[Project: T-64AK]
[Estimated remaining man-hours for preparation: 0.5]
At Black Point Harbor, with only half an hour left before the command T-64 in Garage No. 2 could be brought back to life, Xia Yu turned his gaze back to the harbor.
A few days have passed in the blink of an eye, and the second batch of T-80BVs that were loaded onto the ship arrived at the port this afternoon. He came to pick up the cargo.
The port warehouses were already piled high with Cheetah aircraft delivered by Rheinmetall, including the first batch of T-64A and T-64B aircraft, as well as the more space-saving BTR-80.
Over the next few days, 50 T-64A series vehicles were restored to power and then crammed into a flat-bottomed barge and moored in a subspace berth.
These target vehicles will first be transferred to the cave sub-base, and then transported there for unmanned modification after the aircraft graveyard in Kidal is completed.
The T-64B with a better base configuration will be directly upgraded to the T-64B1M standard and delivered to Busa at the agreed time.
The T-80BVs that arrived today are fine for normal sale, but the premium versions for internal use require replacement of everything from the main gun and two-way stabilizer to the autoloader and finally the engine.
Xia Yu only used the chassis and turret; the interior was essentially a completely different vehicle, making it more aptly called a red T-80BVM.
However, before that, he still had time to modify a Russian version of his collection.
[Project: T-80BV]
Completeness: 96.7% (Ready for repair)
"Get ready!"
[Estimated remaining man-hours for preparation: 38.7]
Getting a 100% factory-new car comes at a price; it takes almost two days to modify one car, and by the time the modifications are finished, he'll have to head to Mari.
A 70% new BTR-82S, including preparation and modification, takes less than 10 man-hours. There are still about half a year before the official delivery, so he is not in a hurry to start.
Several countries have already placed upgrade orders for the MK302/ABM autocannons up to three years in advance, so Xia Yu has to wait for Rheinmetall to produce the cannons first.
Even so, the system's capacity remained at full capacity during this period.
Sensing the atmosphere of war, during periods when he wasn't preparing vehicles for operation, he would replace the self-propelled howitzers in garage number 3 with howitzer shells of different calibers for mass production.
The mother machine used recently is Russia's 2S19MSTA-S, which uses the track system of the T-80, but this self-propelled howitzer, powered by the diesel engine of the T-72, is quite conventional.
Xia Yu bought them only to print artillery shells; they wouldn't be incorporated into the company's combat order.
He glanced at the number of shells printed: [number]
They all use the most conventional 3of45 high-explosive grenades, which can only reach a maximum range of 24.7 kilometers. It is not impossible to print 3of61 base bleed extended-range grenades; the system can even produce them on red soil. The problem is that they are difficult to use.
We only need to make a few silver coin bullets; even the Russians don't produce many gold coin bullets themselves.
Two days later, an AS550 left Konluga and flew northeast into the inland canyon area before plunging into a long-absent cave sub-base.
Besides the tanks and fighter jets parked in the center, the sides of the cave near the rock walls were filled with two sizes of engineering plastic crates.
Old Magnesium's 155mm shells were mostly sandwiched between two wooden trays, with dozens of shells, the propellant charge and fuse sealed and preserved.
Regardless of the caliber, the Russians always used those old-fashioned wooden crates that didn't look very sturdy, with the shells and cartridge cases stored together.
The system can print wood, but the processing time is a bit excessive, since it involves stacking complex wood fibers layer by layer.
If it were made of plastic, it would be like a nuclear-powered injection molding machine. As long as there are enough granules in the storage tank, it can produce one every few seconds. It is also impact-proof and moisture-proof, with excellent quality. However, Xia Yu modified the design of the reinforcing ribs compared to the master version.
Xia Yu waved his hand, releasing all 10,000-plus shells from the temporary ammunition depot and continuing to pile them up against the rock wall.
He has produced more than 50,000 shells of both calibers combined, and based on data from on-site investigations, it will be necessary for him to expand production in the later stages.
Currently, each shipment only yields a profit of a thousand or two thousand US dollars, but if the war escalates, Xia Yu wouldn't be surprised if the price multiplies several times. By stockpiling more shipments now, he can earn enough for several more of the latest iPhone models later.
That's war; you can't fight a war without money.
After clearing out the temporary ammunition depot, he realized that the stacked shells didn't look very appealing. He decided to print some standard containers when the Resilient-class was delivered.
Regardless of volume, a container can hold at least 200 artillery shells, and even 10,000 shells would only amount to 50 containers.
Turning around and heading to the tank storage area, Xia Yu waved again and released the barge, taking out the target vehicle and the modified T-80BVM inside.
"Woo"
The gas turbine of this vehicle, equipped with a multi-channel Pine U-gun long sight, an Arena M active defense system, and soft-pack fossil explosive reactive armor, was activated. A sharp, high-frequency noise rang out, and the beast instantly came to life.
If General Winter were to attack, or if the fighting were to take place directly in the Arctic or Antarctic regions, Xia Yu would definitely choose this tank.
Even a second's delay is disrespectful to the lives of the entire crew. The problem is that they have never deployed in sub-zero environments since they started working, and they are more likely to encounter extreme weather conditions of 40 or 50 degrees Celsius.
Indeed, gas turbines are better suited to cold environments.
The Russians who replaced the diesel engines on their T-80s are just waiting for shells to hit them in the head in winter. They'll probably put a fire on them and keep the 6TD-2 engine burning so hard it won't start!
Unless Old Magnesium provides aid to their M1 series, Xia Yu has always looked down on Abrams, but gas turbines are indeed good for winter.
"Woo"
He was having a great time driving the T-80BVM forward, backward, and turning in the cave, but there were too many pyrotechnics to fire a couple of shots.
"Thump"
Back in Bogo Village, driving a newly modified red T-80BVM, Xia Yu finally got his wish to fire the cannon.
Kong Lujia had a spare T-80U modification kit sent from his hometown, which he used directly on a T-80BV.
The Golden Monkey crew, who had been brought back ahead of schedule, completed two tanks of fuel tests, and the newly installed 6TD-3 engine performed flawlessly for over ten hours.
That's normal. If a motorcycle has less than 100 hours of running time, it will have problems. If it's sold for 1.2 million, it will definitely be returned. The key is to look at the data after 500 or 1000 hours of running time.
With a better barrel and a larger chamber, this T-80BVM also unlocks all premium ammunition. The turret of a T-64A target vehicle two kilometers away was penetrated by the sound.
"Thump"
"boom"
The second shot hit the hilt covered by a sharp blade. The single-layered blade could not withstand the enormous kinetic energy of the tungsten alloy rod, and the two-section rod could not be disturbed by the explosion like a mango bullet.
"Boss, this new car is really good, it's more powerful than our T-80U."
The train conductor, Golden Monkey, excitedly said to Xia Yu beside him.
“1.2 million! We can’t let this money go to waste! While I’m in Marie, you guys continue testing it and see where its limits are.”
Xia Yu gave instructions to the Golden Monkey crew.
His boss certainly doesn't have time for extreme testing, but his employees do.
"Yes, boss!"
Knowing that this engine could pass the test, the boss replaced the entire series with it, the three of them answered with great enthusiasm.
After climbing out of the T-80BVM, which hadn't yet had air conditioning installed, Xia Yu quickly ate something and headed to the airport.
Today I'm not taking the home delivery plane. I had just arrived at the terminal when the An-124 appeared on the horizon.
After completing a second upgrade of its avionics back in its hometown, this four-engine super-powered aircraft has just arrived at its home port of Afica.
Thankfully, Pointe-Noire Airport had already undergone renovations, otherwise it really wouldn't have been able to accommodate this behemoth.
The machine head opens upwards with hydraulic assistance, and the lowered ramp lands on the ground, revealing the cargo inside.
Jihuo Air Transport Company has had a corporate culture of not making empty trips since its inception. If loading heavy cargo reduces the flight range, then they will load all the cargo with light weight but too much space.
After unloading the cargo, Xia Yu boarded the cockpit of the An-124, ready to board a short-haul cargo flight to Mari.
Once the jet fuel was replenished and all the new cargo was loaded into the cargo hold, the Condor transport plane, piloted by the co-pilot, once again soared into the blue sky.
The airport in Kidal was too low-grade to accommodate large aircraft like the An-124, so Xia Yu and his group flew to Oga and then transferred to Tinkbattu.
Since entering the city, Hans and his men have been carrying out patrol orders to prevent the Azawad Coordination Movement from learning from extremist groups and carrying out terrorist attacks.
Obviously they didn't, so the people of the Hair Kingdom gradually relaxed the martial law in Tinqbatu and reduced the frequency of patrols.
The level of force required doesn't need to be as high as that of Concentrated Firepower Defense, so let's leave this order to other PMC companies. They don't need to waste time in Mari.
After Xia Yu and the French people finish settling accounts, all company employees will return to Guo for rest and recuperation.
"So, 188 days, totaling 240 million euros."
After flipping through the printed list, a thick stack of details, Xia Yu looked at the last number and asked a question.
From the arrival of the first employee to the departure of the last employee tomorrow, the second deployment of Jihuo Defense in the Sahel took a total of 188 days, or more than half a year.
With dozens of full-time employees, a few hundred second-line village protection teams, and so much heavy equipment, 240 million yuan in just over six months is not expensive.
This is also the result of the fact that the Germans are quite shrewd (or stingy). If it were the black guys who couldn't provide any ammunition, the contract amount would definitely exceed 300 million euros.
But of the 240 million, they wouldn't actually pay more than 100 million out of their own pockets; the rest would be offset by equipment.
For example, Xia Yu had previously agreed with François on the Sparrowhawk B, Phantom IIIG/8, and AS550, as well as the Phantom-4000, which was subsequently approved for trading.
The most expensive of them all is the Mirage 4000, which costs as much as 20 million euros per aircraft, even more expensive than the F-14D.
If you think it's too expensive, you don't have to take it, but even if Xia Yu can piece together a Mirage-4000 from two Mirage-2000s, it won't pass the official test.
So, 20 million it is. It's much cheaper than a used Rafale, and he can make it back from wealthy people in the future.
"Yes, Mr. Sherlock, detailed accounts for each day are attached."
"That's what Fa Jun's finance manager said with certainty."
The accounts show that every rocket and missile fired by Jihuo Defense is recorded, and the personnel and equipment costs are also marked, all calculated according to the agreed standards.
"Okay, I trust you."
Xia Yu nodded and said.
He had already checked the accounts before he arrived, and indeed it was less than 250 million euros, while the current annual turnover of Jihuo Defense is about 500 million to 600 million euros.
I went to Da Mao and Er Mao, and it cost me more than half of my money.
But without the core striking force, who would buy your weapons? How can the rights of museums be protected? Large-scale development of the mining industry and involvement in the air transport industry are out of the question.
Therefore, concentrated fire defense is the cornerstone of all of Xia Yu's businesses; even if it doesn't make money, it must continue to operate.
"However, I'd like to add five C-160s to the equipment used to offset the payment. Their condition should be similar to the one we received previously, and the unit price should still be €10 million, how about that?"
Xia Yu proposed the idea of purchasing more C-160s.
"I think it's okay, but we still need to report it to the higher-ups for approval."
The finance director did not agree on the spot; she was only responsible for the funds, and Air Force property could only be traded with authorization from the Department of Defense.
“I understand, and I’m not in a hurry. I’ll just pay 80 million euros in the first installment.”
Xia Yu has been drawing a lot of money from various subsidiaries for purchasing goods, and now he urgently needs cash flow.
"Okay, I can agree to that right now. The 80 million will be transferred to your company's account next Monday."
Having secured nearly $100 million, Xia Yu is now preparing to lead his team to evacuate from Marie. Construction of the Keidar aircraft graveyard will not begin until the end of this year, so there's no rush.
Back at their base, the staff packed and crated their belongings. The two F-16s were transferred directly back to Konluga, and the village protection team's BTR-82s were handed over to the Nigerien people. Only the two howitzers from Busa and the heavy equipment of the front-line forces needed to be taken back.
With such a great opportunity, of course we should try strategic airlift.
The self-propelled howitzer and truck-mounted gun, along with the Leclerc UAE, were transported to Oga together; the three vehicle units combined weighed just 150 tons.
"boom"
Four D-18T engines unleashed their powerful momentum, carrying 150 tons of cargo into the blue sky, heading towards the fruit-producing region.
The other equipment and containers had to be loaded onto a ship and returned, while Xia Yu went ahead with the An-124.
On their way back, in Libya, north of Afica, a group of armed men dressed as locals appeared in a small town called Sabaha in the southern desert.
This area was once under the jurisdiction of the Government of National Accord, but after several clashes with the National Army, they lost control of Sabah.
As long as there is no military presence, the town is in a state of no-man's-land autonomy, just like most villages and towns in Libya. But Sabah has something that other towns don't.
"This is it. The 2.5 tons of yellowcake refined by Gaddafi are stored here. The Government of National Accord wanted to ask the International Atomic Energy Agency to dispose of this troublesome batch of materials, but the war with the National Army disrupted the process. They should have been sent to Oslo for destruction a year ago."
The guide in the group got out of the vehicle and spoke to the leader, who was holding binoculars.
Even after being rejected by a major power, Gaddafi did not give up on acquiring nuclear weapons.
My thought process was: you can sell Buffett, so why can't I sell my shares?
If that doesn't work, I'll make it myself. After investing a lot of manpower and resources, the Libyan people successfully produced several thousand barrels of yellowcake, which is enriched uranium.
Before any substantial progress could be made, Old Magnesium made an example of Yi La Ke by beating him up, which terrified the madman, who immediately declared he was quitting the game.
This did not change his fate, but a large amount of yellowcake remains in Libya to this day, and has become a target for those with ulterior motives.
"I'd really like to choose Oslo, but it's too far away."
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