UGB #462 - Li Yunlong
#462 - Li Yunlong
While the Global Computer Conference was successfully held, Li Yunlong followed the fleet to the Mediterranean.
After more than a month of long voyage, Li Yunlong no longer had the initial excitement.
According to the fleet's visiting plan, they first passed through Southeast Asia, then went west to visit Sri Lanka, Karachi, and Muscat ports, and then went south along Black Africa, bypassed the entire Black Africa to enter the Mediterranean, preparing to visit Athens, Rome, Marseille, and Barcelona.
Athens has the largest fleet in Europe, most of which are the third-generation Hope-class and Far-Voyager-class ro-ro cargo ships, and the other part are bulk carriers. Here, Hope-class cargo ships basically run the Mediterranean and Caspian Sea businesses, while Far-Voyager-class cargo ships run long-distance routes in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.
Due to excellent quality, fair price, and good operation, Athens is very interested in Dongda's shipbuilding industry.
Now, the Athens Navy is preparing to take a look at the Jianghai-class destroyer. According to their plan, they will improve the combat effectiveness of the destroyer based on the current navy.
Although they now have a small aircraft carrier with a standard displacement of 20,000 tons, they are still relying on the G-class destroyers of the year in terms of destroyer escort, which is very mismatched with the aircraft carrier.
However, after spending nearly 5 million pounds (14 million dollars) to equip the Macedonia King aircraft carrier, the Athens Navy was stretched thin and it was difficult to spend a lot of money to buy new destroyers.
Their destroyer/frigate purchase budget is no more than 20 million dollars, which means that they can buy 2 to 3 second-hand Fletcher destroyers at the current price of about 7 million dollars, but the Fletcher destroyer has almost no anti-submarine capability, so for an aircraft carrier formation, they must consider buying two or more newer anti-submarine frigates. However, even a 2,000-ton anti-submarine frigate now costs more than 3 million US dollars, which means that to have anti-submarine capabilities, they need to spend at least another seven or eight million US dollars. With this calculation, they can buy at most 2 second-hand Fletcher destroyers, and then they have to carefully calculate to squeeze out the money for 2 anti-submarine frigates.
As for the latest missile destroyers and frigates of the great powers, the cost of a single ship is basically over 20 million dollars, which they simply cannot afford. After all, they don't like the worse destroyers, and it is impossible to buy only one of the better ones; therefore, the Athens Navy was very interested in the Dongda Jianghai-class destroyer, which is relatively moderately priced. The intended price of 10 million dollars quoted by Dongda basically killed the price range of second-hand Fletcher destroyers. At the same time, in terms of combat effectiveness, the Dongda Jianghai-class obviously surpassed the Fletcher destroyer in all aspects.
The only problem is that Dongda's Jianghai-class has no actual combat experience, so even after the Athens Navy actually visited the Dongda fleet, they were still somewhat worried about the Jianghai-class.
The negotiation work has been intermittent.
Li Yunlong's first stop in the Mediterranean was Athens.
As soon as he arrived at the port, fleet commander Wang Peng came to Li Yunlong to discuss.
Chief, the Athens Navy will be led by Vice Admiral Constantine Carias tomorrow. They will focus on visiting our Haidao amphibious assault ship and Jinzhou Luhai-class destroyer. According to the instructions of the Equipment Department, we will allow them to enter all the compartments of these two types of warships, except for the nuclear power part, which has been open to them in the past.
In this regard, the higher-ups confirmed that this reception will be led by the chief, including meeting arrangements and bilateral talks, the chief will be the main person.
Although Wang Peng is now the commander of the fleet, his rank is still colonel, one step away from being a general. For this level of reception, it is obviously a bit unreasonable. Old Li happens to be equal to the other party, so the higher-ups agreed that Li Yunlong should come out. On the one hand, this guy has a strong intention, and on the other hand, it is also to send a general, which may be useful at certain times. Although the specialty is a bit mismatched, there is no need to emphasize this at this time, as long as it is a general.
Then what is our bottom line for communicating with the other party this time? Has the higher-ups given a statement?
Li Yunlong nodded. He knew that it cost 10 million dollars to buy the Fletcher destroyer. Compared with the destroyers at that time, the cost performance was very high. After all, it was a top destroyer at that time. However, after so many years of development, Dongda has iterated and optimized three types of destroyers, from the Jianghai-class, which was slightly larger than the Fletcher destroyer in tonnage, to the Luhai-class, which was enlarged by one time, and then to the recent large destroyer Luyang-class, Dongda no longer looks up to the Fletcher destroyer as a thing of the past.
Li Yunlong took the information about the navies of various countries in the Mediterranean that Wang Peng had collected, and returned to the cabin to study it without saying anything.
The next day.
Carias arrived as scheduled with dozens of naval professionals. After visiting and understanding the Jincheng Luhai-class destroyer, he was visibly full of desire for this large destroyer.
It's just that this is Dongda's new destroyer, and it is still not for sale. You can look at it, but you can't think about it.
Not only the Jincheng of the Luyang class, but also the Jincheng of the Luhai class shocked Carias after seeing it. Anti-ship, anti-submarine, and air defense are all available. With the current Zhi-5 helicopter, the anti-submarine reconnaissance and detection capabilities are far beyond an era of the Athens Navy!
Carias dreamed of having such a destroyer.
Unfortunately, looking at his budget, the Luhai class costs at least 30 million US dollars, and the Luyang class is even more out of the question. It may not be possible to afford to sell the entire fleet of the Athens Navy.
Walking and watching all the way, Li Yunlong basically didn't say anything while accompanying this Athens Navy lieutenant general. Wang Peng answered all the professional questions, which made Carias somewhat look down on Li Yunlong.
When the two sides sat down in the confidential meeting room of Haidao, Carias took the lead and said.
Welcome General Li and Colonel Wang from Dongda to beautiful Athens. Here, I personally represent the Athens Navy to invite you to visit our Naval Headquarters. I hope you can leave a pleasant memory in Athens.
Thank you for the invitation, General Carias. We are deeply honored. I wonder what instructions General Carias has for today's visit?
Li Yunlong said lightly. Now there are only the confidential translator and the other party left, so naturally talk about business first.
General Li, to be honest, after seeing the Luhai-class destroyer, we are very satisfied. Your fleet can maintain the ships so well even after traveling tens of thousands of miles. We have nothing to worry about in terms of quality. The Jianghai-class has also served in your army for many years, and we naturally trust it.
Carias did not avoid it.
The so-called practical experience: the Jin Cheng has followed along, traversing the Indian and Atlantic Oceans, arriving in Athens, a journey of tens of thousands of miles. It has experienced almost all kinds of nautical conditions, and the verification of its seaworthiness has been very sufficient.
The Jianghai-class was originally defined as an offshore destroyer. For the Mediterranean environment, it is no more complex than the South China Sea. Therefore, with the Hai Dao mixed fleet successfully arriving in Athens, it has already verified that Dongda's warships are very OK in all aspects. From the situation of visiting the ship, there are absolutely no flaws due to long-term voyages. You must know that this fleet only arrived at the port yesterday, and now the paint on the ships has not been damaged much. The maintainability of this hull is quite excellent.
You have to know that even the ships of the leading country, the Rogue Eagle, may show rust when they come out.
"Now the biggest problem is that our budget is not enough. Even if we buy your country's Jianghai-class destroyers, we can only buy two at most. Our current budget cannot support it," Karias said distressedly.
"Unless your country can significantly reduce the price."
"It is impossible to reduce the price any further," Li Yunlong shook his head and said, his small eyes rolled a little, "But I have an idea that can benefit both sides of your navy."
"I have a superficial understanding of the navies of the Mediterranean coastal countries. Frankly speaking, our Jianghai-class destroyers are already among the most elite in the navies of the Mediterranean coastal countries. Apart from Italy and France, no other main destroyer can compete with them. Does General Karias agree with what I said?"
Li Yunlong paused and asked.
General Karias was stunned for a moment, blinked, "That's right, General Li, your country's Jianghai-class destroyers are indeed among the best destroyers today."
"If a Luhai-class destroyer plus two Jianghai-class destroyers form a mixed formation with your Macedonian King, what level do you think such a fleet is in the Mediterranean coastal area?" Li Yunlong then asked.
A Luhai-class destroyer plus a Jianghai-class destroyer, plus an aircraft carrier? Then, apart from the Italian navy, I can sweep the entire Mediterranean! Even the French fleet left in the Mediterranean is not as good. General Karias just saw the combat effectiveness of the Luhai-class destroyer. Its air defense and anti-ship capabilities are daunting. Even facing the Italian battleships, it can fight, let alone other ships.
The Italian navy fleet relies on its large scale, including 3 battleships, 19 cruisers, 59 destroyers, 67 torpedo boats, and 116 submarines to become the largest naval fleet in the Mediterranean coastal countries, but most of these ships are legacies left over from World War II. The real missile destroyers are not bad now, but they are far inferior to the Dongda Luhai-class, at most they have the level of the Dongda Jianghai-class destroyer.
According to Dongda's anti-ship missile range, which is more than 100 kilometers away, Karias has more than a dozen different tactics to use Dongda's missile destroyer to fight the Italian battleship, let alone facing Turkey, a fateful opponent.
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With this scale, he can trap the Turkish fleet in the port and dare not come out.
It's just that this dream is too ideal to dare to do it.
"If that's the case, our naval formation is undoubtedly the strongest sub-fleet in the Mediterranean! It won't be outdated even in ten years," Karias replied after being stunned for a while.
Although he didn't know what Li Yunlong wanted to say, Karias still answered very honestly.
Li Yunlong smiled, I knew it, I studied the intelligence for a whole night, just to put together the strongest sub-fleet for you. For the navies of the Mediterranean coastal countries, the Jianghai-class destroyer can fight two at once, and the Luhai-class has even more firepower, fighting three or four at once is not a problem, and now they all have air defense and anti-submarine functions. The Luhai-class can also carry a helicopter for anti-submarine warfare, and its functions are more comprehensive.
Plus the Macedonian King has the help of 36 carrier-based aircraft, this sub-fleet is really not afraid of anyone in the Mediterranean. Even if the opponent is changed to Italy, it will have to lose a few teeth.
It can be said that with this sub-fleet, the Athens Navy is not afraid of anyone in the Mediterranean.
"Since that's the case, why don't you just get it all in one go and directly purchase 2 Jianghai-class destroyers and 1 Luhai-class destroyer?" Li Yunlong said with a smile.
"As for the budget, it's up to us. We can think about it in a different way," Li Yunlong continued, "The most favorable price we can offer for 2 Jianghai-class destroyers and 1 Luhai-class destroyer is 50 million US dollars. If you can't get it out for a while, it doesn't matter. We can first collect a 40% down payment, and the remaining 30 million US dollars will be paid in installments over ten years. This will reduce your budget pressure, right? 3 million US dollars a year is not a big problem for you. I can apply for a reduction in the interest on the delayed payment for you."
As soon as Li Yunlong finished speaking, Karias fell into deep thought.
Buying large weapons in installments is not a new thing. Back in the Qing Dynasty, they proposed the purchase conditions of installment payments in order to purchase a Delaware-class battleship. Li Yunlong spent almost all of the Athens Navy's ten-year procurement budget at once. It seems like a large total amount, but it can immediately have the strongest sub-fleet in the Mediterranean. This budget can be considered to be spent on the cutting edge.
Not to mention the Jianghai-class destroyer, people have been sent to see it several times. The Fletcher destroyer is already considered an elite warship in the Mediterranean coastal countries, but the Jianghai-class destroyer is even stronger. It can be said that from radar to anti-ship weapons, it is a crushing level!
As for the Luhai-class, not to mention, it is a cruiser-level existence in the Mediterranean coastal area, and can fight battleships without falling behind.
Therefore, Li Yunlong's suggestion directly hit Karias's soul.
And it completely solved the budget problem. If other procurement expenditures are tightened, it is possible to save 3 million US dollars a year.
"General Li, I will take your suggestion back. I must say, this is a great suggestion," Karias said.
The interest on the 30 million US dollar installment payment is not a small amount according to the current interest rate, at least ten million.
But you have to see how to calculate it. Dongda's shipbuilding costs, because all are independent technology, the cost price of a ship is basically calculated in local currency, that is, the selling price of 10 million US dollars for the Jianghai-class destroyer, the actual cost is also 10 million local currency.
According to the current exchange rate, the local currency is fixed at a level of 3 to 1 with the US dollar, and the gross profit margin is about 66%. In other words, the 20 million US dollar down payment has recovered the cost and there is a slight surplus, and the rest is all profit!
Therefore, Li Yunlong dared to take on the responsibility of waiving the installment interest.
Because this is a deal that makes a small profit without losing money.
Just kidding, when has a cunning merchant like Li Yunlong ever lost money in a business? (End of this chapter)