I built an armada.

This operational plan aims to fully utilize the advantage of one's own warships' radar performance, which is a generation ahead of the enemy's in both long-range detection and firepower monitoring.

This advantage has been proven in the Eagle Tribe aircraft carrier fleet, and its reliability is very high.

The ships' stealth capabilities are even more formidable; even when the Eagle Tribe's aircraft carrier fleet activated long-range radar scanning, it was unable to locate the hidden Dragon Xia naval vessels.

The European Navy, which was somewhat behind the Eagle Tribe in terms of military equipment, was naturally even less likely to detect the expeditionary fleet's ships using its own radar.

This is also their secret weapon for defeating the enemy, so they must make full use of it!

"Fortunately, we have such advanced warships."

"Otherwise, we won't even have the chance to go on a long expedition, and we'll just be able to watch the enemy ride roughshod over us."

Zhou Qinglei sighed with deep emotion, "However, we still have some shortcomings, such as insufficient satellite reconnaissance capabilities."

"Yes."

The deputy captain nodded in deep agreement, "If we have advanced reconnaissance satellites, we can achieve early warning and attacks from a greater distance, thus catching the enemy off guard!"

The Longxia tribe currently does not have as many military reconnaissance satellites as in later generations, and cannot provide Zhou Qinglei's expeditionary fleet with all-weather reconnaissance services. This is a limitation imposed by objective conditions. Naturally, they must fight with whatever equipment they have and make full use of the equipment's performance.

Crucially, they were fighting far from their homeland, without any rear base, and facing extremely harsh battlefield conditions. Naturally, they had to be extra careful and cautious, and make the most of all their advantages!

Of course, even if it's called an ambush, it's impossible to start a war from a distance of 468 kilometers. That distance is simply too far. Not only would the anti-ship missiles be highly likely to be intercepted, but it would also have the unfavorable effect of alerting the enemy.

Moreover, the combined fleet of the seven nations had far too many ships. Anti-ship missiles fired from such a distance simply couldn't inflict maximum casualties on the enemy! It would be a losing proposition for them and extremely unwise. Zhou Qinglei would certainly not make such a mistake.

Furthermore, given the considerable distance, the combined fleet of the seven nations would certainly retreat upon discovering something amiss, thus creating an even more unfavorable situation for the expeditionary fleet.

Although each warship in the expeditionary fleet possesses superior stealth capabilities, their numbers are very limited, consisting of only about thirty replenishment ships, which can only replenish the 21 warships approximately twice.

Therefore, no matter what, they must maximize the results of this battle and inflict heavy damage on the enemy!

Zhou Qinglei controlled the engagement distance of this combat plan at 299 kilometers, which was just outside the range of the anti-ship missiles of the G7 Allied Fleet!

Based on the current speeds of both sides, it should take about an hour to reach this objective.

The ships exchanged glances and immediately prepared for battle, ready to deliver the most fatal blow to the enemy at any moment!
Of course, the more details in the first set of operational plans were gradually improved during the operation as new situations arose, and every step had to be done as perfectly as possible.

In addition to the first set of operational plans, Zhou Qinglei and the other captains also developed several other plans.

These contingency plans have been placed on the desks of every captain and deeply imprinted in their minds; absolutely no mistakes can be made.

They had no time for prior rehearsals, so they naturally had to be extremely vigilant and strive to ensure that absolutely no mistakes were made! After all, this was a matter of life and death!

"Once the pocket formation is formed, our No. 1 operational plan will be basically completed."

Standing by the porthole, Zhou Qinglei held binoculars and looked out at the vast ocean. "Hmph, it won't be so easy for the seven nations' navies to swallow the expeditionary ship whole!"

"This time, we'll show them what the Longxia soldiers are all about!"

The vice-captain stood to the side without saying a word, but his blood was already boiling and he was full of fighting spirit.

The sailors in the main control room were also full of fighting spirit.

They knew very well that this time they were going to fight the traditional powers. None of the seven countries had ever invaded the Longxia tribe in history, and this time they were going to come to their doorstep and teach the powers a lesson.

Whether they win or lose, it is an honor for them!

This was also the first time in hundreds of years that the Longxia Navy had ventured to the Atlantic Ocean and stormed into the heart of imperialism!

They have truly made a name for themselves in history!

If viewed from above, one would certainly see that as soon as the order was relayed, the two combat formations on the left and right immediately took action and sailed toward their respective designated ambush areas.

The left and right flanks of the combat formation are equivalent to the two sides of a pocket formation, each consisting of two 10,000-ton destroyers, six Type 052D destroyers, and four frigates. The first combat formation, located at the bottom of the pocket, is under the command of Zhou Qinglei and has only one 10,000-ton destroyer, plus four Type 052D destroyers, four Type 054A destroyers, and one nuclear-powered submarine.

The submarines were quite noisy, so they were deployed at the rear of the fleet to wait for an opportunity to strike. Another nuclear-powered aircraft carrier was lying in ambush in the nearby sea area, ready to provide fire support to the fleet at any time.

This tactic is similar to maritime conflicts in the East China Sea. After all, nuclear submarines have not yet overcome the problem of excessive noise, while the enemy possesses very strong anti-submarine capabilities and submarine reconnaissance capabilities.

The nuclear submarine was placed at the very end, naturally for safety reasons.

If the enemy detects the submarine's noise and thus locates the fleet, their battle plan will be rendered useless.

Moreover, nuclear submarines are the expeditionary fleet's last line of defense and a trump card, and will not be used unless absolutely necessary. After all, nuclear weapons are meant to overturn the table; once used, the enemy nation must be completely destroyed, otherwise the enemy will retaliate in kind.

There are limitations to the use of nuclear weapons. If the expeditionary fleet has lost more than three-quarters of its strength and is no longer able to fight, then it can simply perish together with the enemy.

As for the replenishment ship, it was positioned in front of the nuclear submarines and behind the first combat formation, under tight protection.

The combat capability of replenishment ships is quite weak; their existence is essentially that of a "milk mother" for the fleet, requiring the fleet's protection. If any are lost, the fleet will be unable to obtain supplies, which is extremely disadvantageous for combat.

If viewed from above, one would surely see that the three combat formations have formed a huge pocket formation deployed over this vast Atlantic Ocean!
The area is so vast that even reconnaissance satellites would find it difficult to capture it all at once, and this would require the cooperation of the expeditionary fleet. Naturally, identifying it would be extremely difficult. Unless a reconnaissance aircraft, like the Dark Sword-1, were to recklessly circle this area, it would be shot down. Moreover, the seven European nations aren't that reckless; their pilots wouldn't be flying reconnaissance planes to their deaths!

With the deployment in place, Zhou Qinglei and the others also got into the zone, their expressions solemn and their eyes filled with a sharp killing intent!
Even though there wasn't much time left, everyone in the main control area was highly focused and completely absorbed in their work.

Although everything has been planned, no one can guarantee that there won't be any unexpected situations during the process. It's better to be safe than sorry.

If an emergency were to occur, they would need to adjust their operational plans accordingly.

After glancing at the radar display again, the first mate said with some concern, "Captain, the situation has changed. Should we report to headquarters?"

"unnecessary."

Without any hesitation, Zhou Qinglei said directly, "The people at headquarters should have been able to anticipate this kind of unexpected situation. The enemy fleet is very large, and we must face it."

"Although our navy has made rapid progress in recent years, it is still not strong enough. Naturally, when facing the enemy, we will always be outnumbered."

"These are objective conditions that we cannot change. We can't possibly report to headquarters every time an emergency occurs, can we?"

At this point, Zhou Qinglei pursed his lips, then continued, "Even if we concede and report to headquarters, what then? Do you expect the leaders to be on edge?"

"Can we still hope that Cao Youren will lead the fleet that stayed at home to travel through time and space to help us?"

Upon hearing this, the deputy captain said nothing, knowing full well that Zhou Qinglei was telling the truth.

Reporting makes no difference, so why bother? It's better to focus all your energy on preparing for war and simply defeat the enemy.

When facing an enemy, always draw your sword; in a narrow encounter, the brave will prevail!

Currently, the Navy Headquarters' main focus should be on peace negotiations with the Eagle Tribe, so Cao Youren and his remaining fleet naturally cannot leave the battlefield. Even if the war ends, they will not be able to arrive immediately to provide assistance.

There are no time-travel portals in this world, so instantaneous movement is impossible.

Before the vice-captain could speak, Zhou Qinglei continued, "Actually, I would prefer that we start the war a little later, so that we can drag it out until the peace talks are over."

"Otherwise, if something unexpected happens on our side, it will definitely have a negative impact on the peace talks."

Seeing Captain Zhou Qinglei's worry, the vice-captain comforted him, "Hasn't the White Bear Tribe already made a move in the northern region? Their sudden action will probably infuriate the seven European nations."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou Qinglei suddenly turned around and stared intently at the vice-captain, reminding him very seriously: "You must remember, we should never place our hopes on other countries."

"In the international arena, the essence of relations between nations is always self-interest. If we place our hopes on the White Bear tribe, what if they suddenly reach a reconciliation agreement with the European countries?"

Upon hearing this, the vice-captain shuddered and immediately realized that he had made a mistake, and such a basic one at that.

"Thank you for reminding me, Captain. I know I was wrong, and I will never make the same mistake again!"

The first mate straightened his back immediately and gave a very sincere guarantee, then changed the subject, "Captain, should we order the fleet to slow down now? To buy some time?"

Taking a deep breath, Zhou Qinglei countered with a question: "The speed has slowed down, but can morale also slow down?"

The vice-captain was silenced once again. He knew exactly what Zhou Qinglei meant. The expeditionary fleet was in high spirits and everyone was eager to fight the enemy. How could he suddenly order a slowdown?

Once such an order is issued, morale will inevitably be affected, and it will be difficult to boost morale again.

Suddenly, Zhou Qinglei let out a hearty laugh: "Hahaha."

"We've come this far, who's afraid of who? It's just a combined fleet of seven nations, let's just go for it!"

"Do they really think we're still the poor and weak nation we once were? That we can just slaughter everyone we want?"

"Today, we will make it clear to these Western powers that even if they join forces, we are not afraid, and we have already forced them to join forces with our strength."

The sudden laughter immediately jolted everyone in the main control room, drawing their attention to the sound. Even the vice-captain stared intently at the radar display with wide eyes.

At this moment, Zhou Qinglei pointed to the radar display and said cheerfully, "Look, everyone, our pocket formation has been formed. We have twenty or thirty advanced modern warships with super stealth capabilities."

"Have any of our ancestors ever piloted warships as advanced as ours today? No, so why should we fear the enemy? This is the first time we've fought such a costly battle!"

"If we don't achieve great things today, when will we?"

The phrase "When will we wait any longer?" resonated in the vice-captain's mind like a resounding bell, and also echoed in the minds of the other crew members.

"If we don't fight the great powers, are we going to bully tribal countries like the Philippines? Wouldn't that be beneath us?"

"If you ask me, in this battle, we must advance without hesitation, even if it means dying in battle, it will be an unparalleled honor. We will never retreat even a single step, we will send a powerful message from the Dragon Xia Navy to the world, we are coming!"

After hearing Captain Zhou Qinglei's words, the vice-captain felt a surge of passion, and his eyes became exceptionally resolute: "Captain, I understand!"

Suddenly, Zhou Qinglei said with a rather cheerful expression, "If one-third of the warships that stayed at home have won, then we can't afford to be any worse off."

"If we win, it will greatly help the peace talks!" (End of Chapter)