That's how ground-hugging aircraft are; the profit margin for maintenance is similar to that of helicopters. For example, Alexei dared to sell a well-maintained and upgraded Su-24 for $10 million.
Xia Yu would never be willing to use such an expensive fighter-bomber to drop iron bombs; at the very least, he would use precision-guided bombs.
Besides ground-licking machines, Busa also needs precision-guided weapons, which is the purpose of their trip.
The C130-H took off an hour late, carrying everyone towards the Southern Hemisphere.
This year's South Philippines Aerospace and Defense Exhibition lasts for 5 days, and today is actually the first day of the exhibition, but they are not in a hurry.
There's no need to rush. What's discussed at the exhibition is just a preliminary agreement. It's not uncommon for contracts to be signed directly, but it's quite rare.
After several hours of flight, the old Hercules landed in the night at the venue of the exhibition, the Nanfivatkloff Air Base.
That's one of the advantages of having military aircraft participate in defense exhibitions; it's quite a long way from Tambo International Airport!
They traveled directly to the pre-booked hotel in the military vehicles provided by the Ng Man-fai group. After resting for one night, the group officially participated in the exhibition the following day.
"Woo"
Upon arriving at the exhibition venue, a squadron of Yak-52 primary aircraft flew overhead, leaving trails of smoke.
They were performing aerial aerobatic displays. Unlike the closed-off Bali military and police defense exhibition, the aviation defense exhibition welcomes ordinary tourists.
In addition to watching performances, they also organize study tours for teenagers and sell model airplanes, military uniforms and boots, and individual soldier rations.
Xia Yu doesn't buy models at all; he usually only collects real machines.
Military uniforms and boots are more geared towards actual combat than cosplay. Individual soldier rations are worth checking out, especially the domestically produced ones.
Well, he's had some bad experiences with domestically produced bagged rations before.
Most of the canned goods were of good quality. For example, this type 21 beef hot pot can weighed 3 pounds, and it was absolutely delicious with instant noodles and an egg.
The company has more than 20 employees, but only enough people who can eat spicy food can fill two tables, so Xia Yu didn't stock up on much.
After several deployments, and another trip to Tu'ao, it was discovered that the inventory was almost depleted.
I saw it at the exhibition and immediately bought two cases. That should last until I come back from Marie.
Of course, Xia Yu did not forget his responsibilities as an advisor.
"Building a modern air force requires a lot of investment, not only money, but also time."
After each of them had taken a quick look around, Xia Yu began to give the generals a lesson.
He shot down 5 fighter jets in actual combat, including one Mirage 2000. Although he didn't come from an academic academy, he was qualified to do so.
"We need a lot of time to select and train Air Force personnel."
Given that pilots rely entirely on hiring and there is a clear talent gap, rebuilding the relevant training system is more important than buying aircraft.
Moreover, it's not just about pilots; logistics management and maintenance are also crucial.
"Now there is a way to save time. With the increasing development of drone technology, it can replace some of the air force's duties (air-to-ground). The probability of the air battle at Cape Afica that happened more than ten years ago is very low."
Xia Yu continued to lay the groundwork.
Aerial combat is gradually becoming the domain of air powerhouses. Rather than investing limited funds in air-to-air development, most countries prefer to spend money to enhance their air-to-ground strike capabilities.
Of all the countries surrounding it, Luwangda, with which it has the worst relationship, doesn't have a single fighter jet; its air force is a joke.
Therefore, Xia Yu was right; air-to-air combat was not the focus of Busa's air force development.
"Mr. Sherlock, do you mean we should buy drones?"
General Akali asked the question.
"To be more precise, it is a reconnaissance and strike integrated drone."
Xia Yu corrected him.
Due to the large number of crew members and the fact that the boss himself is an ace pilot, Jihuo Defense has never had a reconnaissance and strike integrated drone.
But Busa, which is in dire need of pilots and fighter jets, has no shortage of people.
Using reconnaissance and strike drones is the most suitable solution for them.
Although the crews controlling the drones also need to undergo training, it is much faster than training a fighter pilot from scratch; they can achieve combat capability in just six months.
Most of the drone operators, like Lao Mei, are video game players. After four months of training, they can start working and drop bombs in real combat.
vision
Physical fitness
Aviation Knowledge
None of these are needed, or rather, only a basic concept is required.
"So, which type of reconnaissance and strike drone should we buy?"
General Akali then asked another question.
They knew about these drones, but they all seemed very expensive.
"Forget about magnesium products from the United States. Even if they were willing to sell, not many countries could afford them."
Xia Yu helped them eliminate one option first.
Leaving aside the MQ-9 Reaper, even the gradually retired MQ-1 Predator, despite being able to fight Hellfire and Stinger, is extremely expensive.
Moreover, compared to expensive missiles, Busa needs drones capable of carrying precision-guided bombs.
"As for that one over there, not only is it expensive, but its payload and combat radius are also terrible."
Xia Yu pointed to a company called Yi Se Lie not far away and said.
A Hermes 450 drone was parked on their booth.
It's hard to imagine that a reconnaissance and strike drone with a combat radius of only 200 kilometers and a payload of only 150 kilograms would dare to charge $7 million.
This is practically robbery! The old Jew is cunning enough, but Xia Yu, who prides himself on being a businessman, also has a moral bottom line.
As for advantages, they are not without them. Because of the extensive use of automation, this type of drone, like the Sparrowhawk A, only requires one operator, making it more suitable for countries that need small teams. However, this also makes the price too high.
What about this one?
"I can't help but ask," Meng Qiao asked, pointing to the flat head on the other side.
"The price of Tuerqi's TB-2 varies from $2 million to $5 million depending on the configuration, and its main customers are its MSL brothers."
Xia Yu gave a brief introduction.
He left some things unsaid: this drone used the technology of the Rainbow-3, integrating a Canadian electro-optical head, an Austrian engine, an American avionics system, and British technology…
Aside from its shorter combat radius, the requirement for control stations to be located at the front lines of the battlefield, smaller payload, and the limitation to using only miniature munitions specially produced by Turkic, it seems to incorporate the best features of various other methods.
Because a large number of core components are imported, the profit margin per TB-2 machine is definitely not high. So, it follows the same strategy as selling printers: the machine is cheap, but the ink cartridges are expensive, and the special ammunition is also very expensive.
Xia Yu doesn't recommend buying it, because there are better options.
"Over there, that's what Busa needs."
Following the direction of his finger, the group saw a company called CACS, whose booth featured a conventionally designed drone.
"ch-4unmannedaerialvehicle"
"Yes, Rainbow 4. What missiles it can carry is not the point. The point is the Feiteng 5 small-diameter precision-guided bomb."
At this moment, Xia Yu was just like a teacher recommending colleges and majors to students, skipping over those fancy and impractical features and getting straight to the point.
"Although it lacks a power source, the accuracy of this guided munition is not much worse than that of a missile, and the key is that it is cheap and inexpensive."
Busa has purchased standard bombing packages from Jihuo Defense, as well as laser missile precision strike services.
A conventional bombing mission worth 500,000 only carried 18 500-pound Mk-82 low-drag bombs, which can only be described as relatively accurate and mainly for harassment.
A precision strike using the AGM-65 laser-guided Maverick missile (or the Paveway IIGBU-12) would result in a hit of 1 million and a miss of 500,000.
Neither service is cheap, but just like cooking at home or eating out, after deducting labor, material, and shop costs, restaurant owners still need to make a profit.
Having defeated the rebels by eating out, Busa should learn to cook for himself. Even if he has to renovate the kitchen first and prepare pots, pans, and stoves, it will be worth it.
Even a skilled cook can't cook without rice; the most important ingredients, rice, flour, and cooking oil, are equally crucial.
The FT-5, weighing approximately 200 pounds, is not as powerful as the GBU-12, but it can carry at least more explosives than a typical missile.
It's more than enough to fight armed groups in disputed areas, and it's equally effective at eliminating fortifications and strongholds. It's definitely a multi-purpose ammunition.
"However, you don't need to buy too many. Buying four or five will be enough. The money saved can be used to pre-order another drone that is still under development."
Xia Yu's face was full of micro-expressions that said, "I'm doing this for your own good," and "I have inside information."
Even the best weapons and equipment shouldn't be bought blindly; you have to carefully consider your own needs.
The Rainbow 4 has many advantages, but its disadvantages are also obvious, namely that its payload is less than 500 kilograms.
The FT-5 can carry it, but it's best to only carry 2 out of the 4 hardpoints. The remaining two should either be used for missiles or left empty.
The other drone Xia Yu mentioned has a payload capacity of over 1 ton.
Well, the export version will be capped at 500 kg, but once the goods are in the customer's hands, if they want to modify them, the manufacturer can't do anything about it.
Xia Yu suggested that they also buy 4 to 5 of the new model to form a high-low configuration with the Rainbow 4, creating two drone squadrons.
This way, the concentrated fire defense can save on the cost of operating its own reconnaissance and strike drones, and Busa can also rent them out to supplement its household income.
Win-win is exactly what this "sharing" model means.
If the relationship isn't right, then it definitely won't work.
They can fight the rebels together, promote commerce and development, and Busa can be considered a strong force in defense. Their good stuff belongs to Xia Yu, and Xia Yu's stuff still belongs to Xia Yu.
“Mr. Sherlock, based on the price quotes for these drones and the purchase figures you mentioned, this is less than half of the procurement budget!”
He took out his phone, counted on the calculator, and it was indeed only tens of millions of dollars, just a fraction of the Air Force's procurement budget this time.
"No matter how good the drones are, they are still just consumables. Look at how many Sutter buys, hundreds of them at a time, and they even bring in production lines. They're just prepared for a lot of crashes."
In mainstream air force development, drones are only a supplementary force and have never been the main force.
These two drone squadrons can buy Busa time to build up his air force, after which he can hone his skills and accumulate strength.
"It's almost time, let's go outside and take a look."
Xia Yu raised his hand, glanced at his Lange, and extended an invitation to the group.
The venue has limited space, so it only displays models or small drones; the larger ones are parked outside.
So, was this weasel owner trying to recommend fighter jets to them?
"Buzz"
The air show had long since ended, but the roar of engines could still be heard from the horizon.
Is another plane about to land?
Everyone looked up at the sky and saw two fighter jets beginning to fly in formation along the peninsula.
Modern airplanes don't fly randomly; takeoff and landing must follow fixed procedures. These two fighter jets are preparing to land.
"This is... the Zambezi K8 trainer jet."
Apart from Meng Qiao and Xia Yu, everyone present was an air force personnel, but they were able to recognize the two fighter jets because they were painted with the air force insignia of a neighboring country.
The Zambezi region, obsessed with trainer aircraft, not counting their few F-6A/FT-6A fighters and the MiG-21-2000s that are not performing well even after upgrades, has purchased a large number of jet trainers to serve as the mainstay of their air force.
The largest quantity was the K8 primary jet trainer aircraft produced in China, with a total of 16 aircraft purchased in two separate transactions.
The journey from China to the Philippines is simply too long.
I didn't want to fly all the way here, and I didn't want to display a model, so I could only ask a customer to show it off.
But for the black guy, wasn't this a chance to show off? Zambya came without hesitation.
However, the K8 was not the main event of their trip. After the two fighter jets landed, another fighter jet followed closely behind.
"And their L-15C, that's really good stuff!"
General Akali expressed his admiration.
He's not an expert on drones, but when it comes to fighter jets, this former MiG-23 pilot knows a thing or two.
He has also been paying close attention to changes in the air force capabilities of neighboring countries, and knows that his old neighbor Zambya purchased L-15Z advanced jet trainers two years ago, which were only officially delivered in the first half of this year.
I didn't expect them all to come to the South Philippines Defense Exhibition; they really made a splash.
"So, Mr. Sherlock, do you want us to learn from Zambezi and purchase primary and advanced jet trainers to build an air force? These two types of fighters don't seem to be very expensive."
That's why he's called a general; Akala instantly understood Xia Yu's meaning.
In fact, this is indeed a good solution; it would be foolish for third-world countries to buy fighter jets costing tens or hundreds of millions of dollars.
Major powers already possess formidable primary and advanced jet trainer aircraft, making the purchase of these fighter jets a cost-effective option.
"No, no, no, General, you're half right. The Air Force's remaining budget can only build one K8 squadron and one L-15C squadron, while the population of Zambezi is only a fraction of that of the country."
Xia Yu shook his head and said.
"If they can develop an air force of this size, why can't we? And why should we stop at a trainer aircraft air force?"
"With such a vast land, abundant resources, and hardworking people, the country's economy will surely take off after the rebellion is quelled. I believe that these two trainer squadrons are just the beginning. After they train excellent pilots for the country, we will have even better fighter jets."
At this point, Xia Yu, filled with pride, felt as if he could give a speech.
To move others, you must first move yourself.
However, he wasn't talking nonsense. As long as we focus on mining, developing the economy, and increasing GDP and tax revenue, we can achieve our goals.
The JF-17 Thunder will be available, and so will the J-10.
First, we should pragmatically purchase trainer aircraft, taking into account both national defense and the training of our own pilots, thus getting rid of the current situation where pilots still need to be hired.
Having too much equipment isn't good either; if it's not used frequently, it just gathers dust. So, we'll have the client hold some of the equipment for us; it can even generate income for our hometown.
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