Chapter 875 What about the independence promised? How can I buy from the East?

France and the United Kingdom are already very close. When the Channel Tunnel was opened in 1994, communication between the two sides became more convenient. On that night, when the Orientals settled in Brest, the French took them with them. With faces full of excitement, they came to the UK to meet their familiar old friends.

 Michael Boyce, who was in charge of naval work, rubbed his eyes and looked at Philip, Duquesne and his party: "Everyone came here so late, what's wrong?"

"Sir Boyce, we have something important to discuss with you." Duquesne's face was full of excitement: "You probably know that a group of guests have come from the East, and they are now in Brest."

“Yes, of course I know that it has become a joke in the free world that you actually want to bow to the Easterners,” Boyce said.

"A joke? Who doesn't take the Orientals seriously? That's the real joke!" Duquesne said: "We invited the Orientals over and reached a lot of agreements. It is very important to us and to you. It’s also a good opportunity.”

“A good opportunity for us? What does this have to do with us?” Boyce asked.

"If nothing else, let's just talk about your aircraft carrier. So far, it doesn't have a reliable engine, right? Although your relevant institutions are developing engines, it is said that there are still many problems and it is difficult to keep up with the progress of the aircraft carrier. In this way, When your aircraft carrier is launched, it will be just like Asan’s aircraft carrier.”

 “What did you say?” Boyce’s face darkened.

Seeing that Duquesne's words made Boyce unhappy, Philip hurriedly said: "Mr. Boyce, we are also thinking about you. Your aircraft carrier cannot be launched as soon as possible. We think that we can take advantage of this opportunity." If you have the opportunity, you can modify the plan. If it meets our requirements, our second aircraft carrier, the Richelieu, may also be built together with you, so that we can also share the cost."

"The Richelieu?" Boyce was a little surprised: "Has your Congress approved it?"

The Richelieu has been planned since 1992, and it has not happened until now. There are many reasons for this. In addition to the difficult delivery of the Charles de Gaulle, it is also a problem of money. Without money, of course they can't accomplish anything.

France is no longer the France it was originally. Their national treasury simply cannot support the huge shipbuilding plan. This is the fundamental reason why the Richelieu was not built.

Now, hearing what Beuys said, it was the French's turn to be unhappy again.

"Our Congress has never rejected our plan." Philip said: "We just did not make up our mind on the construction plan. Now we have decided that the No. 2 ship will be a ship with a displacement of 60,000 to 70,000 tons. warships will also use gas turbines as power."

“You guys want to buy the blueprints of our Queen-class aircraft carrier?”

"No, no, we are doing joint research and development. Boyce, the construction of your aircraft carrier is slow. Is it because the plan has not been finalized yet? Especially the layout of the upper deck, and we have rich experience. We can now complement each other's advantages. Joint research and development,” said Cadina.

 The British are in a difficult position.

In order to give their aircraft carriers advanced combat capabilities, they insist on adopting a catapult take-off and arrested landing solution, which is the most efficient and can also take off and land carrier-based early warning aircraft. However, they do not have a catapult!

Bad news has come out again about the electromagnetic catapult in the United States. I don’t know when it will take until the research and development is mature. So now, they are leaning towards using ski jump to take off. Anyway, the F-32 has been finalized, and the method used is similar to that of the Sea Harrier. , but in this case, it will definitely be ridiculed again by the Zhang Zhongshuo program in the East. After all, when it was first developed, they said with certainty that the British aircraft carrier must take off and land vertically by ski jump.

 Coupled with insufficient funds, their six segments are now being constructed slowly, and have not yet reached the upper deck, let alone final assembly, and can be modified at any time.

 And when the French came, they actually said they wanted to bring them experience?

“You’re going to do a catapult?” Boyce asked.

"Of course. We have rich experience. Of course we have to develop a catapult take-off plan. Ski-jump take-off is too useless and is not easy to use at all." Philip replied.

“But, do you have advanced electromagnetic catapults?”

 Since we have a gas turbine, we must use an electromagnetic catapult.

"No, we use steam catapults. We believe that electromagnetic catapults are immature. Even if it is Dongfang, the aircraft carrier that has been outfitted is not necessarily electromagnetic catapult. We will only do it if those small houses are demolished. Know exactly what is being installed.”

“If you use a gas turbine, you also need a steam catapult? Where does the steam come from?”

“Of course it’s a boiler. We will prepare a special boiler to burn steam, so that we can meet the needs.”

Looking at Philip's serious look, Boyce was almost amused: "What are you talking about? Use a gas turbine to drive and a boiler to eject and take off? This is simply the funniest joke. Electromagnetic ejection is necessary so that we can compete with us. The entire power system is complete!”

“Funny? What’s so funny? Don’t Easterners use boilers to propel warships, and then claim to use electromagnetic catapult? Conventional boilers can catapult electromagnetically, why can’t our gas turbine drive use steam catapult? The one that adapts to us is the best.”

"Yes, we are serious. We hope to cooperate with the British Navy in a pragmatic spirit to jointly complete the construction of a new generation of aircraft carriers."

Seeing that the two people in front of him were serious, Boyce also became serious: "Are you really going to use this useless method?"

 “No, this is the most practical thing to do.”

 “Then how to solve the problem of your gas turbine?”

 “Purchase from the East.”

 “How to solve your steam catapult?”

 “Purchase from the East.”

Boyce finally couldn't help it anymore: "You pin the construction of aircraft carriers on the Easterners? Where is the pride of your Gauls?"

This question indeed made them blush, but who made them have no money in their pockets?

"The East already has mature gas turbines and steam catapults. If we purchase from them, it will be half cheaper than purchasing from the United States. Why can't we purchase from the East? If the United Kingdom also successfully develops a 40-megawatt gas turbine, the price will be the same as that of the United States. If they are the same as those from the East, then we will purchase them from the UK,” said Cadina.

"We are going to the East for further inspection, Sir Boyce. I hope you can seriously think about our needs during this period and then give us a satisfactory answer. This is related to the development of our European naval power." Philip also said.

 It is somewhat difficult for the British to accept it all at once, but now they have said that the British have to consider that it is most appropriate to cooperate with France to build it together, which can reduce costs and solve various technical problems.

 However, they still overlooked something.

 France’s defense policy is neutral, but the British and Americans wear the same pants. How can the British purchase these things from the East, even if they are cheap?

 After leaving London, Philip and Cadina were both worried. What do these British people think? Can't they see how to save money? They are so poor that they have to tighten their belts to build aircraft carriers, but they are still unwilling to adopt cost-saving solutions, just because of face!

　　It was already late at night when they returned to Brest. The two of them had not slept for a few hours before it was dawn. The Easterners got up early, had breakfast, and began to plan today's actions.

“Mr. Philip, can we go to your aircraft carrier Foch?” Qin Tao asked.

I came to France just to see the aircraft carriers. The Charles de Gaulle is about to enter service, and the Foch aircraft carrier is about to be decommissioned. This aircraft carrier has been docked in the port and has not been out for several months. There is no secret.

“Mr. Qin, do you have any ideas about that aircraft carrier?”

"Yes, if the price is right, our Mingzhou Group can buy it back, repair it and sell it to customers." Qin Tao said.

Since Qin Tao has this intention, what else is there to say? Philip nodded: "Of course, I will go to the Navy for instructions."

 An hour later, everyone appeared on the deck of the aircraft carrier Foch.

After the end of World War II, the French only had the old aircraft carrier Béarn built before the World War. The bottom was the hull of a battleship, and a flight deck was built directly on it. It was very backward and of little use value. They leased it from the United Kingdom and the United States. Some light aircraft carriers conducted training to master operational essentials, and at the same time began to independently build aircraft carriers. Looking at their own wallets, they decided to build medium-sized aircraft carriers with a displacement of 30,000 to 40,000 tons.

In 1955, the Clemenceau started construction at the Brest shipyard and entered service in 1961. In 1957, the aircraft carrier Foch started construction at the Nazer Atlantic shipyard. However, after the hull was built and put into service, it was It was towed to the Brest shipyard to continue construction and completion.

 So in France, Brest Shipyard has become the only aircraft carrier shipyard, until now.

After the aircraft carrier Foch was put into service, it became the flagship of the French Navy. It underwent an overhaul in 1980 and a second overhaul in 1982. It is still a very old aircraft carrier. The French Navy wants to put all its funds on the Charles de Gaulle. , this aircraft carrier can only be in reserve status.

They originally wanted to sell this warship, but they encountered many problems when selling the Clemenceau. When it came to selling this aircraft carrier, it was even more difficult. Their potential customers had already transferred from Mingzhou Group After purchasing a brand new aircraft carrier, why would you like their aircraft carrier?

 So, no one knows what to do with this aircraft carrier.

 Now, this aircraft carrier is docked alone in the port, and visitors from the East are the first guests it has welcomed in recent months.

“The deck of this aircraft carrier is too small, and it is very difficult to operate modern third-generation aircraft.” Standing on the deck, Qin Tao began to comment.

The entire flight deck of this aircraft carrier is only 259 meters long and 52.1 meters wide. The bow deck is only 90 meters long and equipped with a BS-5 catapult. The other part is the angled deck, 163 meters long and 30 meters wide. There is a second BS-5 catapult and four arresting cables.

The length of this angled deck simply cannot reliably land a third-generation aircraft. Take the E-2 as an example. After landing on the Charles de Gaulle, there are only a few meters left from the front end of the angled deck. If it lands on it, then Even if it got hooked on the blocking rope, it would probably still fall into the sea.

"Yes, this aircraft carrier mainly operates F-8 and Super Etendard fighter jets." Philip said: "Our modern Rafale fighter jets have been tested for takeoff and landing on this aircraft carrier. Although it can be used, it has great limitations and must be large. It takes improvement at scale.”

“To make it functional again, we can only use vertical take-off and landing fighter aircraft, which are not limited by the size of the flight deck.” Qin Tao said: “Can we join forces together and package them for sale to potential customers?”

Since the Rafale cannot be operated, we can only think of other solutions. Vertical take-off and landing fighter jets are the most suitable solution. The French sell aircraft carriers and the Orientals sell aircraft. In this way, everyone can make money together.

“At the same time, we also need to modify it for customers. The front deck is changed to a jump deck, which makes it easier for customers to operate vertical take-off and landing fighter jets to take off. The catapult is too complex and cumbersome and requires frequent maintenance. It is easier to take off by ski jump.”

“Mr. Qin, do you have any potential customers?” Philip asked.

Since we are all working together to make money, of course we have to ask Mr. Qin about his connections and connections. After selling so many aircraft carriers, there must be many customers.

"The first customer is Asan." Qin Tao said: "We all know that the aircraft carrier purchased by Asan from Damao was damaged, and the self-developed aircraft carrier was flooded when it was launched, and it cannot be used. Asan is in urgent need of aircraft carriers at this time. , if we sell it to Ah San, then Ah San will definitely purchase it.”

 Asan?

The relationship between France and Asan is also good. France often sells arms to Asan, but they have always been rejected when it comes to aircraft carriers. After all, Asan has been cheated several times and has to grind his teeth to develop it himself. He does not trust the products promoted by outsiders at all.

Hearing Qin Tao's words at this time, Philip was a little embarrassed: "Mr. Qin, we have marketed it, but Ah San is not willing to take it, saying that our aircraft carrier is a poisonous aircraft carrier."

The blame for the poisonous aircraft carrier belongs to Qin Tao. Back on the Clemenceau, Qin Tao used some tricks to let everyone know that the French Clemenceau class used a lot of non-environmentally friendly materials during its construction. Every time they make a sale, they will be pushed back by this reason.

"You don't understand Ah San. Does Ah San care about environmental protection? What they care about is whether they will be cheated." Qin Tao said: "As long as you are sincere, Ah San will never refuse."

 “Sincerity?”

“Yes, when you were promoting it, did you say it would be given away for free and then you would help renovate it?”

Philipp nodded.

"It's not worth it as a gift, but refurbishing it may cost several times. Ah San is not stupid, so why would he listen to your plan?" Qin Tao said, "You can find another plan and sell this aircraft carrier to the scrap iron price." Ah San, see if Ah San is willing."

 Sell directly?

Diquena shook his head: "No, no, Mr. Qin, if we sell it directly to them, how much money will we make?"

As expected, what they were trying to do was to beat Ah San to death for the modification fee. Ah San had already figured it out, so how could he be fooled again?

"You can think of other ways to make money. For example, if Ah San buys it back, do you have to modify it yourself? If there is no design drawing, will they dare to modify it?" Qin Tao said: "Asan comes to ask for the design drawing, and you can ask for it. After all, this design is worth millions of dollars, right?"

The French people’s eyes lit up.

Mr. Qin is indeed full of bad ideas, no, full of ideas.

"When Asan asked for the design drawings, it still didn't work. You have to say that there is something wrong with the main structure of this warship. If it needs to be modified, your engineers will have to design it, which will cost millions of dollars in design fees. During the design, you have to veto it. The quality of the steel plates produced by Asan is so poor that even a screw has to be imported from you. Otherwise, there is no guarantee that the modified jump deck will collapse. In this way, if the operation is good, you can make a profit. Twenty to thirty million US dollars shouldn’t be a problem. I think it should be enough for one of your old aircraft carriers to earn so much money, right?”

"That's enough, that's enough." Philip nodded repeatedly: "But what about the carrier-based aircraft? If Asan knew that they wanted to purchase your Eastern carrier-based aircraft, I'm afraid they would be unwilling to do so."

“You can first trick them into using the MiG-29K, take off with a ski jump, and block the landing. After the modification is completed and tested, the problem will be discovered...”

Philip's eyes rolled: "Mr. Qin, will there be any problems with your carrier-based aircraft?"

"Of course not. We have sold to many countries, and some of our customers have been transferred to third parties. We are very angry, but we cannot cheat on our customers. Customers are God."

The French nodded and were very satisfied with Qin Tao's plan. The carrier-based aircraft said otherwise, sell the aircraft carrier first!

If they can sell the USS Foch aircraft carrier, they will have more funds for the USS Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier, and the construction of the second ship can also be put on the agenda.

 Everyone looked at it carefully, inside and out. When they finished looking at the aircraft carrier Foch, the day passed again.

On the third day, it was time for the Easterners to leave. At the same time, Philip, Cadina and others also organized an eighteen-person inspection group to go to the East with the Easterners to inspect the Eastern 075.

On the plane, Philip, who was full of expectations, couldn't help but communicate with Qin Tao.

"In our eyes, the 075 is not an aircraft carrier, but an out-and-out amphibious assault ship. The amphibious assault ship you built is no worse than the United States in terms of performance and is the most advanced in the world. One of the amphibious assault ships!”

“Yes, it also uses a gas turbine as power. Mr. Qin, when we go there, can we see this 40-megawatt gas turbine?” Cadina is also looking forward to it.

“Of course, you are a potential customer of this gas turbine. Of course we can let you take a look at this gas turbine.”

“Mr. Qin, have you adopted an integrated power system on 075?”

“Based on the customer’s cultural level, we thought the requirements for an integrated power system were too high, so we did not adopt it,” Qin Tao said.

There is nothing wrong with this answer. The 075 was built for the Guinean Navy. With the conditions of their navy, how can they use the high-end ship-wide integrated power system? For them, boilers are the best, and gas turbines are the best. They are all advanced enough. If comprehensive power is installed on the entire ship, if the circuit breaker trips due to their brutal operation, the cause of the failure will never be found, and the warship will lose its combat capability. If the power system also uses electric propulsion, then Completely lying on the ground, unable to move.

“If it is given to other customers with high cultural level, can this method be used?” Philip asked.

Hearing what Philip said, Qin Tao reacted: "Do you want to purchase the 075 we produce?"

The French needed amphibious assault ships. They developed the Mistral class by themselves at the beginning of the 21st century. Later, Mao fell in love with it and wanted to purchase two of them. Then something happened, and Mao took compensation, and the amphibious assault ships were lost. In the hands of the Pyramid people.

 Now, the French should be making preparations. Are they planning to buy it directly from the East?

This seems impossible.

The French definitely want to make their own, and their Mistral class looks similar to the 075. In fact, it has a displacement of only 20,000 tons, which is only half of the 075. It cannot take off and land fixed-wing fighters, and its combat effectiveness is not high. .

 “No, no, we have no intention of doing so, we are just curious.”

“If the customer needs it, we will install it. We can even install the electromagnetic catapult.” Qin Tao continued to lie.

Of course it is impossible. Whether it is the integrated power system of the whole ship or the electromagnetic catapult, it is the most advanced technology in the East and will not be easily exported to foreign countries. Only the major aircraft carriers have all-electric propulsion, but that is to verify the technology. But now the French ask, then we have to

Okay, this must reflect the superiority of Dongfang's shipbuilding technology.

“Do you really have an electromagnetic catapult?”

Qin Tao smiled: "The electromagnetic catapult is not a high-end technology. It is essentially a linear motor. Why, do you plan to use it on the second aircraft carrier?"

 The two of them did not speak.

Purchasing gas turbines and steam catapults from the East has already caused them to be despised by the United Kingdom. If they purchase electromagnetic catapults and integrated power systems from the East, they will be laughed at by the United Kingdom. The French shout for national defense independence every day, but the result Have you started buying too?

“However, these things are too expensive.” Qin Tao said: “The electromagnetic catapult alone costs US$500 million.”

Sell? Of course it can be sold, but the price is too expensive.

The steam catapults purchased by the French from the United States cost 12 million US dollars each. They purchased two in total, which has already caused them pain. If they purchase electromagnetic catapults from the East, the price is definitely not affordable.

 500 million US dollars for one piece, two pieces is one billion!

If the French buy it, the Orientals really dare to sell it, and the money from the sale can start building another aircraft carrier!

 Is it expensive?

 In fact, it is not expensive. Historically, when the French gritted their teeth and purchased electromagnetic catapults from the United States to equip their No. 2 ship, the Americans quoted US$1.3 billion.

At that time, Americans were still very proud: Only Einstein in the world could develop an electromagnetic catapult! It's a pity that this Einstein suddenly had a different love and ran away to the East. The electromagnetic catapults in the East are more advanced and mature than those in the United States.

 (End of this chapter)