Hwaseong, the capital of Newland, the Gray Palace of the Presidential Palace.

After coming out of the central conference room, Colonel Stark let out a long breath. When the secretary in charge of reception left, he quickly lit a cigarette.

Actually, he doesn't have a craving for smoking.

It's just that in the more than 3 hours before this, he explained in detail the operational deployment against the Liangxia Empire to more than a dozen military and political dignitaries, including the president, during which he answered the questions raised by others many times, and they were basically idiotic questions that lacked common sense.

From start to finish, he didn't even drink a sip of water!

Crucially, few of the dignitaries who heard the report understood the brutality of war, or even modern warfare.

There's nothing surprising about that.

The Nuland Republic has not been tested by war for almost 30 years.

Even in the early days of supporting the independence of Poland and Iraq, and later in the Iran-Iraq War, the Republic of Nuland was behind the scenes and did not directly participate in combat operations.

If anything, that's why Stark is here.

More than two years ago, he was the diplomatic attaché of the Republic of Nuland to Poland, but his real identity was a military adviser and he was involved in the planning of combat operations on several occasions.

After the end of the Iran-Iraq war, Stark went to the country of Van Luo and stayed in the country as a military attache for more than a year.

In fact, his main task was to help the Van Luo Navy to modernize and determine how to sell aircraft carriers to Van Roe.

At that time, the Van Rowe Navy had already issued a tender to purchase a 40,000-ton medium-sized aircraft carrier to replace the USS Vikrant, which was purchased from the Newland Republic more than 20 years ago, and this aircraft carrier was one of the few small aircraft carriers built in the last war and survived.

It is said that it is a bidding, but it is actually a formality.

Looking at the world, there are aircraft carriers, and the only one who is willing to sell aircraft carriers to Van Roe is the Republic of Nuland.

Of course, this is obviously not as simple as selling aircraft carriers.

The point is, does the Van Rowe Navy really need a 40,000-ton medium-sized aircraft carrier?

Or how valuable is this aircraft carrier?

In addition, the Van Rowe Navy is capable of navigating a 40,000-ton aircraft carrier?

The previous one was just a small aircraft carrier with a full load displacement of more than 20,000 tons and a maximum of more than 20 carrier-based aircraft. Because it was not equipped with catapults, after mid-term improvements, all of them were replaced with VTOL fighters purchased from the Kingdom of Bran.

Stark's mission to Van Roe was to investigate the situation of Van Roe's navy.

As a result, for more than a year, Stark basically despaired of the Hwaseong authorities' most important ally.

In his report to the Pentagon, Stark specifically mentioned one thing.

On many warships of the Van Luo Navy, there was a special "servant cabin", because many high-caste officers would bring servants on board. As a result, on a destroyer with a standard crew of 350 people, there were more than 500 people, and the extra ones were all servants of officers.

These servants not only occupy precious space, but also create chaos during battle.

In addition, the privileges of high-caste officers will inevitably affect morale.

How strong is such a navy?

Although this report did not prevent the president from signing the authorization document for the sale of aircraft carriers, it had a large enough impact on the sale of aircraft carriers.

After much weighing, the sale to the Van Rowe Navy was still a small aircraft carrier.

Crucially, this aircraft carrier borrows from the "Invincible" class of the Bran Kingdom, but with the necessary modifications, so it can be seen as a political transaction.

Obviously, the arms trade is not an ordinary trade in the first place.

Of course, the year of going to Van Roe allowed Stark to see through a lot of problems and come to a very critical and influential conclusion.

At the beginning, he made this conclusion clear.

Modern warfare, armed with high technology, has far more destructive power than any other war, so modern warfare will not last long!

A situation that lasts for years, as was the case in the previous two global wars, will never happen.

The third global war can only be, and must be, a quick decisive battle!

To put it bluntly, a few decisive battles can tell the winner. The underdog will not be able to win even if they try their best.

Similarly, even a well-placed side will not be able to achieve a complete victory easily.

This creates a situation.

After the decisive battles after the start of the war, as long as the power can be taken down, then both the winning side and the losing side will consider the option of an armistice.

In the final analysis, war is not an end, but an extreme means to achieve an end.

If the truce can be achieved, then there is no need to continue fighting.

Of course, this view also means that preparations for war in peacetime, that is, preparations for war, as they are commonly called, will directly determine victory or defeat.

With this theoretical basis, there is also a specific strategic plan.

There is only one focus: identify a goal that can be achieved.

In Stark's words, it is to achieve a limited goal with the investment of fighting a global war.

This limited goal is to recapture the Khowaii Islands!

At the tactical level, take the initiative to attack at the most favorable time, fight to the death with the Liang Xia navy, and recapture this archipelago that originally belonged to the Nuland Republic.

After that, it was natural to switch from offense to defense.

As for the fighting on the mainland battlefield, as for Posha Bay, and the southern subcontinent, in fact, they have nothing to do with the Nuland Republic.

Of course, it can also be said that these directions are in the service of achieving the main purpose.

As long as the Khowaii Islands are recaptured, an armistice can be accepted.

Crucially, for the Liangxia Empire, the loss of the Khowaii Islands was not a sufficient reason to continue the war.

In other words, after losing the Khowaii Islands, the Liangxia Empire could also make an armistice and make peace with the Nuland Republic.

At this point, the war can be declared over.

In fact, last year, Stark's theory has been recognized by the chief of staff of the Navy and almost all senior generals, and has thus risen to the core strategy of the Nuland Navy, which in turn affects the overall strategy of the Nuland Republic, otherwise he would not have been allowed to make a report.

To Stark's displeasure, the politicians were unimpressed, or felt that such a limited victory was not worth a full mobilization.

In Stark's view, this is actually the ambition of politicians and the psychology of gamblers.

Without full mobilization, you can defeat the Liangxia Empire, which dominates the world!?

Even a full mobilization may not be able to win.

Not to mention gambling on the operation of the country, even if it is just a fluke, it will inevitably end in a fiasco.

After smoking a cigarette, Stark also calmed down.

Don't look at the little illusions that those high-ranking federal officials still have, but looking at the overall situation, there will not be much room for these politicians to operate.

The Navy has already sent all aircraft carriers according to the plan.

After 20 days at the latest, the combat deployment will be able to be completed, and then a combat operation to recover the Khowaii Islands will be launched.

At that time, it will take a few days at most for strategic bombing.

At this point, there is not much room for manoeuvre.

Of course, the deployment of the Air Force is much simpler, especially the mobilization of bombers on the home soil, which can be completed in a few days if prepared.

As for the total victory that politicians want to achieve.

Stark had that in mind, too.

All politicians are true realists, so when confronted with an immutable reality, politicians immediately adjust.

Although this judgment came from his experience as a military adviser in the country of Boi and later in the country of Van Roe, in Stark's understanding, the politicians of the Nuland Republic were also the same. Not to mention federal officials, even presidents, are not much better than those politicians abroad.

At that time, no matter how powerful a politician is, he will have to bow his head to reality and admit and accept it.

For the Nuland Republic, the most likely reality is to accept an incomplete victory and continue to recognize the hegemony of the Liangxia Empire.

In fact, what really needs to be considered is the opponent on the battlefield.

The Liangxia Navy, which is so powerful that it is almost invincible!

If anything, in the early morning, when he received the news that Liang Xia's 51st Task Force had been attacked by the Manman Air Force in the East Continent Heart Sea, 2 supercarriers were sunk, and 1 missile cruiser was buried together, Stark couldn't believe it was the truth.

That's the mighty Liangxia fleet.

Later, after receiving more detailed information, especially the news that the Manman Air Force had dispatched 80 bombers and only about 20 returned, Stark realized that this was not false information.

Of course, this also shows from one side that the Liangxia Navy is indeed very powerful.

Just relying on 2 supercarriers and 2 carrier-based aircraft wings, they withstood the attack of 80 bombers in just a few dozen minutes.

Replacing the Nuland fleet, even if it is a three-aircraft carrier battle group, it will definitely not be possible.

On the way to the Grey Palace, Stark receives a more definite piece of information.

The 2 supercarriers of Task Force 51 did not sink in battle, one of them maintained a speed of no less than 10 knots, while the other was also floating on the surface.

Moreover, the air defense cruiser was likewise not sunk!

Intelligence came from the CIA, and photographs taken by reconnaissance satellites were also provided.

Obviously, this information is more reliable than the battle reports from the Sairiku group.

However, intelligence from the CIA, also from the CIA, indicated that only more than 20 bombers fired anti-ship missiles, and all the others were shot down before the missiles were dropped.

Of course, this is not to say that Task Force 51 is not powerful enough, but it proves that Task Force 51 is very powerful.

Before being hit, the air defense fighters of Task Force 51 successfully intercepted 3 bomber groups attacking from 3 directions!

This ability is absolutely beyond the reach of the Nuland Navy.

If it is also a two-carrier battle group, the Nuland fleet will be able to deal with threats from up to 2 directions at the same time, and then it will be eliminated by a third bomber group in 3 directions.

In addition, the survivability of the "Xue Yuanzheng" class aircraft carrier has withstood the test of real combat.

In the Liangxia Navy, there are also 4 active "Xue Yuanzheng" class ships, 2 of which are deployed in the Southwest Guia, while the other 2 are maintained in the shipyard.

The point is that in the shipyard of the Liangxia Empire, there are 2 ships under construction.

After the outbreak of the war, the Liangxia Navy must have placed additional orders, and perhaps next month, it will be able to see several other newly built aircraft carriers begin to lay keels.

According to the information provided by the CIA, the Liangxia Empire can build up to 8 supercarriers at the same time.

What about the Republic of Nuland?

Even if all the slipways are used, only 6 supercarriers can be built at the same time, and the construction speed is definitely not as fast as that of the Liang Xia Empire.

As for the combat effectiveness of aircraft carriers, the gap is even greater.

Although the "Niz" class is also a supercarrier with a full load displacement of nearly 100,000 tons, only 3 ships have been built and delivered.

In addition, the Nuland Navy seriously lacks systematic combat capabilities.

To put it bluntly, even if the Nuland Navy is the only existence in the world that can challenge the Liang Xia Navy, the two are not at all opponents of the same level.

So, is there any chance of winning a protracted war of attrition with the Liang Xia Navy?

This is also the key to Stark and a group of young Zhuang officers advocating "quick victory", in the protracted war of attrition, the Nuland Navy has no chance of winning at all.

Thinking about this, Stark felt that he was very similar to Takano, the former commander of the permanent fleet of the Sagashi Navy, who ignited World War II.

In the face of the Liang Xia Navy, which is like a behemoth, he had to choose to take risks and gamble everything.

Fortunately, the Republic of Nuland is not a narrow monarchy.

After waiting for more than ten minutes, Admiral Olsen, the chief of staff of the Navy, rushed over when Stark hesitated to light a second cigarette.

He didn't say much, called Stark and went out.

Stark was very knowledgeable and endured it all the way, only breaking the silence after getting into the car.

"General?"

"You live in an apartment on Massachusetts Avenue, right?"

Stark was stunned for a moment, then nodded.

Although he worked for the Ministry of Defense, as a regular staff officer, Stark was not eligible for an apartment provided by the Hwaseong authorities.

Like other young officers, he had to rent a house on his own.

Fortunately, the army provided a high housing allowance that was sufficient to cover the rent.

"I'll send you over now and pack some personal luggage. The transport plane will take off in half an hour and someone over there will pick you up at the airport, so ......"

"Where am I going?"

"San Diego."

"......"

"The President has appointed you as the Operational Staff Officer of Task Force 51 and acting as Chief of Staff, and the relevant letters of appointment will be faxed directly."

"......"

Olsen glared at Stark, and after he closed his mouth, he said, "If we want to fight quickly, we must take out the 41st Task Force of the Liangxia Navy after the war, otherwise we will lose all favorable opportunities." What do you think are the odds of us? ”

Stark was silent.

"However, there is also good news."

It wasn't until Olsen said this that Stark turned his gaze.

"According to reliable intelligence, the Liangxia Empire will try to defeat Iraq within a month before focusing on the Guia side. In other words, it is very likely that Task Force 61 will go to Fanyan Ocean to ensure that Fanluo will not enter the war within this month. ”

"Is this message reliable?"

Olsen didn't answer, just nodded.

"If there is a way, it is best to find out the personnel arrangements of the Liangxia Navy, especially the staff officers of the 41st Task Force who are responsible for directing operations."

"I'll figure it out. If you have any other requirements, please feel free to let me know. ”

Olsen said so, and Stark couldn't say anything more.

In fact, fighting in the front-line troops has always been an opportunity that Stark is waiting for, because only when he has achieved combat merits can he have the opportunity to be promoted.