After seeing off the Air Force Chief of Staff, an Air Force colonel led the couple to the training squadron that uses F-16C/D Block 30s to inspect the condition of these old Fighting Falcons.
"There are only 16 aircraft at Larissa Air Force Base. We will go to another squadron after your company has inspected their condition."
Stepping into the spacious hangar, two F-16s were being maintained, and Colonel Pavlos introduced them to Xia Yu.
"This records the flight hours of each Fighting Falcon, as well as the maintenance details for each operation."
Pavlos took a tablet from a lieutenant, switched from Greek to English, and handed it to Xia Yu.
According to the US plan, every 400 flight hours an F-16 accumulates requires 1,500 man-hours of phased maintenance, involving more than 800 items in total.
Let the system handle it; the working hours can be reduced to 1.5 hours. But apart from a major overhaul after it was acquired, he doesn't save those working hours much anymore. The maintenance team of hundreds of people can't be without work.
None of them have mid-term lifespan extension.
Looking at these training aircraft, which generally had five or six thousand flight hours, Xia Yu asked Pavlos a question.
"No, only the new batches of F-16s are worth upgrading and extending their service life. The limited budget should be used in more appropriate places."
The other party answered very honestly.
The official data for a newly manufactured F-16 is 8,000 hours of service life, but various high-G maneuvers will reduce this theoretical service life.
Therefore, this batch of Block 30 Fighting Falcons has only about 1,500 to 2,000 flight hours remaining, which is slightly more than the F-16A/B platform used by the two red Fighting Falcons.
However, as long as money is used to reinforce the body structure, the lifespan can be extended, theoretically increasing it to 12,000 hours.
Good steel should be used where it's needed most. The people of Xila clearly don't intend to double their budget for lifespan extension, because maintenance costs will also increase after mid-term lifespan extension.
However, for small and poor countries, as well as private military contractors like Jihuo Defense, phased investments with high maintenance costs are always better than a one-time investment with high purchase costs.
It's hard for the average person to believe how much Lockheed Martin quotes for a brand-new F-16V; frankly, it's not even worth buying a new Rafale.
The batch of F-16C/Ds that Xia Yu acquired were delivered where necessary, converted into unmanned target drones where necessary, and brought back where necessary to be used in conjunction with the Red Falcon.
Well, none of them need mid-life extension or avionics upgrades. For self-use, a 3,000-hour flight lifespan is enough. After all, if you fly 300 hours a year, it can last for 10 years!
"I will be test-flying these aircraft soon, please help me make the arrangements."
Xia Yu circled the eight aircraft that were in the worst condition on paper and asked the other party to coordinate the subsequent test flights and actual tests.
Needless to say, target drones are fine as long as they can take off. As for those put into the civilian market, given the physical condition of the wealthy, they won't be able to perform any high-G maneuvers. In addition, they are just big toys and will not be flown for 300 hours a year like commercial aircraft.
Having around 2000 hours of remaining lifespan is enough. Moreover, if you only remove the cannon firing function, the radar and fire control are still there, so you can easily team up with three or five friends to play simulated air combat.
Then, we conducted live-fire training using PMC's specifications until we weren't satisfied, and then flew to Afika for a good, intense battle.
"As you wish, Mr. Sherlock!"
Once the serial numbers of the eight F-16s were determined, Pavlos immediately called in people to work overtime.
"Buzz"
Two days later, Xia Yu piloted an F-16D into the sky, testing various maneuvers while opening the system interface.
[Project: f-16dblock30]
Completeness: 99.8% (Ready for repair)
The 0.2% loss is basically the accumulated wear and tear of the aging airframe and parts, which is normal for an old aircraft with only 1400+ hours of flight life left.
However, since it is a two-seater aircraft, it has already escaped the fate of being a target drone.
"Get ready!"
Xia Yu began preparations according to the 2000-hour standard, which is expected to consume 0.8 man-hours. Once this test is completed, it will be ready for delivery.
The Greek pilot in the back seat had no idea what had happened to the F-16D; all he knew was that Mr. Sherlock's skills were very good.
“Mr. Sherlock, you fly beautifully in the sky.”
After preparations and tests were completed, Xia Yu landed the plane on the runway. As he turned onto the taxiway, Pavlos ran over and said something.
As a former squadron leader, he was among the top ten of all F-16 pilots in the Air Force, so his words carry significant weight.
"Thank you for the compliment, but I haven't shot down a single enemy plane with an F-16 yet!"
Opportunities for air combat are still too few in this era; most of the time it's just PMC companies fighting each other. Even though Jihuo Defense's Red Falcon has upgraded to a very expensive air-to-air radar, it basically only performs ground attack missions.
Pavlos said that he didn't either. He said that there had been constant friction between them and the Turkish team, but both sides were still very restrained and neither wanted to actually start a fight.
"Your country's F-16C/D aircraft are in pretty good condition, but the Viper's reclining seats can easily cause cervical spondylosis."
Xia Yu stretched his neck and continued talking to Pavlos.
"Yes, it's fine for beyond-visual-range attacks, but it's very difficult in close-quarters dogfights. I heard that the Rafale's tilting seat doesn't have this problem."
Old Pa agreed, while also expressing his desire to face the wind.
As a top candidate for promotion to brigadier general in the next batch, he is capable of flying the Mirage 2000, F-16 and F-4 fighter jets, so he has a comparison of the seats in all three types of aircraft.
"I've experienced the Rafale in France, and its seats are indeed very good."
The two had a lot in common on this topic, and once the ultimate monster is developed, the final mass-produced model must use this type of seat.
…………
In the following days, the pace of testing one F-16 per day was very fast, and the old lieutenant general soon received news as well.
The Department of Defense approved the sale of that batch of F-4Es, along with 50 spare parts.
After testing 16 F-16C/D aircraft and finalizing the purchase of 12 of them, Xia Yu also arrived at the base where the Xila people had sealed away the old monster.
The semi-open hangar holds all the retired RF/F-4Es, which are in better condition than those in the UK, perhaps because parts still need to be disassembled.
But now Xia Yu is taking most of them away, shipping them all to Tripoli via the Mediterranean, and then transporting them overland to Marie.
A first layer of barbed wire, a second layer of ton bags, and a graveyard of aircraft with cameras and millimeter-wave radar monitoring blind spots have been built around Keidar Airport.
Now we're just waiting for the zombie planes, spare parts, and scrapped planes to move in. These old Phantoms will be the first tenants, while the 12 F-16s will be shipped to the West Philippines by sea.
[Project: F-4E]
Completeness: 61.4% (Unrecoverable)
I picked up an old Phantom with its engine removed. Besides the low level of completeness due to the lack of major parts, it was also missing small parts and the wear and tear on the components was very serious.
However, once the two scrapped engines are installed, it will be easier to refurbish than the British Spey Ghosts.
"How much are you planning to sell this spare parts machine, which hasn't been upgraded since 1997 and is being retired directly, for?" Xia Yu asked Pavlos, with whom he had been in detailed conversation.
Compared to the F-16's firm and clear price on the second-hand market, the Phantom is too old, and recently there are only sales records in the civilian market.
The price of an F-4H aircraft, including two spare engines, is $3.95 million excluding tax.
"200,000 euros, 200,000 euros per spare part, and all the removed engines will be replaced in full."
Therefore, in the retail case, Xia Yu's profit margin per unit can reach 3 million dollars, but this is only if the unit is in good condition. The profit of a target drone can only reach 2 million dollars at most, which is a few hundred thousand dollars more than that of a MiG-21.
"Sure, 50 aircraft would cost 10 million euros. What about the 15 F-4Es based in Andravida?"
Xia Yu continued to inquire about the price.
The prices for the first 12 F-16C/D Block 30s have already been set. Even the trainer aircraft for the training squadron, with their batch numbers listed, are more expensive than the market price of the F-16A/B.
Thompson also contacted the three clients, who expressed their understanding and acceptance of the price increase.
His purchase price is an average of 8.5 million euros per aircraft, and by selecting those in good condition for delivery, the final selling price has risen to 12 million US dollars per aircraft.
This price is roughly the same as a used Gulfstream G450, but even though the F-16 is known for its cost-effectiveness, its operating cost per hour is still higher than that of a business jet.
Do the wealthy, who make money even while breathing, care about the price of jet fuel per ton, maintenance labor costs, and the price of easily damaged parts?
They don't care at all; environmental protection is just political correctness in their eyes, a slogan they just shout.
Xia Yu, who was also a part-time arms dealer, even planned to sell each of them two F-16s.
Thus, the package price of the Phantom's accessories was $10 million, plus 12 Fighting Falcons, totaling 112 million euros.
He originally wanted to buy more, but the average price of the remaining 20 out of the 32 F-16C/D Block 30s suddenly soared to 15 million euros.
After careful consideration, Xia Yu decided that if they really needed target drones, it would be better to buy the older F-16A/B. This would be better for both him and his clients, as even the earlier batches of F-16C/D were not much cheaper.
Of course, the Phantom 2000s were even more expensive, with a single unit costing over 20 million, truly living up to their name.
This model is only cheaply available from those third-hand zombie planes that can't even fly anymore, which is also the right way for Xia Yu to get it.
“Those are our best-condition Phantoms, each costing 4 million euros.”
As Pavlos spoke, he held up four fingers.
"Alright, I won't haggle anymore. How about we include two extra engines with each aircraft?"
The Phantom II, which can hit the AIM-120 with a medium-range missile instead of the AIM-7, is indeed worth the price, and of course, the retail price will also soar to $8 million.
This is a little over the budget of those six billionaires, but who could resist the most powerful Phantom on the surface?
With the ultimate Phantom not yet available, the Phantoms from Xila, which were upgraded after 1997, can be called the No. 1 mass-produced combat force, while the Spey Phantom from Focused Fire Defense is the No. 1 limited edition.
However, just like the vanished raging wind, Jihuo Defense's bomb truck has reached the age where it should go to the museum. The T-64B1M that followed Xia Yu on the first day of the business has already gone in first.
"Okay, then the total is 60 million euros."
Seeing Xia Yu's prompt agreement, Old Pa also agreed within his authority.
"Yes, a total of 172 million euros!"
He did not purchase the Mirage 2000 and controlled the number of F-16C/Ds he purchased. The total price of this purchase was not high, only a little over half of the funds he had raised.
But since we're already here, it would feel like a waste of this trip to Xila if we didn't buy something to take back with us.
"I wonder if your navy has any plans to sell its Zubr-class hovercraft?"
Xia Yu and Pavlos casually mentioned that a contract for the purchase of 77 fighter jets had been signed.
This is also an old star from the Cold War era. In order to compete with Turkey in the Aegean Sea, the people of Xila purchased a total of 4 Zubr-class hovercraft.
However, due to completely incompatible logistics, these four ships were either grounded or en route to be grounded every day, and did not serve the purpose that the Xila Navy had envisioned in purchasing them.
Then a few years ago, my hometown stepped in and wanted to buy all four Zubr-class ships as a package deal, but for various reasons, the contract ultimately fell through.
Wanting to sell these money-losing assets and alleviate financial pressure, the people of Xila had no choice but to continue operating these hovercraft landing craft, but only two of the four were still in good condition.
The other two boats have been on shore all along. Xia Yu figured they would eventually become spare parts for these two boats, so he might as well sell one to him.
Although no amphibious landing ship or dock landing ship can fit such a large vehicle, the ability to transport three T-80s at once is still quite attractive.
The key is that this hovercraft is fast, capable of running at 63 knots, and its two Gatling close-in weapon systems are also powerful enough to operate as a branch of the aircraft carrier museum in the waters near the Gulf of Gineya.
As for the UGT-6000 gas turbine, which is notoriously difficult to maintain, Xia Yu said that this is exactly what his major is all about!
This way, you can earn money to support yourself when you're free, and help transport tanks and equipment when you're busy.
And since we've already come all the way to Xila, we absolutely have to buy one to take back with us!
"We can only help make the contact; whether it will work out depends on the situation with the Ministry of National Defense."
Old Pa couldn't guarantee the navy's equipment, but selling one ship to raise some funds would be a good thing.
"Then I'll leave it to you."
Entrusting this matter to Pavlos, Xia Yu was also busy with the fighter jet transport.
The price offered by the Xila Air Force did not include shipping costs, so he had to contact cargo ships himself. This period was a good time to advance the Bison project.
All the spare parts were stripped of their wings, and a cargo ship with a displacement of less than 10,000 tons was loaded with 50 of them and headed towards Libya.
The remaining 27 airworthy fighter jets, which could be refueled and flown, were divided into two batches: three F-16C/Ds and six F-4Es, which were shipped to the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.
Once they arrive in the United States, Thompson will be responsible for receiving and registering these fighter jets.
Without the help of local connections, it would be very difficult for foreigners to sell second-hand fighter jets to the United States. Xia Yu's connections could at most get him a few antique planes, but it was absolutely impossible for him to get jet aircraft after the Cold War.
"beep"
He watched as the cargo ship carrying nine fighter jets sounded its horn, and then for the next two days he watched as the remaining 18 fighter jets were loaded onto a ship and transported to West Philippines.
After all that was settled, good news came from Old Pa.
“We are willing to sell a Bison, but we must state beforehand that the ship is in bad condition.”
Xia Yu bought a spoiled bison; he wouldn't have wanted a good one!
"Sure, we'll fix it ourselves, but what about the price?"
The price paid by the people of Xila for each of the four bison was $50 million. They only bought four ships and did not include the technology transfer.
More than a decade has passed, and it's still an out-of-town boat. What will the other party's offer be this time?
"12 million euros!"
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