There are only 22 days left until the opening of Zhuhai Airshow.
Port of Long Beach Private Pier, the sea breeze carries a salty smell, which makes people's cheeks hurt.
Li Jianguo handed a half-foot-thick modification plan to Fu Haoran, his face pale. "Mr. Fu, no, it really can't."
"Civilian ro-ro ships cannot be transformed into ejection platforms for heavy-duty fifth-generation aircraft."
Fu Haoran frowned and read.
The report clearly stated: The load-bearing limit of the multi-layer thin deck of the ro-ro ship is only 15 tons, which cannot withstand the 30-ton impact of the F-22 with full fuel and ammunition.
More importantly, the F-22 itself does not have short-range/vertical take-off and landing capabilities, and must rely on electromagnetic catapults to board the ship.
However, civilian ro-ro ships do not have any power pipelines and cooling systems reserved for electromagnetic catapults from the keel to the cabin. The hangar is only 4.5 meters high, and even the five-meter vertical tail of the F-22 cannot be crammed into it.
"Mr. Fu, we don't have the technology in this area, nor the conditions, unless we have it ready-made." Li Jianguo smiled bitterly, "Not to mention the astronomical transformation cost, the construction period alone will be more than a year, and we will definitely not be able to keep up with the air show."
What Li Jianguo didn't know was that the three words "ready-made" he casually said instantly awakened Fu Haoran.
Yes, I have it ready-made.
Fu Haoran paused with his fingertips and opened the system warehouse. Lying quietly inside were three aerospace carriers captured from Marvel world Hydra base.
It has a total length of 437 meters and a full load displacement of 112,000 tons. It is equipped with four electromagnetic ejection tracks as standard, a small nuclear power core, and the hull is made of special alloy. It can carry 120 Quinjet fighters and fighter jets, and can hover and fight at an altitude of 10,000 meters.
Even if it is not allowed to fly into the sky, it is just reduced in dimension and transformed into a sea surface ship, it is still a super maritime platform with its own electromagnetic catapult.
Thinking of this, all dead ends were solved instantly.
Fu Haoran closed the report, raised his head and said to Li Jianguo, "I will take care of the ship matter. You don't need to worry about it anymore. Just continue to focus on the final assembly of the fighter plane."
After saying that, he stood up and walked towards the deep-water dock, where Priest Kallen and several Servitor were already waiting there.
Kallen was about to speak when his pupils suddenly shrank and the optical eyepiece flashed red.
In the open space in the center of the dock, a ripple visible to the naked eye appeared in the space. A huge, covering-up object appeared out of thin air and hit the foundation of the dock heavily, causing the entire Port of Long Beach to tremble slightly.
Even the land giants Emperor-class Titan and Leviathan-class Imperial Command Vehicle in Warhammer Universe have to become younger brothers in front of this giant ship.
This ship can only be considered a small landing ship in Imperial Navy, but in this "Garden World", its size is enough to crush all active surface ships.
Ford-class aircraft carrier and America-class amphibious assault ship are all dwarfed by it.
Fu Haoran looked at this space carrier with satisfaction. You must know that this is the technological crystallization of the entire Marvel world that S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra have assembled.
The ship is equipped with an aerodynamic control tower, anti-gravity room, combat command center, bridge, prison, computer room, flight deck, observation deck, medical room, nuclear energy control room and World Observation Research Institute.
It also uses a more advanced anti-gravity engine invented by Iron Man, and is equipped with a large number of precision-guided weapons.
"Kallen." Fu Haoran patted his shoulder, "Immediately check the status of the ship comprehensively to ensure that the power and ejection system are available at any time."
Kallen's mechanical tentacles quickly swept across the entire ship and asked hesitantly, "Sir, do you want to dismantle the triple heavy cannon, Anti-Aircraft Missile array and anti-gravity engine?"
"Based on my understanding of the world, showing this level of force can easily arouse unnecessary suspicion."
"Destroy it? Why do you want to dismantle it?" Fu Haoran asked, his tone flat but with an undeniable edge, "Kallen, when others are suspicious of you, you'd better really have the strength, otherwise you will just be a fish on the chopping board."
"The moment we took out the ship, the suspicion was already there, no matter how hard we tried to hide it, it was useless."
"Since you're going to get stabbed if you stretch your head or shrink it, it's better to take it easy."
"Instead of looking forward and backward, it is better to make everyone sleep and eat poorly."
Fu Haoran smiled, harmless to humans and animals.
Tychus next to him held Cigar in his mouth and smiled, "Tou, you are really bad, but I like it."
Before leaving, Fu Haoran specifically told, "This ship is called Great Fortune."
"There will always be only one external caliber: this is a large civilian roll-on roll-off ship modified by our company, which serves as a part-time amphibious defense equipment display platform. Remember, it is not an aircraft carrier and never will be."
In the next three days, Priest Kallen took hundreds of Machine Cult Servitor and flooded the giant ship like a crazy ant colony.
They didn't dismantle any weapon systems, they just turned off the anti-gravity engine and installed a camouflage shell in a deceptive manner, which was quite deceptive.
The nuclear power furnace was even upgraded to the Warhammer standard.
The top technology of Marvel universe is matched with the ultimate craftsmanship of Warhammer Machine Cult.
When the dock gate slowly opened and seawater poured into the berth, Great Fortune was moored quietly on the sea.
It has no redundant paint, and the matte texture of the special alloy is exposed. The all-through straight deck is as far as the eye can see. The compact island is attached to the starboard side, like a dormant steel beast.
On the other side of the pier, Jimmy was dragging a cursing old man out of the car.
"You guys are a bunch of liars! I told you I won't do it! Is this a broken civilian ship worthy of being piloted by me, the aviation support commander of the Roosevelt? It's simply insulting!"
Raymond Walker, the former Amerikan Navy colonel, had gray hair and stubble on his face. He was wrapped in a navy jacket that had been washed white and full of holes. He was still holding half a bottle of cheap bourbon in his hand, struggling drunkenly.
He had commanded tens of thousands of carrier-based aircraft takeoffs and landings in his life, but now he was dragged to command a civilian ship. He felt extremely humiliated.
"Colonel Walker, please take a look at the ship first." Jimmy reluctantly advised, "The salary is the same as when you were in the military. The company will fully cover all medical expenses for you and your mother, and solve the housing and debt problems."
"What the hell! What can be so good about a ro-ro ship? I think you are just----"
Raymond's scolding stopped abruptly.
He raised his head and looked over Jimmy's shoulders, landing on Great Fortune on the sea.
The half bottle of whiskey in his hand hit the cement floor with a clang and shattered into pieces. His cloudy eyes suddenly widened, and he was so drunk that he woke up completely. His originally stooped body suddenly straightened up, and his whole figure seemed to be nailed in place, and he even forgot to breathe.
He has seen countless aircraft carriers in his life, from Nimitz-class to Ford-class, but he has never seen such a big and oppressive ship.
The all-access deck is wider than that of USS Gerald R. Ford, and the stealth design of the ship island far exceeds that of all ships currently in service of United States military. Just parked there, it exudes a suffocating military atmosphere.
"What - what is this?" Raymond's voice trembled, "Ford-class's prototype ship? No - United States military does not have a ship of this type at all!"
"Colonel Walker, let me introduce, this is Great Fortune, our company's civilian roll-on/roll-off ship." Jimmy said seriously according to the words taught by Fu Haoran.
"Ro-Ro ship?!" Raymond almost jumped up, "Are you lying! How can there be such a big Ro-Ro ship?!"
Ignoring Jimmy's obstruction, he rushed up the gangway like crazy, stepped on the cold and solid deck, and stroked the hull of the ship with trembling fingertips.
When he walked to the center of the deck and saw the four electromagnetic ejection tracks that ran across the deck and glowed with cold metal, his whole body froze.
Four!
United States military spent tens of billions and worked on it for 20 years to manage to create two electromagnetic ejection tracks with frequent failures. There are actually four on this "ro-ro ship"! Moreover, the craftsmanship and interface design of the tracks are much more advanced than those of Ford-class.
The 12 brand-new F-22s parked neatly on the deck instantly penetrated his last psychological defense line.
Based on the experience of Raymond, he quickly realized that the track length and ejection stroke were completely suitable for a 30-ton heavy fighter aircraft to take off with full fuel and full bombs.
This means that this ship can directly eject the original land-based F-22 without even folding the wings or modifying the tail hook!
At this moment, a voice came from behind him. "Colonel Walker, long wait."
Raymond turned his head sharply and was about to speak when his eyes suddenly focused on Fu Haoran's epaulettes.
He was so drunk just now that he didn't even notice what the other person was wearing.
It was only at this moment that I could see clearly that the young man in front of me was wearing a straight military uniform, with the emblem of National Guard on his collar, and what he was carrying on his shoulders was the honorary major general National Guard star.
National Guard.
Major General.
Raymond has worked in the Navy for thirty-two years and knows the military rank system of the Army and National Guard very well.
He stared at the general star for several seconds, his mind whirling around so fast that it was almost spinning, and he couldn't figure it out!
National Guard is an Army Reserve. It has no naval establishment, no aircraft carrier, and not even a frigate.
But the Major General National Guard in front of him was driving an aircraft carrier larger than USS Gerald R. Ford. There were F-22s parked on the deck, and four electromagnetic ejection tracks were installed under the full deck.
What the fuck is this National Guard?
"National Guard----" Raymond's voice was hoarse, with a sense of absurdity that comes only after being repeatedly beaten by reality, "And the navy?"
"No." Fu Haoran's expression didn't change.
"Then this ship----"
"Large civilian roll-on/roll-off ship, part-time amphibious defense equipment display platform." Fu Haoran handed the bottle to his hand, his tone as calm as if he was reading the product manual.
Raymond looked down at the wine bottle, then looked up at the four electromagnetic ejection tracks on the deck, and was silent for a long time.
He gave up questioning.
No matter what National Guard, no matter why there is an aircraft carrier.
He only knows one thing - only an old guy like him who has spent most of his life on Nimitz-class can understand this ship.
He gripped the wine bottle tightly and saluted Fu Haoran with a standard military salute. His voice was hoarse but extremely firm. "Yes, General, I promise to complete the mission."
Three days later, Port of Long Beach private dock.
Raymond indeed summoned 27 retired Navy veterans.
There is Davidson, the former deputy captain of No. Roosevelt. He drove an online ride-hailing service for three years to make a living. His knees were so worn that it was difficult to get in and out of the car. Medical bills have been piling up for half a year.
There is Richard, the former chief engineer of the United States military electromagnetic ejection project. He owed huge debts due to his wife's serious illness and was chased for debts until he had no fixed place to live.
Old Tom, an ejection support officer who had worked for 22 years, was discharged from the Navy due to a work-related injury and could not even afford painkillers.
There are more veterans who have received the news and are coming from all over the United States.
After all, for most retired soldiers who were abandoned by United States military and fell into the middle-class killing line, this is the last life-saving straw they can grasp in this life.
When they stepped onto the deck of Great Fortune for the first time, they were not as excited as they imagined and were moved to tears.
--
This group of veterans, with an average age of over 55, just walked silently, touching the familiar deck markings and elevator buttons with complicated eyes.
Everything here is both familiar and unfamiliar: familiar aircraft carrier dispatching logic, unfamiliar technology.
Flying mechanical skulls wearing dark red robes can be seen everywhere, as well as several mysterious cabins with "no entry" signs.
There is no sensationalism about "old soldiers never die", only the practicality of surviving the disaster, and the joy of finally having a place to put your talents to use.
"Old Lei, is this really a ship we can command?" Davidson touched the ejection track, his hands shaking slightly.
"That's right." Raymond patted him on the shoulder and said in a calm tone, "The general said that scheduling and operation and maintenance are all based on our experience, no one can tell us what to do."
"Fuck!" Davidson clenched his fists fiercely, his voice not loud but extremely firm, "It's better than being debt-collected by the hospital.
I was kicked out by the landlord and forced to do so."
With the addition of this group of aces abandoned by the United States military system, Great Fortune instantly transformed from a silent steel behemoth into a breathing maritime aviation fortress.
Deck aircraft position planning, carrier-based aircraft ejection process, air show flight control plan, emergency backup plan, this group of veterans only took five days to come up with a flawless execution plan, which is far more efficient than the United States military active team.
At the same time, the shipment of fighter aircraft and equipment is also in full swing.
120 brand-new F-22s were delivered to the hangar in batches by elevator, with only 12 reserved on the deck for static display and flight performances.
The dock was filled with Hybrid Shark Armored Pickup, amphibious landing craft and containerized individual equipment, and the portable Anti-Aircraft Missile.
The fuselages of all fighter planes are clean, without any weapons mounted on them, and they fully comply with exhibition regulations.
Port of Long Beach Customs, officer Tom looked at Great Fortune's departure declaration form, and his head almost went bald.
The declaration form contains in black and white the name of the ship Great Fortune, the type of ship is a large civilian ro-ro ship, the tonnage of the ship is 112,000 tons, the registration unit is Amerikan National Guard, a logistics transport ship, and it carries cargo and equipment for the air show.
But the photos of the hull in the attachment clearly show the all-access deck, the four electromagnetic catapult tracks, and the aircraft carrier island—which kind of ro-ro ship is this?
This is obviously a super aircraft carrier!
But he, a small customs official, had no guts to stop him.
The procedures are complete, and the registration documents and official seal of National Guard are clearly stamped.
Even ship inspection certificates, international navigation licenses, and customs filing documents are all available.
In the end, he had no choice but to bite the bullet, stamped the release column, and handed this hot potato to Pentagon.
When the news reached the bridge, Fu Haoran was looking at the deck aircraft position plan.
After listening to Jimmy's report, he just said "I understand."
If the procedures are complete and the stamps are clearly stamped, it is normal that the customs cannot stop you.
Countdown to the air show is 12 days away.
The huge whistle pierced the Port of Long Beach sky and shook the sea. Great Fortune slowly drove away from the dock. The bow of the ship split through layers of waves and moved steadily forward in the direction of China South China Sea.
Fu Haoran did not sail with the ship.
After he arranged all the affairs on the ship and handed over the command to Raymond and Kallen, he took a private plane to return to China. He planned to go back home to meet his parents first, and then go to Zhuhai to make the final arrangements for the air show.
At this time, Washington, Pentagon.
Major General Bradley threw the briefing in his hand on the table, sneered, and said to his subordinates with disdain on his face, "DYB Warhammer Arms Industry? A leather company that is trying to sell second-hand Soviet fighter jets. They rented a larger ro-ro ship and dared to go to the Zhuhai Airshow exhibition? I think they are crazy about money."
"General, do you want the military attache stationed in China to keep an eye on me?" the subordinate asked.
"What are you staring at?" Bradley waved his hand, his tone full of arrogance, "What good can a civilian ro-ro ship haul? At most, it's just a few refurbished MiG-21s. When they make a fool of themselves at the air show, no one will remember it."
He threw the briefing into the wastebasket and continued to discuss the price increase of the F-35 with the representative of Lockheed Martin.
He never dreamed that the "ro-ro ship" sailing to China South China Sea was actually a genuine aircraft carrier, carrying 120 F-22s that could subvert the global military trade market.
He never imagined that the only solution to the naval talent gap and electromagnetic ejection problems that he had every day was on the Pacific Ocean.