Everything was fine until the truth came out, but once the cover was lifted, everything became complicated.
In addition, a considerable number of rifles, light machine guns, grenades, some possibly expired FT5 rocket launchers, and a double-digit number of ZT-3 Swift heavy anti-tank missiles went missing.
They will most likely be sold locally, and by now they are already circulating throughout Afica.
While the people of the Philippines were furious, they also began to worry.
Those light weapons are nothing, and the anti-tank missiles are only slightly dangerous. The VBCI's golden armor has been broken, but those 10 Starlight anti-aircraft missiles, which is a total of 30 missiles.
Excluding the one that hit Xia Yu, the one that missed, and the last one that was destroyed on the position, there are still 27 rounds that may be in the hands of extremist organizations or armed groups.
This number is more than enough to destroy all the helicopters and fixed-wing fighter jets they have deployed in the Sahel region.
Of course, there are even more SAM-24s (Igla-S), but Russian anti-aircraft missiles still have a chance of deceiving the enemy with heat decoys. British Starlight missiles are not effective against decoys, and concentrated fire defenses can only withstand the damage head-on.
Compared to the thick-skinned female deer, let alone the thin-skinned antelope, even a tiger would have a hard time.
Reduce the frequency of deployments and hire more helicopters from PMC!
Business came in just like that. Although Xia Yu was hit by a starlight attack, he got an order.
It took three days to airlift the parts from Konglujia. The matching Yak-B four-tube Gatling guns had been printed by Xia Yu several times, and the most important thing was the linkage motor.
There are no spare parts available; the parts used are salvaged parts after maintenance.
Disassembly was quick, but reassembly took three days and almost a week for the Mi-24V to regain full combat capability and continue its theater patrol contract.
According to AFP, PLA special forces deployed in the Sahel region launched a covert operation a week ago, successfully striking the Nasser Independence Movement, an extremist group that had recently attacked PLA outposts and government army camps in Mali, killing its leader, Sahara…
As Al Jazeera relayed the news, the atmosphere in the Niger base camp became somewhat solemn.
Although they went their separate ways in private, they were still an organization in name only. This time, the Ace faction was completely wiped out by the Americans, and the Al-Qaeda faction also lost all face.
[...the organization used smuggled anti-aircraft missiles to damage a British armed helicopter...]
The host continued the broadcast, describing the course of the strike, but failed to specify the most important details: the types of anti-aircraft missiles and attack helicopters.
Belmukhtar was mentally prepared for the death of Sahara and the destruction of the Aztecs, so he was relatively calm when he heard the first part. But this "injury" made him feel a little uncomfortable.
How could it only injure the opponent? He didn't buy the cheaper and more abundant SAM-24 because he valued the strong anti-jamming capabilities of the British product and the powerful tungsten alloy armored high-explosive warhead.
But the Tiger helicopter, the strongest helicopter of the Chinese, can only withstand 23mm cannon fire on key parts, right? Every bullet from the Starlight is a 40mm cannon shell!
Did the British lie?
The British weren't lying; it's just that the attack helicopters that appeared that day weren't Tigers at all.
Just then, Hamadun walked in from outside.
"Hamadun, the Sahara has gone to see Pearl. We can't just stay in Niger and do nothing."
Bermukhtar stood up and spoke to the promising younger man.
"Please tell us what we should do."
After receiving a $500,000 sponsorship, Masina's manpower was replenished to its original level (100 people), and the new recruits received military training from al-Qaeda instructors and were growing rapidly.
Hamadun expressed his gratitude and willingness to cooperate with Belmukhtar's actions.
"This is what I think: Didn't your people film a video back then, directly exposing in Masina's name that the French people retaliated against the wrong target?"
Bermukhtar plans to start with public opinion, to embarrass and anger the Germans.
"Then I will proceed according to the original plan. At that time, the Germans will definitely get involved."
He went on to explain his plan.
Extremist groups and warlord militias are not the same; all their operations are preparations for the next attack.
The base has been stationed in Niger for quite some time now, and their strength is much greater than before.
So it's time to strike at his original target, and incidentally pull off an unplanned siege and reinforcement attack, to avenge Sahara, the successor he favored, just like Hamadun.
As for Bermukhtar's original target, it was of course his old friend.
What sets Niger apart from other Sahel countries is that it has a US military base.
Old Magneto divided the world into six major war zones. In addition to his home country, he also had a large number of military bases overseas, including 34 in Afica alone.
More than half of them are deployed in eastern Afika, and the most important base in the Sahel region is this drone base in Niger.
Unlike the German MQ-9A, the original Reaper drones at the drone base all retain their strike capabilities, which is why Belmukhtar has been training and preparing for war without making any rash moves.
However, the US is very confident in its global military presence. Of the nearly 800 people at its drone base, only 70% are responsible for operating Reaper drones.
The rest of the people were all special forces personnel, wearing green berets from the Army.
It's normal for Masaokers and SEALs to appear in the desert, let alone the army's special operations units. They are not only responsible for the protection of the base, but also conduct reconnaissance and clearing operations against local extremist groups and armed groups, just like the German military.
After several deployments, the rotating personnel carried out more than twenty missions and achieved a three-digit number of victories.
However, there aren't any big fish here; the real excitement comes from Mari.
There, a single strike can wipe out dozens, even hundreds, of targets; I've heard that the Koreans went on a killing spree there.
However, given the high intensity of the outbreak and the significant number of casualties, they are better suited to the "slow-paced" lifestyle in Nirier.
There are also car bombs here, but their frequency and technological level are significantly lower, so the US Army Afica Command didn't equip them with many armored vehicles, and they mostly used civilian vehicles.
For example, a detachment that had just finished a patrol mission, consisting of 12 green berets traveling in two pickup trucks and two SUVs.
The windows are original, and the doors don't have any welded steel plates for thickening.
The most powerful weapon on the vehicle is the 7.62mm M240 general-purpose gun, which is the American version of the FN-Magna. The only eye-catching thing is the individual equipment of the crew members.
Fully equipped with Christmas trees is standard equipment, and their bulletproof vests are a level higher than those of the Niger government forces operating alongside them.
This is something that no one in Mary could even imagine, whether they are Chinese or PMC.
The rifles of the Golden Oak and Blackfoot Alliance employees might be a bit plain, but at least they have VABs to sit on, not to mention the concentrated fire defense, those are something even the hairdressers envy.
"Splash splash"
After finishing his patrol of the war zone for the day, Xia Yu piloted his Mi-24V back to camp.
After learning from Monier that there were still nine Starlights in circulation, Jihuo Defense also stopped using its own Gazelle, and the female deer was patrolled by him and Andrei in shifts.
On patrol days when the attack helicopter is not in service, Xia Yu will travel with the convoy.
The two tanks in the convoy were also taken turns driving. The Leclerc UAE, which was focused on desert warfare, performed very steadily, but the T-64B1M showed signs of not adapting well to the environment.
It broke down twice in a row, and both times it was towed back by 06 in a Leclerc ARV.
Indeed, heavy vehicles like tanks are very dependent on the environment in which they are used.
Tanks used in conventional areas are designed for versatility, are mass-produced, and are widely deployed.
Specialized optimizations are needed for specific regions, such as deserts, plateaus, and thawed permafrost.
This is relatively rare on the plateau; the thawed permafrost resembles that of Afica during the rainy season.
Both sides try to avoid fighting during the rainy season, but the T-64B1M is relatively light and can be deployed at the beginning and end of the rainy season.
It wouldn't be enough in a desert setting, so the Leclerc UAE came at just the right time, and Xia Yu's deal was worthwhile.
"Boss, have you heard?"
As soon as Xia Yu jumped off the helicopter, Hans came up to him furtively and said something.
"What did you hear?"
"The matter that the French suppressed has been exposed online."
Hans said in a low voice.
"Explain in detail how it got exposed."
Xia Yu also became curious. Could it be that the person in question revealed it themselves?
“You would never guess that the checkpoint attack was carried out by our old acquaintance Masina. They even uploaded the video, making it look quite legitimate.”
Hans unlocked his phone and pulled out a saved video.
When I clicked play, the camera was a bit far away, but I could still recognize the two big eight-wheeled vehicles; they were VBCI wheeled vehicles.
With two loud explosions, the image freezes on the infantry fighting vehicle whose cockpit has been blown apart by an RPG.
“Masina, well, that makes sense, but why are they jumping out now?”
Xia Yu was somewhat puzzled.
"It's a slap in the face to the Chinese. Even Americans can't delete this video. European media might give them some face, but the Middle Eastern media have already broadcast it."
Hans said dismissively.
"I mean, is this Masina Liberation Front connected with the Nasser independence movement in any way?"
Xia Yu pointed out the crux of the problem.
They're so close they'd share the same pants, how could one of them take the blame while the other retaliates?
“Something’s not right. We took down the Ace faction, but Masina’s behavior and words are more aligned with Al-Qaeda. Al-Qaeda must be behind this.”
Xia Yu quickly sorted out her thoughts.
The people of the country also thought of this, so two days after the incident was exposed, Monier found Xia Yu.
"That's the situation now. The Foreign Security Bureau has mobilized all its resources, but there's no news about the Masina Liberation Front. It's like they've vanished into thin air."
Real-world intelligence organizations are not as superhuman as they are portrayed in movies.
With Hamadun already prepared, they only followed previous clues to find the other party's abandoned lair, and then there were no further leads.
“We have offered a €5 million reward for Hamadun, but I don’t have much hope for it. Also, the headquarters’ message is that we still need to eliminate Masina, but we can’t spend as much effort and resources as before.”
Monier continued speaking to Xia Yu.
"So we plan to outsource this task to companies like Focusfire Defense, Blackfoot Alliance, Golden Oak, and others."
Yes, it's outsourced.
The Germans spent tens of millions on the attack on the Guangdogo mining area. If they were to hire Masina to do the same thing as Aspai, the budget would be secondary; the real problem would be losing face.
Or perhaps they've lost all face; internally, the matter has come to an end, but emotionally they can't pretend nothing ever happened.
So they chose to outsource the project to PMC.
Of course, it's not expected that military contractors can find each other; it's just a statement of intent.
“We can take on this project, but we have some other requirements besides the money.”
Xia Yu wasn't very surprised and readily gave the answer he had already prepared.
Last month and this month have just begun, and Jihuo Defense has already achieved its target of 10 million euros in monthly revenue ahead of schedule, so now he wants to get something else.
"Yes, we can agree to this as long as it's within our capabilities."
The most important thing is to regain the face we've lost.
Even if Xia Yu's offer was a bit excessive, they could still consider it.
"However, I must remind you that this project is not exclusive. Focusfire Defense was completed in competition with other companies, even though they don't seem to have much interest."
Monier reminded Xia Yu.
Every day, he would do patrol duties and in his spare time, fight against smaller armed groups. What a pleasant and simple life that would be!
Tracking down these slippery extremist groups is something even the Foreign Security Bureau can't handle; it's too mentally taxing and not suitable for straightforward PMC companies like theirs.
So Monier contacted several other camp leaders and learned about those guys' attitudes.
But Xia Yu is a man who, despite the straightforwardness of his company's name, always uses his brain to fight.
Just like his summary of extremist organizations, they will only disappear forever when they are destroyed. If they are quiet most of the time, it must be because they are preparing to make a big splash.
They'll jump out; Xia Yu won't need to track them down like Conan. Just waiting for them to come to him is enough.
Furthermore, if they don't come out for the time being, then the Nasser al-Qaeda faction will also take action.
By locking onto the other party, they have essentially locked onto Masina.
However, if the two organizations fight together, Monier and his team will have to pay more.
Xia Yu is growing to like the Sahel region more and more; these extremist groups are more interesting than the rebels.
"Cough cough"
As soon as he stepped out of the office, he swallowed a mouthful of sand and began coughing violently.
Well, it's too early to say that; the desert environment is still very harsh.
Normally it's fine, but once a sandstorm hits, the helicopter's rotor blades can generate sparks in the sky. Even if the optoelectronic system is still working, it will severely damage the lifespan of the components.
Xia Yu wasn't worried about that; the main problem was that people couldn't handle it.
Holding my breath, I ran quickly back to the barracks as a dark sandstorm swept in.
Fortunately, both helicopters and tanks/infantry fighting vehicles had been covered with tarpaulins early on, so it didn't have much of an impact.
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