Chapter 1551: Chapter 1468: Postponing the Operation

After sending off Chu Muzhou, Tang Mo summoned the Imperial Chief of Staff, Marshal Luff. Luff reported to Tang Mo about the current state of naval development. Marshal Bernard was unable to return to Chang’an as he was supervising construction personally on Dragon Island, so Luff took over this reporting task.

“The refit of the aircraft carrier is very challenging; the entire deck needs to be reinstalled, and some modifications are required inside the warship.” After Tang Mo inquired, Luff briefly introduced the difficulties encountered in the aircraft carrier modification work on Dragon Island.

While flipping through documents, he said to Tang Mo, “The power units need to be replaced with the latest models, and the oil storage needs to be cleaned as well, all of which will require some time.”

This time, the aircraft carrier’s return to port for refitting indeed involves a massive workload. It’s almost like constructing a new aircraft carrier, with workers busy working overtime.

Although these carriers were previously designed with angled decks, their design indeed requires some modifications to accommodate the entry of the new ‘Flying Shark’.

The matching elevators naturally need to be replaced as well. After all, these elevators were previously prepared for lighter aircraft; now, with the heavier Flying Shark onboard, the power needs to be increased accordingly.

Speaking of the Flying Shark, Luff then mentioned another important piece of equipment for the aircraft carrier: “Additionally, all four catapults on the aircraft carrier need to use the latest models, as the weight of the carrier-based aircraft has increased. The newest early warning aircraft is equipped with new radar, and its weight has also increased significantly.”

Tang Mo also understood that the refit of the aircraft carrier was not a small project. Even though much preparation had been made for this modification beforehand, there were still many troubles in actual operation.

“There won’t be any large-scale military actions in the short term, so there’s no need to rush the construction schedule.” Tang Mo proposed a plan to slow down the modification pace: “We can maintain a fleet scale of only 4 aircraft carriers next year.”

According to Tang Mo’s plan, the four aircraft carriers undergoing modernization on Dragon Island could return next year. At that time, Tang Country’s Navy would maintain a scale of just four carrier fleets, with the remaining six carriers entering dry dock for modification at that time.

However, doing so would effectively announce to the world that Tang Country’s Navy is not prepared for war, and any move towards the Eastern Continent would not be feasible for at least another two years.

Who knows what might happen within these two years? At the very least, two years would be enough time for many countries on the Eastern Continent to fortify their coastlines into walls of reinforced concrete.

“But, Your Majesty, if things remain the same next year, then all of the Army’s landing plans will need to be redrafted.” Luff reminded Tang Mo.

In fact, many in the military were hopeful of returning to the Eastern Continent, as these were the people who rose alongside Tang Mo in Brunas; now, they are like rootless water lilies in the Western Continent, and naturally hope Tang Mo can dominate both lands and become the master of the world.

Only in this way can those from the Eastern Continent feel they have a foundation, and can avoid being gradually eliminated by the Western Continent natives who joined the Great Tang later.

“Is there a problem with that?” Tang Mo asked, looking at Luff. He understood well what these old associates by his side were thinking, but he now truly lacked the extra strength to simultaneously prepare for a large landing operation on the Eastern Continent.

Throughout the past six months, the Great Tang Empire has been spending extensively; even someone as affluent as Tang Mo already feels the pressure. His personal treasury is stretched thin, and the funds of the Great Tang Empire are also running tight.

There’s no helping it, with projects like dozens or hundreds of power plants and tens of thousands of kilometers of rail and road construction being casually undertaken. Hundreds of factories have sprung up, and hundreds of towns are installing network cables…

This isn’t a joke; no matter how capable Tang Mo might be, he cannot both build a nation and prepare for a war simultaneously.

“The Staff Department estimates that every month the delay, the defense strength of the Eastern Continent’s coastal regions will increase by ten percent. If it exceeds fifty percent, then all the materials and forces needed for the landing will have to be recalculated.” Luff pointed out the problem directly.

“According to our intelligence, various countries are strengthening their coastal defenses. Their investment is relatively rudimentary, mostly trenches, bunkers, and various supporting facilities.” Luff took out another document to explain to Tang Mo.

“Every month that passes, there will be new airports and radar stations to suppress and destroy, and new coastal artillery positions to pay attention to. This all invisibly increases the difficulty of the landing.” He paused after finishing, waiting for Tang Mo’s instructions.

Tang Mo also fell into deep thought, as he truly lacked the ability to prepare for a war while building the Great Tang. However, he also did not want the operation to return to the Eastern Continent to become extremely bloody and brutal.

Even though Tang Country’s satellites can confirm most of the coastal defense facilities, and its advanced aircraft can destroy those seemingly robust targets, once these targets become as numerous as the hairs of an ox, it does become a challenge.

It’s a straightforward principle: even if a T-34 tank is placed on the street, it is still a tank, and it is far more threatening than a taxi; leaving it unmanaged is definitely not an option.

But using a large number of anti-tank missiles to destroy such tanks is evidently not cost-effective. Although the expensive missiles can easily take out such targets, the price paid is indeed too high.

Currently, it’s as if the various countries of the Eastern Continent are placing T-34 tanks along the coastline. Over time, there will be more and more T-34s on the coast, and the Tang Army will have to invest more effort in clearing these low-value targets.

They cannot be left alone, and dealing with them is costly; it might also increase troop casualties, and accumulating all of this indeed becomes a hassle.

“I think our national strength and military power ought to be developing faster than theirs. If they’re building a bunker on the border, we have a new advanced fighter jet entering service. In this situation, wouldn’t waiting be in our favor?” Tang Mo broke the silence and asked Luff several seconds later.

Luff also cautiously pondered for a moment before finally responding: “I agree with Your Majesty’s view; delaying the attack indeed allows us to be more fully prepared. For every day the enemy prepares, we also prepare for a day… and our one day is worth much more than theirs.”

However, he cautiously reminded Tang Mo, war is not just a simple numerical calculation: “But, Your Majesty, morale must also be considered. If the enthusiasm of the troops requesting battle is ignored and morale drops, it won’t be easy to revitalize it.”

Tang Mo nodded, pondering further before saying to Luff: “I need some time to think about this. Draft a new plan for a delayed operation as a backup.”