"Sherlock, are you still fighting in the Sahel?"
After the call was connected, the old king's robust voice came through the receiver.
"Yes, Your Majesty, we are currently fighting the Azawad Coordination Movement in Mari, which is the rebellious Tuareg."
As Xia Yu answered, he couldn't help but wonder if something had gone wrong during the two days the aircraft carrier museum opened, when he was discussing business with the old king.
The Royal Tank Museum in Joaquin opened, and Xia Yu took his wife to support it. The third phase of the Afica War Museum also opened, and the old king, who was interested in carrier-based aircraft, brought his queen to experience it.
When discussing the development of the Air Force, he mentioned plans to retire all F-5 Tiger II fighter jets.
What else could Xia Yu say? Of course, he took over all 21 aircraft.
With a few modifications, these become 21 unmanned MiG-28s, the perfect meal for the Big Cat.
Of course, two-seater models in particularly good condition can be de-weaponized, legally delivered to the country with free shipping, and their firepower can be legally upgraded and held in Afica.
However, the old king's sudden call made him think that things had changed.
"Gaddafi's mercenaries, is that it? They're definitely not as ruthless as Ace Ace. It shouldn't be difficult for you to deal with these guys, but the Americans have given me a tough challenge!"
The old king smoothly changed the subject.
"They want the F-5 fighter jets you paid for. I told them I'd already sold them, but they said they could get them for you, so I'm just calling to let you know!"
"Aren't the F-5s from the US and Switzerland enough? Why do they need to buy more?"
Xia Yu was also puzzled as to why Lao Mei was so obsessed with this second-generation drone. He bought it to use as a target drone, and the other party certainly didn't have such a luxury.
"The people who came weren't from the government; they were from a company called Tactical Air Support, a PMC like yours, but they only focus on providing AAS services. After all, you know, the Americans disbanded their Air Force's aggressor squadrons, and outsourced all their combat training to private military contractors."
The old king's tone was full of mockery.
The F-5s that Xia Yu obtained from Switzerland were resold to the US Navy. They and the Marine Corps still have three aggressor squadrons in operation. The Air Force, however, took a different approach, outsourcing everything to PMC, a company established by retired military officers.
The idea is that this can save on the budget, but based on past cases, it's not impossible to end up exceeding the budget by several times.
There are a total of 7 such PMC companies, which operate a series of fighter jets such as Mirage, Kfir, Albatross, L-159, and F-16.
Tactical Air Support (TACAIR) opted for the Navy's favorite F-5 Tiger II fighter jet.
The best quality of this veteran aircraft comes from the Swiss batch, which has an average flight time of around 1,000 over several decades. The next best is the Joan batch.
Because their main fighter jets are F-16s, their F-5s have always been used as secondary aircraft. In the many years from when they were acquired to when they were sold, each aircraft only flew an average of 2,000 hours. Not to mention that the dry climate of the desert is conducive to the preservation of fighter jets, so their condition is not as good as that of the Swiss aircraft.
The Tiger IIs operated by other countries and regions are no match for them; none of them have less than four or five thousand flight hours.
After all the trouble of buying it, all we can do is disassemble some parts; it's simply not suitable for high-intensity operation.
Therefore, after learning that the batch of F-5s had been intercepted, Tacair immediately mobilized his connections to inquire about the situation of Jihuo Defense and its owner, Huang You.
Buying such a brand-new fighter jet and converting it into a target drone is truly a terrible mistake!
No, they must rescue these 21 Tiger IIs.
Xia Yu hadn't expected that the global acquisition of F-5s would have such benefits; he had only intended to buy some cat food.
To be more precise, he's not just targeting American aircraft; the company has already acquired nearly 100 MiG-21s, and it looks like they'll need another 100.
There's no way to stop good fortune when it comes. Just like my uncle said, Huang Moulang's fate is incredibly auspicious.
Since the target drone can't be modified, what should Xia Yu replace it with?
Although the other party is not a veteran US Air Force, they have close ties with the government. If Tacair is determined to get these F-5s, then we must do everything we can to meet their demands.
"Thank you for reminding me, Your Majesty."
Xia Yu expressed his gratitude to the old king over the phone.
The John Saints' family is highly valued by Old Mei, but he doesn't really like these guys; it's good to have some fun.
"I should be the one saying thank you. A guy in Shat was willing to pay 25 million for my Tiger King. I didn't expect these antiques to appreciate in value so quickly."
The old king said it was nothing, and was surprised by the rapid increase in value of World War II tanks.
To be honest, $25 million is definitely a premium, but $18 million or $19 million is a fairer price, since money is constantly depreciating.
However, the old king, who was not short of one or two million, did not reluctantly part with the tiger, but was happy that the tiger king had made such an offer.
He got a great deal by exchanging two F-16s; he even considered getting Xia Yu a Leclerc UAE as a replacement.
However, Xia Yu has no need to exploit the old king to add new armored units.
You can get a battle-damaged version of the new car from Yemen, or you can directly get a few new cars from Old Ha's inventory. The UAE has less than 10 million people, but it has acquired nearly 400 Leclercs. The reason for sending two battalions to Yodzuan is also because of excess inventory.
Wanting to show off his martial virtue, he challenged the Slipper Army to a fight, only to be utterly humiliated and utterly defeated.
Can we say that the Chinese are selling monkey-printed versions?
No, the same weapon can have different effects in the hands of different people.
The best course of action is to hire mercenaries to do the fighting; insisting on doing it yourself will only lead to this outcome.
As for the suggestion to focus firepower on defense, Ha Mandan didn't show any inclination towards it, and Xia Yu isn't stupid either.
Don't be fooled by the seemingly unsophisticated appearance of the People's Liberation Army's infantry; they possess truly formidable weapons. Even an aircraft carrier passing by might get slapped in the face, let alone ground armored units.
A few big pencils flew over and smashed them all!
This is on a completely different level from bullying newbies in Afica. Similarly, this is why you have to pick on the weak; there's no need to be stubborn and insist on making that kind of money.
They chatted for a few more minutes before hanging up; both of them were very busy.
One was busy fighting, and the other was busy making visits. They only had time to chat for a few minutes before they had to go back to their own business.
The Americans have just boarded their plane and need to land in Aysel and then transfer to Niger. They won't be able to reach Kidar until at least tomorrow.
Xia Yu still has a full 24 hours to gather information about the other party.
If this company is investigating him, he should also investigate them thoroughly to see what kind of background these guys have.
I made a few phone calls while eating breakfast, and now all I have to do is wait for news.
After confirming Hans's situation in the city, checking the condition of the old deer-tiger, and confirming the mounting plan, we watched the employees work until lunchtime, when we took off and fought alongside the Hanhao Bird crew.
However, Xia Yu only flew one sortie today, and after dropping all the ammunition, he stayed at the camp, instead of returning to the field to deal a second round of damage like Longbow Cross Deer.
One reason is that the counterattack of the Azawad Coordination Movement has weakened considerably, making it unnecessary to maintain the firepower density of the two units.
Furthermore, he received a response to the information he had inquired about; encrypted intelligence worth tens of thousands of dollars was sent to Xia Yu's private email address.
After transferring the money, I received the password. The decompressed file contained Tacair's complete company structure, as well as the resumes of everyone from the CEO to the lowest-level employees.
The company is headquartered at Reno-Sted Airport in Reno, Nevada. Its CEO, Thompson, is a former Air Force Major General, and the core of its operations consists of instructors and logistics personnel from the Air Force Nellis Weapons School in neighboring Clark County.
No wonder they want to buy F-5s; it turns out the employees are most familiar with the F-5. If they were to buy back a batch of F-18s, they'd need to hire a whole group of Navy pilots.
Private military contractors need immediate combat capability. Instead of paying for pilots to convert to other aircraft models, they would rather hire experienced pilots who have flown one type of aircraft for decades, saving them from going to a major power for high salaries.
Xia Yu couldn't help but suspect that Lao Mei's outsourcing of business didn't involve such thoughts, after all, their veteran resettlement work was quite poor, even for fighter pilots.
Of course, the focus is still on retired generals starting their own businesses.
The documents show that Thompson's connections even extended to the restructured Northrop Grumman.
This is the same manufacturer that produced the F-5 Tiger II back then. Although the production line is long gone, there is still no problem in modifying and upgrading based on the old platform.
It's certain that the other side will definitely invest heavily in major modifications to these top-of-the-line fighter jets, just like Xia Yu's comprehensive upgrade of the F-16 Fighting Falcon.
If your avionics are subpar, how can you compete with the Air Force's fighter jets?
But businessmen, of course, have to consider the input-output ratio.
The fewer flight hours the upgraded old platform has, the better. The Swiss Navy struck first; if things don't go well on the other side, what's the point of starting a business?
Take back the investments you've secured, and instead write your memoir, give speeches at various universities, and sell your book!
With so many generals under Old Magneto, not everyone is qualified to go through the revolving door.
Just as Xia Yu was figuring out how to handle Thompson, General Tang... no, CEO Tang was also studying Boss Huang the Weasel in his business class seat.
First class was too expensive, and economy class was crammed with his few employees. Only Thompson paid extra to get into business class, since he needed to ensure he was in good spirits for tomorrow's negotiations.
Not to mention that he also needs to know his enemy and himself, so that he can win every battle.
"Starting in the PMC industry, he later ventured into museums and mining, and enjoys collecting all kinds of military equipment, from World War II to the present day. This guy is definitely a winner in life!"
Seeing that Xia Yu had just turned 30, the older entrepreneur, who always maintained his image by dyeing his hair, muttered a complaint in a low voice.
It's nothing, even some real estate tycoons' blond hair isn't all dyed!
However, since the Navy was extorted for three F-14 Tomcat fighter jets by Sherlock, what will they have to give in return?
F-16 Fighting Falcon
They've had this for a while now, and they've even been using it recently in the Sahel region, so there's no need for Tacair to get involved.
That F-15 Eagle
This is really not going to sell. Getting an F-18 Hornet would be more reliable than a twin-engine Hawk. But the Navy tried this approach, only to find that the other party was focused on aesthetics and didn't even look at the ugly Hornet.
He had no choice but to wait and see what the other party needed. Thompson wasn't one to boast; he had connections in the Army, though he didn't have many other options besides the Navy.
He can get his hands on any equipment that isn't too sensitive.
As for the Marines, those stinking beggars can go to hell.
Even after retirement, the hierarchy of contempt still exists; Thompson doesn't even watch movies where Marin is the lead actor.
And so, as the two sides studied each other, evening came, and Tacair and his group successfully arrived at Aisa.
Unlike Xia Yu's planned transfer, Thompson and his group took a helicopter directly to the US military base in Djibouti, and then boarded an Air Force C-130J transporting supplies to reach the forward base in Niger.
The benefits of maintaining relationships in the meantime are evident now; he can fly to any US military base around the world whenever needed. The downside is that military aircraft aren't very comfortable.
So if you can afford it, you should still fly first class. The former major general, who has completely demystified military equipment, is now the CEO and just wants to make money until he can afford a Gulfstream G650.
It's hard to imagine that this guy used to fly F-22s; he's a prime example of someone who hates whatever job he does.
After enjoying a taxpayer-paid breakfast at the forward base where the Green Berets were stationed, Thompson flew directly to Kidal in his Black Hawk helicopter, landing at the village camp just in time for breakfast at Summer Island.
This was almost 12 hours earlier than he had expected before dinner, which shows that Tacair and Thompson were quite sincere. However, the planned offensive strategy could not be abandoned.
“Mr. Thompson, my staff and clients are waiting for our air support in the city. I don’t have time to discuss business with you right now. We’ll talk about everything when I get back.”
Watching Xia Yu ride away in the old Deer-Tiger, followed closely by another Longbow Apa Deer...
It has radar but not ARPA; only Americans have the habit of naming weapons after scalp-cutting tribes.
However, the fact that both attack helicopters were equipped with mast-top devices still gave Thompson a huge shock. The arrogance was one aspect, but the technical support behind it was another.
With such a combination, what can those Tuareg people use to fight?
To be honest, Tequadda has been beaten so badly that he's starting to question his existence.
Why is a PMC company more powerful than the Germans? Was taking over Kidal really a mistake?
When the Azawad Coordination Movement conquered territory and formally declared its separatism, it had already made a grave mistake. Being driven back to the desert was only a matter of time, and the deployment of concentrated fire defenses only accelerated this process.
Mari is not like Sudan; the vast difference in population means they can only harass the government forces, not sit idly by and wait for others to come and attack them.
Apart from the alliance, few extremist groups can muster a force of several thousand people like the separatist armed groups.
Even if they had just learned a little from Boko Holy Land, the concentrated fire defense and the Germans could have wiped them out in a whole year. But they thought they were better equipped and gathered so many people in the city. Their fate was predictable.
"Run! Run to Tinkbattu! Staying in Kidar means certain death."
Once he came to his senses, Tequadda spoke to his second-in-command, who had been hit by a stray bullet.
"Without the cover of the desert, we Tuareg people are like lambs to the slaughter in the city."
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