"Mr. Chen, isn't it...... What happened?"

After Zhang Tong and his entourage settled down and then sent off Nikolai Malenkov and the others, Xie Hao, who accompanied Zhang Tong, Farouk Legari and others, who had previously served as Ding Haijun's secretary and had just gone to the European Division, hesitated to ask Chen Geng.

What happened?

When Zhang Tong and Farouk Legari heard this, they immediately looked at Chen Geng.

These people who are engaged in diplomacy are really good in their eyes, Chen Geng sighed in his heart, nodded and said: "It's a little something, but it's not a big deal, I was about to tell you." ”

Sure enough, something, I hope it's not a fatal thing......

Whether it is Zhang Tong or Farouk Legari, their hearts are tight.

"Mr. Chen, what is the matter?" Zhang Tong did a lot of technical work, and he couldn't help but ask: "Did the Soviets regret it?"

Farouk Legari also looked at Chen Geng with a nervous face, and prayed silently in his heart: Don't be like this, don't be like this......

"That's not it," Chen Geng shook his head with a smile: "It's not that serious...... Well, it has nothing to do with the USSR, it's just that the project itself has undergone some changes, which will lead to the fact that the overall cost of this trainer will increase a lot again, so ......"

"That's ......"

Farouk Legari's face was a little ugly.

Originally, according to the calculations of the Hongdu Plant, after using the American TFE-731 engine, the overall cost of the L-8 trainer aircraft was about less than 2 million US dollars, and the reason why it was so expensive was because the cost of the two imported Garrett TFE-731 engines accounted for the lion's share, but after knowing that COMAC had introduced a full set of technologies and patents for the Ivchenko AI-25TL engine from the Soviet Union, the Hongdu Plant had previously planned to purchase the domestic AI-25TL engine from COMAC after the AI-25TL engine produced by COMAC passed the technical verification, the ex-factory cost of an L-8 training aircraft is about 2.8 million to 3 million RMB.

Previously, in Chen Geng's communication, Chen Geng said that the price of this advanced training aircraft in the Soviet Union is about 3 million to 3.5 million US dollars, although it is much more expensive than the L-8, a jet training aircraft positioned in the intermediate level, but considering that the technology of this training aircraft is more advanced, the Pakistani side feels that it is acceptable to grit its teeth, but now, it is actually going to increase the price again?

If it goes up, how much will it go up?

Is the price still affordable?

Compared with the previous one, how much has the performance of this training aircraft improved?

Zhang Tong also hurriedly asked: "Mr. Chen, what are the changes, and how much has the price increased?"

"It's hard to say, the specific amplitude hasn't been calculated yet," Chen Geng shook his head and explained to the two: "The Soviet Navy has put forward a request to develop a carrier-based version of this trainer aircraft, which at the same time has a certain combat effectiveness and can perform some low-intensity combat missions.

The Soviets are even preparing to sell this carrier-based advanced trainer/fighter in the name of carrier-based light fighters to Argentina, India and other countries to replace these countries with old carrier-based aircraft such as the A-4, A@V-8 and the French 'Super Military Flag'. ”

Shipboard version ......

Farouk Legari and Zhang Tong's expressions were a little ugly.

Both of them are insiders in the aviation industry, so they naturally know very well what the price of the trainer is, and what kind of price is the price of a carrier-based light fighter, even if the Soviet fighter has always been cheaper than the American and European fighters, no matter how cheap it is, this is also a typical third-generation fighter, and where can it be cheaper?

Compared with Farouk Legari, Zhang Tong's ability to bear is much better: even if the cooperation with Lao Maozi can't be successful, can't he go back to L-8, it's okay!

With this layer of confidence, he felt much more at ease, and asked Chen Geng: "Mr. Chen, the training planes of these design bureaus are all subsonic jets, right, if they are changed to light carrier-based fighters, what improvements will they have?"

"The main thing is speed and load," Chen Geng explained: "Previously, the State Military-Industrial Equipment Committee of the USSR sent a letter to the Myasishev Design Bureau, the Yakovlev Design Bureau, The requirements put forward by the Mikoyan Design Bureau and the Sukhoi Design Bureau are that the maximum speed limit that the body can withstand is Mach 1.2, because this is a subsonic training aircraft, this limit is sufficient, but now in order to meet the requirements of low-intensity air combat, the maximum level flight speed is required to reach at least Mach 1.4; the second is the load, which requires the maximum weapon load to be able to reach 2.5 tons to 3 tons. ”

Zhang Tong was silent.

The maximum flight speed of Mach 1.4 and the maximum weapon load of 2.5 to 3 tons mean that the aerodynamic layout of the entire airframe and the fuselage need to be redesigned and reinforced, otherwise the aircraft will be in danger of disintegrating in the sky......

Money!

As a project director of a military aircraft, Zhang Tong knows very well that Lao Maozi will increase the R&D cost by at least 35% after such a toss, so how much will it cost even if it is an ordinary version of the training aircraft?

He subconsciously turned his head to look at Farouk Legari.

Not surprisingly, Farouk Legari's face was serious and entangled: This situation was completely unexpected by the Pakistani side, what should we do? Can the country's finances still bear it?

After thinking for a long time, Farouk Legari raised his head and asked Chen Geng, "Mr. Fernandez, how much do you think the land-based version of the trainer will cost?"

"This ...... I guess it's about 15% to 20% higher than the price I've told you. ”

"15% to 20% ah......"

Farouk Legari's mouth is a little bitter, the minibus is not a rich country, it can even be said, but in terms of per capita income, the minibus is not much stronger than Huaxia, the reason why it can get money to "jointly develop" the L-8 training aircraft with Huaxia, one of the very important reasons is that the minibus does not have so much investment in national defense research and development, but if a training aircraft will increase in price by 20%......

The funds that could have been used to buy 74 L-8 trainer planes can now be bought, and now how many old Maozi trainer planes can be bought?

30?

Or 35?

But this is too far from the demand for 74 aircraft.

After all, the L-8 trainer has already found a replacement for the Garrett TFE-731 engine of the United States, and the AI-25TL engine of the Soviet Union's Ivchenko Design Bureau independently produced by Fernandes Chen's Commercial Aircraft Group, and the price of the L-8 trainer will be able to drop a little more.

Farouk Legari, who couldn't make up his mind after thinking about it, finally gritted his teeth: "This is a new situation, Mr. Fernandez, I need to report this new situation to the country." ”

"Of course, that's as it should be. Chen Geng didn't mean to stop at all, nodded with a smile, speaking of this, Chen Geng suddenly remembered something, and patted his head: "By the way, there is a new situation to tell you." ”

“......”

Farouk Legari and Zhang Tong were a little confused: What's new? What is the new situation? Didn't you already talk about the new situation of the change of this advanced training aircraft?

"Well, after having the idea of developing a light carrier-based supersonic fighter based on this advanced trainer, the Soviet side had an idea to develop a light aircraft carrier with a sliding deck and arresting cables with a full load displacement of 2 to 25,000 tons based on the Moskva-class or Kiev-class aircraft carriers.

This is an aircraft carrier positioned mainly for export, the carrier-based aircraft is mainly equipped with this light fighter, in addition to the Ka-27 transport helicopter, Ka-31 early warning helicopter, if necessary, can even be matched with customers with a small, regional aircraft carrier formation......"

Before Chen Geng's words were finished, Farouk Legari's eyes widened: What? The Soviets are willing to sell aircraft carriers?!

This is really good news for the minibus that has been bullied by India's Vikrant aircraft carrier, especially during this period of time, since buying the Virat aircraft carrier, India has become more and more arrogant, and more and more does not look at itself, if it also has an aircraft carrier, and it is carrying a supersonic third-generation light fighter, bullying and bullying India's Vikrant and the stupid A@V-8 "Sea Harrier" on the Virat, is it not the same as playing?

He said eagerly: "Mr. Fernandez, what you said is true? Is the Soviet Union really going to sell aircraft carriers? How are they going to sell them?"

Not only Farouk Legari, but Zhang Tong's eyes widened.

Although China may not necessarily need to purchase aircraft carriers, it needs to pay attention to the countries that purchase aircraft carriers: Will it have an impact on the strategic security around China......?

Thinking of a certain possibility, Zhang Tong suddenly shook his head and hurriedly said: "Mr. Chen, the Soviet Union will not sell this aircraft carrier to 4V, right?"

Now the military strength of the two sides of the strait is relatively biased towards 4V, and 4V has money, if 4V really buys such an aircraft carrier, even if it is a light aircraft carrier, it will greatly affect the military balance in the strait area, although theoretically the Soviet Union is unlikely to sell such an aircraft carrier to 4V, but who dares to guarantee it?

"No, it won't. Chen Geng nodded affirmatively.

"Won't?" Zhang Tong was skeptical.

"No," Chen Geng nodded again, and at the same time explained to Zhang Tong: "To tell you the truth, the proposal to develop a foreign trade light aircraft carrier was put forward by me to the Soviet Union, and Valentin Staryevich, the deputy director of Gorbachev's office, promised me that the aircraft carrier would not be sold to 4V. ”

"That's good, that's good......"

While breathing a sigh of relief, Zhang Tong glanced at Chen Geng in a strange way, and his heart was already set off with a storm: Chen Geng's proposal to develop a light foreign trade aircraft carrier was put forward by Chen Geng to the Soviets? The key is that the Soviets actually agreed? God, did Chen Geng's influence in the Soviet Union already have such a great deal?

Farouk Legari also looked at Chen Geng with the same face, and Chen Geng's answer was also beyond his imagination.

At this time, Chen Geng said to Farouk Legari: "It's not good to say whether it will be sold or not, I just made such a suggestion, well, the reason why there is such a suggestion, because this advanced trainer aircraft project is a joint venture between our COMAC and the Soviet Union, and even this carrier-based senior trainer/light fighter is also under this cooperation framework, in order to be able to sell a few more aircraft, I put forward this proposal to the Soviet side."

At present, the Soviet side is very interested in my proposal, and they are also seriously discussing this matter, but it is difficult to say whether it will be implemented in the end. ”

"That's ......"

Farouk Legari was both happy and regretful: If the motherland can really have such an aircraft carrier, damn Indians still dare to be arrogant with us?

Glancing at Farouk Legari, who was mixed with joy and regret, Chen Geng's heart moved: What's the matter? Do you really plan to buy an aircraft carrier?

At the same time, Zhang Tong also began to ponder: That carrier-based version of the advanced trainer/light fighter was actually under the framework of cooperation between COMAC and the Soviet Union? In this way, if Hongdu Factory can participate, wouldn't it be familiar with a whole set of processes and precautions for carrier-based aircraft design?

But in the face of the increase in costs, the minibus seems to be a little retreating, our Hongdu factory has no money in hand, the reason why we have the opportunity to participate in this project, all because of the order for 74 training aircraft of the minibus in the hand and the start-up cost of the project, if the minibus retreats in the face of the increased cost again, the Hongdu factory that took out the money, is it qualified to participate? But if it does not participate, it always feels that it has lost hundreds of millions......

It was also at this time that Farouk Legari finally made up his mind and said to Chen Geng with a solemn face: "Mr. Fernandez, can you help us inquire whether the Soviet Union really intends to develop such an export-oriented aircraft carrier? What is the approximate price? In addition, how long do you think it will take for the Soviets to make a decision?"

“......”

Chen Geng glanced at Farouk Legari in surprise: What's the matter? Are you really going to buy an aircraft carrier?

Zhang Tong was even more surprised than Chen Geng: Do you really plan to buy an aircraft carrier? Let's not talk about the question of whether to buy it or not, even if you buy it, can you raise it?

Zhang Tong knows that although it is not cheap to buy an aircraft carrier, compared with the procurement cost in the early stage, the maintenance cost in the later stage is a gold-swallowing beast.

Jokes, right?

Surprised to surprised, Chen Geng still nodded happily: "Okay, I'll help you ask, but it's ......"

"What?" asked Farouk Legari hurriedly.

Chen Geng said: "The current situation is that the Soviets themselves do not know what the prospects of this aircraft carrier are, and they are a little hesitant, if you express your intentions, it is estimated that they will soon be able to come up with at least the design drawings, so that you at least have a reference." ”

That's the Soviet Union, can you still do this?

Chen Geng's words made Farouk Legari's eyes widen in surprise.