Given the suddenness of the incident, such a rapid response is already quite good.
Xia Yu didn't benefit from Paul's connections; she should have arrived in Zha De around the same time as them.
The Gulfstream G650 is currently refueling, and the two pilots will return to base immediately once it is fully fueled.
"The loss of that CN-235 transport plane is a loss, but we only have two tanker aircraft deployed in Afica. If we don't send new tanker aircraft to our home country, our only hope is ARES."
Gabriel mentioned Ares, and Xia Yu had also experienced the services of this logistics-focused PMC company.
In the field of aerial refueling, they operate two C-135FRs each in Afica and Europe. After all, not all air forces are equipped with tanker aircraft, but they do conduct training in this area several times a year.
Finding a military contractor might be more expensive, but you don't need to operate the refueling aircraft yourself, making it much more cost-effective.
This is a classic case of "buying is not as good as renting." Jihuo Defense has just moved past this stage and is about to take on this unfortunate C-135FR.
Of course, you can also find bargains in Tungsten Kelan; a second-hand Il-78 costs only $15 million.
"But the problem now is that I'm afraid the local authorities will allow you to take over the CN-235 transport aircraft as well."
Old Jia understands politics.
Gabriel immediately understood when he felt a square, heavy metal block being placed in his palm.
Therefore, Soviet-made tanker aircraft were immediately ruled out; American-made aircraft (using flexible hoses for the US Navy) were more suitable, as they could handle both soft and hard refueling.
Xia Yu doesn't plan to open an aerial refueling station; one aircraft for his own use is enough, so this opportunity is perfect.
"As for the C-135FR's old airframe and structural damage, it'll be fine as long as it's not used intensively, right?"
If something can be salvaged, it will be primarily repaired.
Gabriel chimed in.
"Yes, we recently acquired two F-16s from York, the aircraft carrier museum is now officially open, and we also have two Super Étendards, four F-4 Phantoms, and four MiG-29s to operate. Having an aerial refueling tanker will greatly alleviate range anxiety."
Xia Yu finally spoke.
He will stay in Njamena this week to assess the damage to the Zarda Air Force's aircraft.
It's better to get a short, sharp pain than a long, drawn-out one; let's just disassemble the parts directly!
"Lieutenant Colonel, what if the concentrated fire defense is willing to take over?"
The maintenance team from Guola, together with Xia Yu, estimated the direct losses caused by the hurricane for the Zha De Air Force.
The CN-235, which is still in production today, sells for more than $30 million each when new. This second-hand, wrecked CN-235 from Germany is being sold for $3 million.
"Splash splash"
With proper public relations, he could easily sell it for half price, and after some preparation, it could fetch five or six million.
But he doesn't have the final say on this matter; the decision can only be made by the local authorities.
"You want this C-135FR?"
Xia Yu was mentally prepared for this; small transport planes are always easier to sell than refueling planes.
"Um"
Shortly after the Gulfstream G650 departed, Chinook of Jihuo Defense also arrived at the airport.
His words not only expressed the demand but also pointed out the aircraft's shortcomings and the pressure of its price.
Especially since the São Paulo was an aircraft carrier they built, disposing of it to the Central Firepower Defense Force is a good deed.
Gabriel listened and agreed that it made a lot of sense.
Xia Yu entrusted Gabriel with the task.
A businessman needs to be open and honest to attract repeat customers; he wouldn't stoop to talking badly about something good.
The C-135FR suffered structural damage, and even though the Japanese upgraded its avionics in the mid-term, it's still somewhat outdated by today's standards.
Xia Yu's idea was to use the system to deal with the fatal flaws after acquiring it, then fly back to the fruit to do further treatment before returning to his hometown for major repairs and upgrades.
However, the F-16 uses a rigid refueling boom, while the Red Falcon's main improvements are in its integrated avionics and fire control system, and conformal fuel tanks have also been installed.
Sin Chia-Ku intends to retire four KC-135R tanker aircraft, but they are being retired in whole units; if you want to buy them, you would have to buy all four.
Gabriel's tone was full of regret.
Even if the damaged structure can be repaired, the high cost is one issue, and another is that it cannot be used with the same high intensity as before.
If you want to use this as an excuse to make trouble, you have to solve the problem at the same time. You can't buy one and have one left over.
However, it's incomparable to Lockheed Martin's willingness to lead multiple aircraft manufacturers to design a conformal fuel tank hose aerial refueling system in order to promote the Curry Fighting Falcon to India. The conformal fuel tanks on Xia Yu's two aircraft are purely fuel-filled, just like the conformal fuel tanks of the F-16V.
As Xia Yu spoke, she grasped the other person's right hand again.
"Definitely, definitely. It's always better to recoup funds than to dismantle parts, especially since new fuel dispensers are being delivered every year."
This weighs at least 0.5 kilograms.
Let me say a few words and offer a suggestion: at this price point, after all, second-hand aerial refueling tankers aren't exactly rare.
"We hope that the lieutenant colonel will put in a good word for us then. Jihuo Defense will be extremely grateful."
"The fate of this C-135FR will probably be to retire it, dismantle it for parts, and use it to maintain the remaining fleet. It was clearly the best-condition tanker among the dozen or so tankers that was sent to Afika, but who knew things would turn out like this."
“I’m willing to take it if the price is right. Please help me convey this message, Lieutenant Colonel.”
Xia Yu would only suggest replacing items that are completely beyond repair.
By the time the Ministry of National Defense arrived the next day, they had confirmed the tragic news that all four Mi-24Vs had been destroyed.
Unfortunately, three of them were modified from old Griffin Aerospace bombers.
The Old Hind has six hardpoints on each of its short wings. The four inner hardpoints are usually for rocket pods, but they can also carry bombs.
This model of bomb deer drops MK81 and MK82 aerial bombs, which are quite effective against bandits and the Tsuna branch of Boko Haram, since they can't afford portable anti-aircraft missiles.
But the bomb deer died in the hurricane, and each of the salvaged parts could be worth two or three hundred thousand US dollars.
“Buy new ones, Mr. Sherlock. My classmate in Niger said yours are the best in Afica. We plan to buy five Mi-24Vs this time. Please try to give us a favorable price.”
Fatima arrived with the order.
Of these old does, only these three Griffin bomb deer are still usable. Since they are beyond saving, we can only buy new ones.
Yes, a new used phone.
Zhado produces oil, but it's still a small Karami compared to Nirilya, and they can only afford secondhand equipment.
"Of course, I will offer you a suitable price."
Xia Yu readily agreed.
This is a large order; even with a 10% discount, he'll still make a considerable profit, and it also provides the client with a better customer experience—why not?
"That's great. Please report the losses of the remaining fighter jets and helicopters to us as soon as possible so we can discuss specific procurement plans."
Fatima finally heard some good news and immediately urged Xia Yu and the others to speed up the damage assessment.
While the maintenance team was inspecting those old Hippo series aircraft, in another corner of the airport, in the cabin of a KC-135R tanker, an Air Force engineer gave a pessimistic assessment after inspection.
Just as Gabriel had predicted, the refueling aircraft had become a useless piece of junk; it was better to decommission it than repair it.
The situation is similar with the CN-235 transport aircraft over there, except they are a bit newer and it's a bit painful to retire them.
"Gentlemen, directly dismantling parts is the most costly solution. My suggestion is to retire both aircraft and sell them secondhand to recoup some of the funds."
Seeing that the opportunity was right, Lao Jia offered his suggestion.
"The Ministry of Defense might agree to this plan, but will there be a buyer?"
Unlike Germans, who prefer to sell military equipment online, Germans typically decommission and store their equipment first, then unseal and prepare it for sale once a suitable buyer is found.
Selling this without even repairing it is certainly convenient, but the key is to find someone to buy it first!
"Do you know the company Jihuo Defense? They're willing to take over, but they have some reservations about the price."
Gabriel revealed the truth.
Apart from two purely technical engineers, officials from the Department of Defense and representatives from the Air Force, they had all heard of the name "Combined Firepower Defense" to varying degrees.
The story of the white-hatted fighter being killed is too long ago to be clear, but the rescue of the downed Mirage 2000 crew members is all too familiar, and the museum that converts aircraft carriers is also a subsidiary of theirs.
Now they're even getting refueling tankers.
"They expanded the company's fighter jet unit, had refueling aircraft to cover more areas in Afica, and with that backing, maintenance and repairs were not a problem. Such a need is reasonable."
The speaker was not Gabriel, but an agent from the Foreign Security Service who had been transferred to the Ministry of Defense.
The investigation team consisted of many units, and intelligence personnel were indispensable. Those responsible for the Afica direction naturally had to focus on concentrated fire defense.
What price are they prepared to offer?
The other person looked at Lao Jia and asked.
"C-135FR tanker costs 8 million euros, and CN-235 transport aircraft costs 1.5 million euros."
Gabriel gave Xia Yu his offer directly.
"Jacques, is this price reasonable?"
He turned and looked at an engineer.
"It's only half the normal price, but considering it's an unrepaired wrecked machine, adding a little more would be reasonable."
Jacques pondered before answering.
“The other party is sincere. Try to negotiate a price of over 10 million. I will contact the relevant authorities in China now.”
Among government agencies, those that handle intelligence are the most efficient. Since there is already a precedent of selling (offsetting) C-160s, there will be no resistance this time. They can just negotiate the price and it will be done.
Xia Yu ultimately raised the price to 10 million euros. Originally, it was 11 million, but after some public relations expenses, rounding it up was more appropriate.
Thus, while they were confirming the status of the 10 Su-25s, ownership of the two damaged aircraft in the German logistics fleet was transferred to the Firepower Defense.
After the contract was signed and the payment was confirmed, the investigation team prepared to leave, and Gabriel also returned to his home country to report on his work.
[Project: C-135FR]
Completeness: 96.5% (Ready for repair)
Walking into the cabin of the refueling aircraft, Xia Yu opened the system interface.
The missing 3.5% does not refer to missing parts, but rather to the wear and tear accumulated over decades of use of the fuel dispensers.
He couldn't restore it to its original pristine condition. He would stay for a few hours, repair the main structural damage, and restore it to 97.5% integrity before pressing the pause button.
The cabin interior is not visible, but the wear and tear on internal parts and structural components has been reduced by at least 10 years.
In other words, under ideal conditions, this C-135FR could be used for another 20 years.
That's enough. Xia Yu will be retired in 20 years, and by then there will definitely be a brand new refueling machine to replace it.
However, he spent over 10 million euros on the two aircraft. The CN-235 transport plane can recoup half of the cost, but what about the other half?
Of course, Zha De made a huge profit. Let the maintenance team deal with the C-135FR first. Just looking at the frightening damage, Xia Yu got off the plane and walked towards Fatimé.
"Major General, I regret to inform you that 10 of your Su-25s have been severely damaged and are all beyond repair."
Upon hearing the death sentence notice for the weasel owner, Fatima breathed a sigh of relief, no longer harboring any illusions.
"Buy, we'll buy. The Su-25 is the most suitable option. We need two squadrons of frog feet to deal with the current situation."
He said with a firm look in his eyes.
A proper fighter jet is something even a squadron of Zha De couldn't afford. It's fortunate that those two MiG-29s were never delivered, otherwise the entire force would have been wiped out.
The brand-new, modernized Su-25 is very expensive, but the older model only costs $4 million, which is still affordable if you grit your teeth. Buying 10 of them would only cost $40 million.
So let's draft a contract now. Zha De will purchase 25 helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft of various types from Ji Huo Defense: 5 Mi-24Vs, 4 Mi-17s, 10 Su-25s, and 6 Gazelles.
Repair 1 MiG-29S and 2 Mi-171s, and transfer the remaining 3 Eurocopter AS550S2s to offset the purchase/repair costs.
The small helicopter was basically beyond repair because it was almost completely destroyed by the hurricane, but this AS550 helicopter was a good thing.
It surpasses the Gazelle in handling, protection, and driving experience.
Jihuo Defense's European branch was short of helicopters. Xia Yu had originally planned to buy a used EC135, but with an AS550 delivered to their door, why buy any other helicopter?
Meanwhile, the heavily damaged Tsunamis Air Force has taken the opportunity to downgrade its spending, and will make do with Gazelle for a few years!
Xia Yu plans to prepare two AS550 Fennec Fox aircraft to be sent to Germany, and two more to be kept at the museum to pick up VIP tourists. The last two will replace the two armed Gazelle aircraft that have been following the main force.
These two Gazelles are intended for the company museum and are not among the six Gazelles to be sold this time.
Over the past few years, he has collected a lot of scrap, and the total production volume is close to 2,000 SA341/342s, of which more than 20 have been refurbished.
Half of the propeller blades were folded and placed in the port warehouse, while the other half was placed in the cave sub-base.
Therefore, these 6 Gazelles are the first to be delivered. The unarmed version costs $500,000 each, and the armed version costs $1 million. There are 3 of each type, for a total cost of $4.5 million.
The machine gun was replaced with a German Rh202, and two HJ-8 missiles were included as a bonus. To be honest, the price was really not expensive.
The price for the five Mi-24Vs was a bit higher, at $5 million each, which would be another $25 million.
The remaining helicopters, plus the repair work, minus the deductions for the fennec fox and the damaged aircraft, and then a 10% discount, the total price is…
That's $85 million!
However, this is only the revenue recorded; the final net profit is around $82 million.
A hurricane caused minor losses to the people of the country, nearly wiped out the entire army of the tsunamis, and made Xia Yu a fortune.
Perhaps this is what a life with extraordinary luck looks like!
I make money while others lose, and I make it all cleanly. I can get a hundred million by buying from others without discounts.
He was compassionate and kind-hearted, and even if he earned less, he couldn't let the already impoverished family suffer further, so he rounded down the $85 million.
At that moment, Fatimé's hand trembled slightly as she signed.
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