Hearing this, Ferdinand was instantly intrigued. "How many are you planning to add?"
Ernst said, "Following East Africa's development path, we will not be making much military investment over the next few years. The navy will be an exception, however. Given East Africa's increasingly severe coastal-defense pressure, I plan to build the East African Navy into the world's ninth-largest naval force by 1880, surpassed only by Britain, France, the United States, Russia, Spain, the Ottoman Empire, Austro-Hungary, and Germany."
Apart from the countries Ernst had named, the Netherlands currently ranked ninth, while Italy ranked tenth. Before the Italo-Austrian War, Italy had held fifth place.
The Ottoman Empire's navy could not be underestimated. Beginning in 1860, Sultan Abdullah of the Ottoman Empire had vigorously developed the navy and purchased several ironclads.
Spain was a camel that remained bigger than a horse even after starving to death. It had never fallen from the ranks of the world's naval powers and was far stronger than neighboring Portugal.
No East Asian country made the list. The Far East, one of only two places in East Asia capable of developing naval power, had yet to get started, while Japan was relatively poor and lacked the money to develop its navy on a large scale.
The Kingdom of East Africa had no money either, but Ernst was rich enough to rival a nation. Moreover, because he had sold off vast amounts of property, what he held in his hands was all cash.
Thus, Ernst spoke with complete confidence. "We will not buy too many either. Seven ironclads, I believe, is a fairly suitable number, enough to deal with the current coastal-defense situation facing the East African Navy."
"How many? Are you sure you do not mean traditional wooden warships, but ironclads?" Archduke Ferdinand immediately could not