"At present, the adoption rate of armored and motorized units in our army stands as high as 40 percent, yet we still retain large numbers of traditional infantry and cavalry. This has saved our military considerable expenditure," Merke said.
Without defense pressure, it was difficult for East Africa to carry out a comprehensive reform of its military. After all, relying on traditional military formations, East Africa could still suppress those small neighboring countries or colonies.
East Africa's military operation in the Persian Gulf two years ago had been carried out using traditional forces. The Arabs of the Northern Bay Territory even suffered from a severe shortage of rifle ammunition. Thus, unless facing a military power like Germany, East Africa had no need to deploy its most advanced forces.
"Our army currently possesses approximately 4,300 artillery pieces, covering a variety of calibers and purposes. Globally, this places us behind only Germany and Russia, on par with France, and ahead of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Among them, 75-millimeter artillery accounts for roughly 47 percent."
The East African Army had once equipped 75-millimeter artillery on a massive scale, and this situation had continued until the end of the previous century. The main reason was that this gun's performance was indeed outstanding, while it was also easy to move. After entering the twentieth century, with the development of the East African automobile industry, 75-millimeter artillery remained favored by the military. As a light field gun, its weight was moderate, and it was relatively convenient to tow by automobile.
Of course, compared with the French army's near-superstitious faith in 75-millimeter artillery, East Africa fell far short. Nearly all of France's main artillery consisted of 75-millimeter guns, while its larger-caliber artillery numbered fewer than 300 pieces. East Africa, meanwhile, had equipped more than 1,400 large-caliber guns.
With