At the time of Li Lan's visit to India, there was no border between the southern waters of Somalia and the coastal line of Kenya.

Three large exploration vessels towing long cables are driving back and forth here, and two old patrol boats of the Kenyan Navy of several hundred tons are guarding the three exploration vessels.

Exploration vessels from France's Total Petroleum Company, the American company Anadarko Petroleum and the Italian national oil company began to explore for oil and gas in this area.

Ten years ago, Kenya confirmed that it had significant oil and gas reserves in the area, but the area is strictly Somali waters, connecting Somalia's continental shelf and exclusive economic zone.

At that time, Somalia was full of wars and the weakness of the government, which also gave Kenya an opportunity to plan 40 exploration areas, and put them under the jurisdiction of Kenya's energy department, and opened the public tender.

At that time, Li Lan had not yet unified Somalia, and it was located in the north of Somalia, and the affairs in the south were basically handled by the original Somali interim government.

During that time, the Somali interim government also protested against Kenya many times, and even submitted it to the national court in The Hague for arbitration, but due to the civil strife of the Somali interim government at that time, the national turmoil did not have 100% energy to deal with it, and the matter was extended indefinitely.

After Li Lan's reunification of Somalia, because there were too many disputes over the maritime boundary between the two countries, coupled with the fact that there were many complications that had been pending for a long time, the timing was not right, and the new Somali government did not make any positive statements in this regard.

Originally, Kenya was also very knowledgeable, having already emerged from war-torn Somalia. Naturally, Kenya did not dare to provoke it alone, knowing that it could not confront Somalia on its own, and it also put the development of offshore oil and gas on hold for several years. Now, at the instigation of NATO countries, things have taken a new turn.

Soon a tender was completed in just a day or two, with three NATO oil companies exploring three of the 40 areas set aside by Kenya that year. As soon as the results of exploration are available, advanced drilling preparation can be carried out and the construction of the mining platform can begin.

However, Kenyan Energy Minister Martin, who is on the exploration ship of the American Anadarko Petroleum Company at this moment, has a restless heart. Follow the exploration ship here.

Ultimately. Kenya is still a relatively peaceful country, with only 30,000 regular troops in the country, and although the expansion of the army in recent years has also cultivated a lot of reserve troops, it is still too weak compared to Somalia. As for the advanced nature of weapons and equipment. Not to mention. Those weapons that are incomparably superior in the eyes of Kenyan soldiers. Compared to the weapons of the Somali army, they are simply burning sticks.

Although the burning sticks are a bit exaggerated, Martin really wants his army to have burning sticks. In this way, those in power will not be hot-headed and do stupid things. However, that bit of modern troops, in front of other African countries, may still have a lot of deterrent power, but in front of Somalia, no one will be optimistic.

Sake red face, gold heart, for Kenya's high-level decision, Martin really has nothing to say, his only hope now is that things don't really get bigger, otherwise according to the temper of the Somali president, war could break out at any time.

At that time, NATO will be beyond the reach of the whip even if it wants to help, and small Kenya will be able to withstand Somalia's powerful and modern army for a few days?

"Mr. Martin, you seem to be in a bad mood." On the side of the boat, a white man with glasses walked behind Martin, gently patted Martin on the shoulder, and asked.

Martin, who was in a trance, turned his head to look at it, and replied, "Monsieur Mondley is really observant, and he can't hide anything from your eyes. ”

With heavy glasses, a modest suit, and meticulous dress, Mondsley has a bit of a bookish and successful temperament. In fact, in Martin's eyes, the white man next to him can indeed be called a successful person, as the vice president of the African branch of the American Anadarko Petroleum Company, he also has a lot of status in the African energy industry.

At least a lot of Kenya's oil passes through this person, and as an energy minister, he naturally needs to have a good relationship with him. In fact, it is not only Mondley, but also the head of the oil companies in Britain, France and the United States, who are all superior in Africa.

Because these guys are not only engaged in energy, but can also help governments solve problems, provide financial loans, act as intermediaries for arms dealers, and even serve as a window for dialogue between countries.

For ordinary people, these people may only be a little rich, but in Martin's eyes, these people are more important than hidden power.

"Are you worried about the decisions of your own Führer?" Mondley asked.

Martin's heart trembled, and the feeling of being seen through made his expression very bad, but he still forced a smile on his face: "It's nothing, it's just some private matter." ”

The corners of Mondley's mouth curled, he took a step forward, stood on the side of the ship with Martin, looked at the sea level in the distance, and said: "You can rest assured, our government has made a serious decision, and on the issue of dealing with Somalia, the whole of NATO will be united, and the means will be tougher, and Somalia cannot continue to be allowed to do whatever it wants." ”

Hearing these words, Martin couldn't wait to tear off the hypocritical mask of Mondley, and kept roaring in his heart: Get out of your NATO, don't use us as a gun if you have the ability, and it is the easiest to directly take Somalia down.

It's just that he didn't dare to show these thoughts at all, and in addition to anger and sadness in his heart, he could only cater to his face against his will: "That's really good." ”

"Mr. Mondley, the Somali Navy has been spotted on the starboard side, fifteen nautical miles away from us, and is currently rapidly approaching us." Just as Martin finished speaking, the intercom in Mondley's hand came the captain's report from the wheelhouse: "Please ask if we will immediately recover the exploration equipment and return it to Kenyan waters." ”

Mondley, who was not wearing headphones, naturally heard the debriefing on the walkie-talkie, and when he agreed with the captain's words in his heart, Mondley did not hesitate in the slightest. Commanded: "Leave this alone, let's continue." ”

When Martin heard this, he sighed in his heart, he still had to come.

"Mr. Martin, let's arrange it!" Mondley spoke.

Helpless, Martin only nodded, picked up his walkie-talkie, and ordered to the two Kenyan Navy patrol ships next to him: "According to the original plan, send a protest to the Somali Navy." ”

Soon, a clear-code telegram was sent from two Kenyan Navy training ships. It was received by the Somali Navy as soon as it arrived. However, the news is like a mud cow into the sea.

And the Somali Navy's 141-class stealth corvette slowly slowed down, and a law enforcement helicopter patrolling the sea at the stern of the ship slowly took off, but it did not approach the three exploration ships and the two patrol ships.

In the face of such silent actions of the Somali Navy. Employees of the Kenyan side and three oil companies. The palms of his hands were tightly pinched with sweat.

This silent confrontation. It was completely beyond their expectations.

If the Somali Navy had reacted to their words, they would have had a variety of ways to deal with it, but this deathly silence. The constant monitoring of distance made them feel more and more an invisible pressure.

"What the hell is going on?" Martin didn't hold back at first, looking at the Somali Coast Guard helicopter in the sky, his palms already soaked with sweat.

"There's something unusual, it's very unreasonable." Mondley also hesitated, muttered a word, and immediately took out his walkie-talkie and ordered the captain: "Prepare a message for help, and call for help from our navy as soon as there is any sign of attack." ”

"Sir, is the Somali Navy really going to attack?" The captain immediately asked rhetorically.

"If you're not afraid of 10,000, you're afraid of what if, there's nothing wrong with being ready." Mondley Road.

"I understand......" The captain was about to reply, when the appearance of several masts on the sea in the distance made his voice stop abruptly, and then he reported to Mondley in a slightly panicked manner: "Sir, there are three Somali warships, one of which is their multi-purpose destroyer. ”

"What?" Mondley was also taken aback, and immediately asked: "Damn, doesn't it mean that it's normal to say here, there is only one light frigate patrolling, when will there be an extra escort formation." ”

However, the answer to him was not the answer he wanted to know, first the captain's voice swallowing saliva, followed by a more panicked voice, "It's not a light escort formation, but an aircraft carrier combat formation, and there are warships coming out from behind, and our radar hasn't even found it." I see the drive-through deck. ”

The blood on Mondley's face faded a lot, and he didn't deny the captain's words, but immediately ran under the mast of the exploration ship, climbed to the highest point of the mast, stood under the installation of a full-angle high-definition camera, and took out his telescope to look at the sea in the distance.

With a "bang", the telescope in Mondley's hand fell directly at his feet, the captain's panic was completely normal, there was a radar on the exploration ship, and there were high-definition cameras on the mast, replacing the work of artificial lookout.

When Mondsley came up, he saw a completely different picture, because in the process, more warships appeared at sea level, before it was just a escort formation, and soon a through deck appeared behind it, and when he looked at it, it was a full four towering masts, and four through decks appeared at sea level.

However, these straight-through decks are not aircraft carriers, but amphibious assault ships. Although the captain made a mistake, Mondley was in no mood to blame, and the four amphibious assault ships with a tonnage of more than 40,000 tons were already more powerful than the light and medium-sized aircraft carriers of many countries.

Moreover, on both sides of these four amphibious assault ships, more warship masts appeared on the sea level, and Mondley's mood at the moment was extremely complicated, he couldn't understand how he could provoke such a big battle in Somalia.

Isn't it said that half of Somalia's main naval forces are in the Atlantic? Another aircraft carrier has just docked in the port for routine maintenance, and another aircraft carrier is around the Gulf of Aden, how can there still be such a large amphibious fleet here.

"How...... How...... What to do? Martin's shuddering voice came from behind Mondley.

"Recycle all the equipment and return immediately." Grabbing the walkie-talkie, Mondley immediately gave the captain the order.

At this moment, not only did Mondley want to leave here immediately, but the other two exploration ships also discovered that the situation was much more than they expected, and they also wanted to slip away, and as for the two Kenyan patrol ships, they had already turned around.

However, they were already a step late, and two Intruder fifth-generation stealth fighter-bombers that had taken off from the amphibious assault ship had already flown over the fleet and made an ultra-low-altitude taxiing climb close to the surface.

Mondley could even see the pilot's gaze in the cobble-oval cockpit, coupled with the dazzling blue five-pointed star flag and the white streamer, which deeply stimulated his gradually fragile mind.

For many Americans, the strength of Somalia is just a few words on the news, or a video, and the strength of the US military has long been deeply rooted in the hearts of all Americans, and many Americans are still optimistic that the strength of Somalia is only one-sided, and it is absolutely impossible to threaten the status of the United States.

Previously, Mondley naturally had this kind of thought, because the more he was in a high position, the more he could appreciate the potential and strength of the United States itself, but now this kind of self-confidence has long been gone, and if a 40,000-ton warship, if you don't see it with your own eyes, it is difficult to use your imagination to create that kind of momentum.

Although Mondley had experienced this feeling many times in his own navy, the shock of seeing a foreign warship comparable to his own country's Armada for the first time was not discounted, but multiplied. There is even a sense of frustration that has been pulled down from the altar by others, a country that has been in the past few years has actually had the achievements of the United States in the development of the Navy in the past century, and this kind of double feeling of heart and senses when it comes, no one can deal with it calmly.

At this time, not only Mondley, but also the employees of the Kenyan Navy, and the exploration departments of the three oil companies, all felt similar at this moment. At this moment, no one wants to stay, and it is foolish to continue to insist knowing that they can't do it.

It's just that they are too late, and the Somali Navy responded to them for the first time: "This is the amphibious combat battle group of the Southern Military Region of the Somali Navy, you have violated my Somali sovereign waters, from now on you have been captured, you have the right to resist, and we also have the right to take powerless action against you." ”

With this clear coded telegram, the bow of the three sea-tail ships in front, the upper half of the triangular body at the front end of the diamond-shaped turret slowly separated to the left and right, and the 76 mm gun barrel immediately stretched out, and the turret rotated, aiming directly at the five ships.

"Call for help from our navy right away." Seeing this, Mondley gave all his hopes to his country's invincible navy. (To be continued......)