"General, have you figured it out?"
A week later, Jiang Lang and Yuriolov met Hronopoulos again. Compared with a week ago, General Hronopoulos looked much worse. Apparently he had received bad news, which made him depressed. .
"I understand, Mr. Jiang, I am willing to sell the warship to your boss, but I want to know how much money I can get, and there are so many warships left to you.
What are you going to explain to Moscow? Warships are not aircraft or cannons and cannot be hidden. Moscow will definitely be held accountable. asked Hronopoulos.
"General, have you received bad news?" Seeing that Hronopoulos' attitude changed so drastically and he started selling the boat as soon as they met, Jiang Lang guessed that there must be bad news in Moscow. Come.
"In the past few days, I asked my friends to inquire about the trends in Moscow, and the news I got was not ideal." Hronopoulos shook his head and said with a bitter smile.
President Lao Ye and Er Mao are preparing to negotiate the ownership of the Black Sea Fleet. According to private communications, if nothing unexpected happens, the Black Sea Fleet will become a joint fleet of Da Mao and Er Mao, jointly commanded by the two countries.
"Isn't it great that the two countries have joint command? At least they have ownership. Unlike now, because of territorial and military expenditure issues, it is very difficult to maintain the status quo, let alone develop and grow." He looked at Hronopoulo getting angry. Jiang Lang looked a little strange.
"What's good? Taking care of both families is the same as not taking care of both."
Hronopoulo cursed angrily, "According to the information I got, because Damao and Ermao have no money and the economy is in difficulty, neither family is willing to give money to the Black Sea Fleet.
Even if the money is given, it will be very little. Not to mention repairing the ships of the Black Sea Fleet, even the wages of the soldiers will not be enough.
What’s even more annoying!
Moscow feels that the Black Sea Fleet is too large.
In the past, the mission of the Black Sea Fleet was to control the Turkish Strait, enter the Mediterranean Sea to fight against the Eagle's 6th Fleet, destroy European oil routes, and enter the Atlantic through the Strait of Gibraltar when necessary to attack the sea lines of communication from Eagle to Europe.
A large number of advanced warships and even aircraft carriers are needed!
Now!
With the disintegration of the Mao Xiong, the mission of the Black Sea Fleet has also changed. It no longer requires us to control the Turkish Strait, but only requires us to ensure the security of the territorial waters.
It can be said that it has changed from offense to defense.
There is no need for so many warships and soldiers. Large-scale disarmament is coming soon. It is estimated that half of the 80,000 officers and soldiers will not be retained. The laid-off people will need to fend for themselves.
Mr. Jiang, you also know the situation outside now.
The unemployment rate is so high that even young people in society can't find a job, let alone soldiers.
Those soldiers were fine.
Even when he was young, he still had to do some hard and tiring work, and he would starve to death.
Not so with officers.
They have served in the Black Sea Fleet for more than ten or even twenty years. It can be said that they have devoted the best youth of their lives to the Black Sea Fleet and are the elite of the navy.
If in the past, they were the treasures of the fleet and could work until retirement, the government would arrange stable jobs even if they retired, because the navy is a technical branch and needs a large number of experienced technical personnel.
Now!
The warships are all gone, so they will become a burden and be pushed directly into society.
I hope the Eastern Group can accept them. They don’t need to be rich and powerful, as long as they have a job that can support their families in Hukou. "
"How many such officers are there? I need a detailed list." Jiang Lang asked.
"There are not many people, less than three thousand people."
Hronopoulos thought for a while, stretched out three fingers and replied: "I don't ask too much. Warships are different from aircraft, tanks, cannons and missiles. Even if I sell a warship to you, a large number of manpower will be needed to drive the ship back.
These officers are the top technical personnel. Under their guidance, the warships purchased can form combat effectiveness in the shortest time. "
"If there are only three thousand people and there is no need to go through Mr. Lei, I can agree. However, General Hronopoulos, I have a request that you need to agree to."
Jiang Lang thought about it in his mind.
Dongfang Group's business in Damao and Ermao areas is getting bigger and bigger, and it has begun to enter coal, steel, raw materials and other industries, which requires a large number of security personnel and staff.
It is easy to arrange for thousands of officers or their families to join the group without affecting anything, and the aircraft carrier can be quickly transported back to the country.
After more than a year of working overtime.
The Varya aircraft carrier located at the Black Sea Shipyard already has the capability of long-distance voyages.
The only troublesome Turkish Strait,
Because the Black Sea is strictly an inland sea, from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean Sea you have to pass through the Bosporus Strait in Turkey. In Instanbul, the narrow part of the strait is only a few hundred meters wide.
According to international law, this area belongs to Turkish territory, and Turkey must agree to pass through it. If it does not agree, it can only stare blankly.
It makes sense when you think about it.
As a member of NATO, Turkey will definitely block the Varyan and prevent it from passing through the strait. It must wear tiger skin to do so. The Black Sea Fleet is the best choice. "
"If you have any requests, feel free to ask for them. As long as they are not excessive, I will agree to it." After hearing Jiang Lang's willingness to accept retired officers, General Hronopoulos felt much better and said.
"I want to know if the warships and submarines of the Black Sea Fleet enter the Mediterranean through the strait, do they need to say hello to Turkey? Or can they come and leave as they please?" Jiang Lang asked.
"Of course we can't come and leave whenever we want. After all, this is a time of peace, and we can't go too far." General Hronopoulos said:
“Regarding the issue of the Black Sea Strait, representatives from Turkey, Eagle Country, Gallic Chicken and us signed the Montreux Convention in Montreux, Switzerland on July 20, 1936.
The treaty confirms the principle of freedom of passage through the Black Sea Strait, that is, merchant ships from all countries can pass freely through the Strait in peacetime and wartime. In peacetime, warships from the Black Sea coastal countries can freely pass through the Strait. Warships from non-coastal countries are subject to certain restrictions when passing through the Strait.
However, before the warship passes, the Turkish government must be notified so that it can make preparations. Of course, you can do it without notifying it, but the impact will not be good.
Regarding the Montreux Convention, everyone has been complying with it over the years. "
"In other words, after I buy a Black Sea Fleet warship, as long as I use the name of the Black Sea Fleet, I can freely pass through the Black Sea Strait. At most, I can report it in advance and there will be no obstruction."
"Yes, there will be no obstruction, Mr. Jiang, you can rest assured of this."
General Hronopoulo nodded and said, "Although we can come and go freely, because Turkey joined NATO, our fleet fell into the eyes of NATO as soon as it was dispatched.
Not to mention entering and exiting the strait, even the number and model are clear to NATO. It is this kind of problem that has led to the continuous decline of the status of the Black Sea Fleet. It does not even have ballistic submarines. Otherwise, I can buy you one. . "
"Even if you sell it, I don't dare to buy it. That stuff is not something that a middleman like me can handle." General Hronopoulos' joke made Jiang Lang shake his head and smile bitterly. He had really boarded Lei Weidong's pirate ship. .
When he was working under Guan Haishan, he was also in the arms business, selling arms all over the world.
But it’s all small touches.
What is sold are pistols, rifles, AKs, machine guns, and at most rocket launchers and grenades. The targets of the transactions are basically criminal gangs from various places, and at most they are some small warlords.
After following Lei Weidong, it can be said that he changed his mind from a shotgun to a cannon. All he was doing was big business, whether it was missiles, aircraft, tanks, or warships, and he looked down upon light weapons at all.
In other words, it has the endorsement of the state.
Otherwise, with the number of weapons he has handled in the past few years, it is no exaggeration to say that he is the king of war. The business is many times larger than that of Guan Haishan before.
"General, do you know the Varyag?" Jiang Lang asked after calming down.
"Of course I know. This is the pride of our navy." When Jiang Lang mentioned the Varyan, General Hronopoulos' tone was full of regret. Originally, this giant ship was going to join the Black Sea Fleet.
】
It is powerful in all directions along the Black Sea and Mediterranean coasts.
It's a pity that it happened at the wrong time. The bear disintegrated before it was actually completed. He could only lie quietly in the Black Sea Shipyard. With the current economic conditions, General Hronopoulos really didn't know when the ship would be completed. , joins the army to embark on his true mission.
"I have already bought the Valiang." Jiang Lang said calmly.
"How is that possible?" General Hronopoulos said loudly, expressing doubts about Jiang Lang's words. That was an aircraft carrier of tens of thousands of tons, not a tank or cannon of dozens of tons.
Although after the disintegration of Mao Xiong, both in the Da Mao and Er Mao areas, arms business was booming due to economic problems, but no one really sold the aircraft carrier.
First of all, the wife of this thing, in addition to the country being a big and rich country, would not buy it at all.
Secondly, Mao Xiong doesn’t have many aircraft carriers, just a few.
Among them, let’s not talk about the Moscow-class helicopter carrier, nor the products of the 1960s. The key is that it can only accommodate helicopters. It is said that the aircraft carrier is no different from the amphibious ships of European and American countries.
The same is true for the Minsk-class aircraft carrier.
Despite its reputation, it is the middle force of the Mao Xiong Navy, but its combat effectiveness is greatly reduced because it can only take off and land vertical/short takeoff and landing fighter jets, and is far inferior to regular aircraft carriers.
The Kuznetsov-class aircraft carrier is the pride of the Mao Xiong Navy, but it is a pity that it was born too late.
The first Kuznetsov returned to the Northern Fleet base via the Mediterranean Sea in December last year and was incorporated into the Northern Fleet. It is the core of the fleet.
The second ship is the Varya. It is still lying in the Black Sea shipyard. How can it be sold? And even if it is sold, how can the Varya be started without even an engine installed? Can it be towed away by a tugboat?
"Of course it's possible." Jiang Lang said solemnly, "Ermao is in chaos, the shipyard owes us a large amount of loans, and it is reasonable to use the Varyag to pay off the debt.
In this regard, we have obtained the consent of the shipyard and relevant departments, and Ermao has defaulted to using the Varyag to pay off the debt.
It's just that the Varyag was built by the Soviet Union, and its ownership is a bit unclear now. Er Mao needs to estimate Da Mao's face and not make the situation too tense. He needs a vest to step in.
In this regard, the Black Sea Fleet is most suitable.
This is the only fleet currently flying the flag of the Bear. It belongs to the armed force of the Bear. It is reasonable to accept the Varyag. "
"It's indeed reasonable, but it's a bit childish. Ermao's side is easy to say. They are so poor that they can sell nuclear weapons, let alone aircraft carriers, as long as you give them money.
The key is Moscow.
Although they do not pay attention to the Black Sea Fleet, it does not mean that they do not pay attention to the aircraft carrier. Otherwise, last year, when the Mao Xiong disintegrated, the Kuznetsov aircraft carrier, which was undergoing sea trials in the Black Sea, was rushed to the North Sea. .
That is to say, Moscow does not have the money to complete the construction of the Varyag, otherwise, it will definitely not let the Varyag go. "General Hronopoulos said.
"General, you also said that Moscow has no money. For Mao, aircraft carriers are not the main thing. Improving the economy is the key. And we happen to have a lot of living materials in our hands. Not to mention the cheap price, the quality is not worse than that of Europe and the United States.
As long as we give Damao money and give him a step up, we can get it done.
Just like the warships purchased from you, it is actually very easy to conquer Moscow. All you need to do is give money and materials. As for the steps, the Black Sea Fleet is the best step.
As long as you take the Varyag out of the shipyard, escort it all the way to Asia, and pretend to be a lost fleet entering Victoria Harbor in Hong Kong.
The general's mission is accomplished.
My boss will negotiate with Moscow when the time comes, and all you have to do is eat, drink, have fun and wait for the results. "Jiang Lang laughed.
"Is it that simple?" General Hronopoulos asked.
"It's that simple. General, I can also tell you a secret, that is, with our support, the Black Sea Shipyard has completed the construction of the Varyag and installed the engine. As long as the corresponding crew is configured and filled with fuel, it can Drive to Asia.
However, if the aircraft carrier drives back by itself, the risk is too high. It will not be able to pass through the Black Sea Strait at the first pass, and Turkey will definitely intercept it, so it needs your help.
General Difficult to Defeat, you don't have the confidence to protect the Varyag through the Black Sea Strait and Suins Canal. "
"How is it possible? Although the Mao Xiong is gone, the Black Sea Fleet is still one of the most powerful fleets in the world. As long as I am willing, the flow from the Black Sea to the Xiangjiang River has been unimpeded. Even Yingjiang's fleet does not dare to stop us." General Hronopoulos said very proudly.
"I just didn't want to fight, but you were able to build the Varyag. As far as I know, that thing is still an empty shell. If you want to build it well, you need more than one or two factories to cooperate.
If it were so easy, Ermao would have built it long ago. "
"An aircraft carrier is a huge project, especially one as big as the Varyag. In order to complete it, I and the employees of the group visited the supporting factories in Damao and Ermao this year.
The money spent was an astronomical amount, and of course, a lot of things were moved back.
To put it bluntly.
Even if the Varyag cannot return to China, we are not afraid.
In my country's Yangtze River Delta, we have completed the preliminary production line of aircraft carriers. In at least ten years, the aircraft carriers we built ourselves will be able to run on the ocean.
For us, the Varyag is more like an experimental ship, used to cultivate talents. "
