Chapter 265

Boom, boom!

On the battlefield, explosions continued; the scene was spectacular! However, many people lost their souls.

In their minds, they were pondering how this bomb would change the entire battlefield layout, until…… they discovered on their TV screens that the electronic sand table of the Red Army command headquarters had gained several more bright points.

Directly transmit the order to the three tank platoons, transmit the order, let them accelerate forward, without worrying about their flanks!

Yes!

Next, it was the signal corps…… clacking away at the keyboard!

What are they doing?

General Alfred widened his eyes in disbelief; the translator beside him leaned in to his ear, continuously translating the content above.

So you're saying a single Red Army command headquarters can directly transmit orders down to a tank platoon?

Yes.

By what means?

I don't know; probably…… the BeiDou navigation satellite.

General Alfred took a deep breath; a fresh term appeared in his mind.

Flattened command system!

Previously, command was tree-like; if a node was destroyed, the branches connected to it would also be destroyed! This meant the entire unit would lose contact.

A headquarters can transmit orders to a frontline unit; what does that mean? On the battlefield, if a node is destroyed, it can still directly communicate with the units below that node!

What is this?

This is the power of informatization!

We really didn't come to the East in vain this time; we've learned a lot!

General Alfred, filled with emotion, stood up and walked over to the young guy beside him.

Qin, after the exercise ends, we hope…… we can go take a look at that command headquarters.

Impossible. Qin Miao immediately shook his head: "That's our most advanced underground command center; the location is absolutely secret, I don't even know where it is, let alone let you go there—if you did, who knows, the nuclear bomb database might record those coordinates."

General Alfred found himself speechless; indeed, the other side's concern was reasonable—the East has never been of one mind with them, so it's impossible to open these key places to NATO.

Being able to come on-site to observe, or even just watch on TV, is already the East's greatest magnanimity!

However…… if you take a liking to this equipment, I could sell you a set.

What?

Qin Miao smiled: "We can discuss that electronic sand table, even the entire combat command system software, and the satellite navigation terminals—we, Ha Gong Da, can decide on those!"

General Alfred took a deep breath: "How much?"

The electronic sand table isn't expensive—just five million dollars will do—but the combat command system software is costly, at least fifty million dollars; combined with our own developed large computer, that's eighty million dollars. As for those terminals, the ones needed on bombs are two hundred dollars per set, those used on vehicles are two thousand dollars per set; you need however many, we'll supply that many.

The earlier quote is expensive! The later ones are much cheaper, especially these terminals that need large quantities of equipment—they're very cheap—but overall, this is definitely a contract worth over a hundred million dollars!

Over the years, it's always been France exporting technology to the East, with no precedent of the East exporting advanced technology to the West; moreover, this right away is a hundred-million-dollar big business!

General Alfred's heart sank instantly.

They absolutely cannot come up with that much money to purchase it, yet they truly need this modernized system; other NATO countries can use American equipment, but France fears being left out!

Moreover, the U. S. global satellite navigation system still needs time to be networked, whereas the East already has this system ready-made, with supporting systems all developed!

On the side, Claude noticed their conversation, his eyes shifted, and he walked over.

Mr. Qin, the performance of the aircraft you use on the battlefield is terrible—almost all are 1950s-60s technology, a whole generation behind the international mainstream; you need Dassault's advanced fighters!

General Alfred instantly understood, nodding repeatedly: "Exactly, you need the advanced Mirage 2000! We can exchange Mirage 2000 fighters for your equipment."

Paying directly? That's a surefire big sucker! Let the Easterners buy our advanced fighters, and we can make another profit!

Qin Miao frowned: "Your Dassault fighters are notoriously expensive! At equal performance, they cost several times more than American-made fighters; we don't want to be suckers."

In the 1980s, the U. S. marketed the F-16 at a price of ten to twenty million dollars, whereas the French hawked the Mirage 2000 at sixty million dollars per aircraft!

Nowadays, and also in the future, a non-stealth Rafale fighter sells for more than a stealth F-35, and indeed there are suckers who buy it—result: the newly bought planes get shot down, not a single one making it home.

Mr. Qin, our fighters are expensive, but that's because their performance is good! Moreover, we haven't attached any extra political clauses...

Qin Miao gave the other side a look: "We're selling you an advanced informatization system without discussing political terms either! Unless you exchange the Mirage 2000 at F-16 prices—one hundred million dollars—you'd need at least five Mirage 2000s!"

At most three!

Four!

Just three!

Qin Miao's expression was complex: "This…… I need to go consult the Air Force; you wait."

Under the gaze of a group of Frenchmen, Qin Miao walked toward the exercise observation platform, huddling with those leaders, muttering for a long while; over there, they even glanced over several times.

Everyone was somewhat anxious.

Finally, Qin Miao returned.

Everyone, the Air Force leadership initially refused to sell this informatization system, even harshly criticizing me; I explained our Sino-French friendship for a long time, and the leadership finally agreed, but three is indeed too few—the leadership thought our system was worth at least thirty aircraft… after I persuaded them for a long while, the leadership finally nodded, but……

But what?

We must fully equip the fighters with spare parts; for missiles, one hundred each of medium-range and short-range; as for spare engines, each fighter needs at least two spare engines.

This…… this is intentional, right?

The Mirage 2000 airframe lasts three thousand hours, while the engine lasts only twelve hundred hours, so three engines are needed for this aircraft to fly to scrapping; our side originally wanted to exchange the aircraft now and later sell the engines for another profit!

The other side is denying them a chance to make money!

As for the missiles, it's even more excessive—one hundred each? The fighters couldn't fire that many in their entire lifespan!

If you agree, we'll make the deal; if not, forget it!

Agreed! General Alfred nodded decisively; essentially, this isn't a deal with Dassault, but with the French military—the armed forces buy the Mirage 2000 at internal procurement prices, then give it to the East, plus the equipment, totaling no more than fifty million dollars, which is far cheaper than buying outright!