutions. For example, you could open your coastline to our fishing boats and exchange the catch for funds..."

Barsari's eyes widened, and he nodded repeatedly: "Good, good, good!"

Ten million US dollars, plus five years of fishing, in exchange for ten Q-5 fighter jets—this is already the greatest sincerity offered by CATIC. As for wanting more? Sorry, you'll have to provide additional funding, otherwise, forget about it.

When he left CATIC, Barsari had no idea whether the order he had signed so haphazardly was a profit or a loss. But... the Q-5 had sunk a British aircraft carrier, so it must be quite powerful, right?
Moreover, they seem to have no other choice.

The car drove out of the gate of AVIC, and then... another car with a foreign affairs department license plate drove in. Was this... another business opportunity?
These airplanes from the East are really selling like hotcakes!
Qin Liang was already planning to leave, after all, he was just passing by and taking a look. But when he saw who got out of the car, Qin Liang's heart skipped a beat. Dude, coming here at this time is simply... causing trouble for our Dongfang!

"Mr. Garcia, what brings you here?"

"The war is over, and I have come here specifically to express my gratitude to you."

"No, the war is far from over. Let's go inside and talk."

Garcia and his entourage were stunned for a moment. What... does this mean?
The British naval fleet has been destroyed at sea. Will there be more war next?
In the conference room.

"Just now, the Americans arrived here and placed an order for ten Super-7 missiles and one hundred C801 anti-ship missiles."

Garcia's face instantly darkened. He wanted to say, "You can't sell! If you sell, our planes will have no secrets!" But... Garcia also knew that they had no right to interfere with the Easterners selling weapons; after all, it was business.

"If we're not mistaken, the Americans bought these planes and missiles to take them back and study the technology. You should know that Britain has been putting a lot of pressure on us lately, demanding that we hand over the specifications of these weapons. We haven't done so, but now that they've bought these weapons, so..."

The other party can understand, and must understand.

During this time, the East has withstood British pressure and greatly helped the weeping nation. Now, the United States is buying the weapons and obtaining the data on them, which is already a favor to the East. If the East still doesn't appreciate this...

“We understand, but…”

"If we're not mistaken, the United States might get involved directly next," Qin Liang said. "Our weapons can deal with third-rate British forces, but they're far from enough to deal with a powerful US naval fleet..."

The atmosphere inside the meeting room was somewhat oppressive.

The combination of the Super-7 and C801 is indeed no match for the US carrier strike group. They would be shot down before they even reach the 500-kilometer defense perimeter, without even having a chance to launch missiles!

It's going to be tough from here on out!

"Damn Americans! They think our country is their best friend in South America, but they betrayed us!" Garcia gritted his teeth.

"Yes, that's the despicable politics. It proves that the West has always been closely united. However, you have already destroyed the British Navy. Even if you are forced to give up the Falklands after the American action, it is still a defeat with honor, not a fault of the war."

Garcia frowned: "Mr. Qin, is there really no hope for us? I don't believe it! Please help us!"

"Well... there are ways, but they involve a lot of gambling, and I'm not entirely sure about them."

"Speaking!"

"It's about letting them get close, land, and then using your batch of shore-to-ship missiles..."

Everyone stared wide-eyed, as if... they really did have the power to fight back, but... if this really sent the US Navy carrier strike group to the bottom of the sea, would the Americans let them go?
They reclaimed the Falklands only to divert domestic conflicts and to build a positive image for the government. They never intended to go to war with the United States; they simply couldn't possibly win!
"This is just a form of resistance under the worst-case scenario. Of course, you can also choose to give up and obediently hand over the Falkland Islands to the British..."

"No, impossible! Falkland Island is ours, and we will never let it go!"

Speaking of this, they became determined once again.

"In that case, I wish you good luck. By the way, did you come here just to express your gratitude?"

"No, we... have other ideas. We hope to deploy Super 7 on our May 25th."

Qin Liang's eyes lit up instantly.

The Super-7 can certainly be modified into a carrier-based aircraft!
Don't bring up things like the two-section structure breaking during landing, or the increased weight from reinforcing the landing gear, or the unsuitability of single-engine aircraft for carrier operations. There are mature examples from later generations to learn from. The JL-9 (Shanying) trainer aircraft is a heavily modified version of the J-7, and it eventually became a carrier-based trainer aircraft for the navy.

The Super 7 and the Mountain Eagle are very similar, so of course they can be improved!
The Crying Nation uses the Super-7 as its main fighter jet; once we have an aircraft carrier, we can use it as a training aircraft...

Of course, there's also the latest JF-17 that can be modified. However, the mainstay fighter jet of the Crying Nation is the Super-7, so continuing to choose the Super-7 for modification, which offers significant compatibility with land-based fighter jets, is more suitable than choosing a completely new JF-17. "Okay, no problem. However, this modification requires research and development. Currently, you are our only customer, and the modification and procurement together will be a huge expense..."

"We are willing to pay these funds for the upgrading of carrier-based aircraft. If the funds are insufficient, we can use our beef and other agricultural products to offset the debt, as we have done before."

Anyway, we've got the Falklands back, and all that beef and mutton there is a fortune!

"Well, then you can pay for the research and development first. Once we sign the contract, we can start the research and development. However, it won't be easy to improve it into a carrier-based aircraft. It may take one or two years. You'll have to wait."

"We understand."

If we had known the Super-7 was so powerful, we would have invested in upgrading its carrier-based aircraft long ago. Now we could deploy the Super-7 on aircraft carriers. We can't delay any longer.

"At the same time, the lessons of the Falklands War tell us that aircraft carriers must have early warning aircraft. Your HMS May 25 also needs shipborne early warning helicopters. Do you need our help in developing them?"

Garcia nodded: "That's right. It's very dangerous at sea without an early warning aircraft. It is indeed necessary. However, our aircraft carrier will not leave our waters. With the Y-10 maritime patrol aircraft, there is no major problem. We can talk about the shipborne early warning helicopter later."

The key issue is that I don't have enough money!
Seeing that he hadn't succeeded in his scheme, Qin Liang wasn't angry. In business, fate plays a part.

"Alright," Qin Liang nodded, "Let's talk about the Super-7's carrier-based aircraft upgrade first."

An hour later, all the details were finalized, and both parties signed the contract. Just as they were shaking hands and preparing to leave, someone rushed in from outside.

"Manager Liu, General Manager Qin, we've just received the latest intelligence... it's related to the British Navy."

“Perfect timing, let’s tell our crying country friends about it.”

"Well, it's said that the US Navy is in talks with the British Navy and may transfer a number of warships to the British Navy through a lease agreement. The most notable of these is the USS Midway aircraft carrier."

The weeping Chinese people's expressions changed instantly.

Historically, the U.S. Navy has possessed many aircraft carriers, but the Midway-class, which began construction in 1943, holds significant importance in the history of U.S. aircraft carrier construction.

Previous aircraft carriers had a standard displacement of no more than 40,000 tons, and many were only a little over 10,000 tons. With the Midway-class carriers, the standard displacement increased to 45,000 tons, and the full-load displacement also exceeded 60,000 tons for the first time.

Moreover, it was the first aircraft carrier in the U.S. Navy to have an armored flight deck. Previously, the flight decks of U.S. aircraft carriers were all made of wood!

It was precisely because of its armored flight deck that it was easy to modify, from the straight-through deck of World War II to the angled deck of the Cold War. It was also the first aircraft carrier in the US Navy to be converted to an angled deck. Moreover, the catapult was changed from hydraulic to steam, and the famous C-11 catapult gave it the ability to launch most of the US Navy's carrier-based aircraft.

Although it cannot launch heavy Tomcat carrier-based fighters, S-3 anti-submarine aircraft, etc., it can still use A-6 attack aircraft and F-4 fighters, so the US Navy continues to operate it. In the 1980s, the carrier-based aircraft will be replaced by F-18s.
However, the US Navy is increasingly feeling that this type of aircraft carrier is a double-edged sword.

A full-load displacement of 65,000 tons is too small; with only two catapults, the deployment efficiency is too low; and with only three elevators, the operational efficiency is also insufficient…

Now that our allies need it, let's just give it to them! Calling it a lease is not much different from giving it away.

All I can say is, the Americans are really rich and powerful!

In fact, they also regretted it. If the second ship of the Midway-class, the USS Roosevelt, had not been decommissioned and scrapped a few years ago, they would have sent the Roosevelt there.

In their aircraft carrier graveyard, there are actually several decommissioned and mothballed aircraft carriers, such as the USS Bonhomme Richard, an old aircraft carrier that experienced World War II and underwent various refits after the war. Unfortunately, it has been mothballed for too long and the warship is old and outdated. It cannot be put into active service immediately. The wooden deck is covered with mushrooms. If it is to be used, it must be completely replaced. Moreover, it cannot operate F-4 carrier-based aircraft.

The Harrier's performance was lackluster. Actually, the British had some slightly more advanced aircraft, such as the famous F-4 Phantom. The British version had the Spey engine. Although its high-altitude and high-speed performance was poor, it had low fuel consumption, long range, and a decent payload. Its performance... could still surpass the Super-7.

Although the British no longer have aircraft carriers with catapult takeoff and arrested landing capabilities, every year a group of British pilots go to the United States for training to master these takeoff and landing skills. Now, they have actually adopted these skills and can put them into actual combat.

"Qin, do you... have any way to help us?" At this moment, Garcia's voice was trembling. Their aircraft carriers, weighing only ten or twenty thousand tons, were simply no match for this!

The combination of the Super-7 and C-801 cannot defeat this supercarrier. When that happens, the E-2 catapult-launched aircraft will command a swarm of F-4 fighters to attack... the scene will be...

I don't even dare to think about it.

After a moment's thought, Qin Liang spoke: "Yes!"

Garcia instantly became expectant again: "Go ahead and speak!"

"Now, your own strength is no longer enough to solve the current problem; it's time to seek external help..."

The C801 is definitely not able to penetrate the defenses. As for more advanced weapons, we have them, but we cannot sell them. After all, the existing weapons can be said to be provided by the Iraqi army. If new weapons appear that the Iraqi army has not purchased, then there is no way to explain it!
This will be a brutal battle, and the Crying Nation's navy may be completely wiped out, and the glory of Super 7 and C801 will disappear! To turn the tide, the only option is to bring in even greater support and conduct strategic intimidation.

Norfolk Naval Base, United States.

This is one of the largest naval bases in the United States and the home of the Atlantic Fleet, housing the Fourth, Sixth, and Eighth Carrier Strike Groups.

With the continuous commissioning of Nimitz-class aircraft carriers, the US Navy is extremely fond of these supercarriers and is thoroughly tired of the old, dilapidated ones at hand. Now, seeing the USS Midway about to be transferred, they are very satisfied.

"The USS Midway should have been decommissioned long ago."

"That's right. This kind of aircraft carrier with a displacement of 60,000 tons can't even take off and land Tomcat carrier-based aircraft. It's simply not suitable for us to equip ourselves with... It's called a lease, but it's actually similar to the Lend-Lease Act during World War II. Once it's borrowed, it probably won't be returned. Britain has been reduced to begging..."

"Shh, the British Navy is coming!"

Everyone looked over and saw those guys in crisp military uniforms, but with gloomy faces, and they quickly shut up.

Recently, the British Navy has become a laughing stock worldwide, and the fig leaf of the so-called British Empire has been completely torn off. At this moment, the British people are full of resentment.

When they finally saw what the leader looked like, they were even more surprised.

It was John North! This guy came in person?
Atlantic Fleet Commander Powell accompanied John North as they approached the front of the USS Midway.

"Mr. North, this is the USS Midway. We are making preparations for the handover according to the requirements from above, and we will be able to hand over this warship to you in a few days. We hope that you will sail it and avenge your defeat, just like you did in the Battle of Midway!"

There's a hidden meaning behind giving this warship!

Back then, the island nation launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, leaving the US Navy powerless to retaliate. Control of the Pacific Ocean fell into the hands of the island nation until the Battle of Midway, when the island nation's naval power was shattered and the United States regained control of the Pacific Ocean.

Now, control of the seas near the Falklands is firmly in the hands of the weeping nation, and the British Navy needs to use HMS Midway to wage its greatest turning point!
"Yes, we will definitely avenge our defeat! We will take the Falklands! We will let the whole world know the strength of Britain!"

They'll get back up from where they fell! Their last battle was just a matter of carelessness; they won't repeat that this time! If they fail again, then they'll have to use mushroom bombs!
"We still need at least three more E-2 early warning aircraft."

"Well... according to the agreement, we are only responsible for the handover of the aircraft carrier. The entire carrier air wing will be withdrawn. If you want it... you'll have to pay for it."

The aircraft carrier was no longer very useful, so it was simply leased to the British Navy. However, the carrier-based aircraft on board were the most valuable asset of the US Navy!
"Could we... perhaps write an IOU first? I promise we'll pay it back later!"

A group of American sailors once again cast disdainful glances their way.

　PS: The modernized Midway and its condition when it first entered service.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)