Father of France

Chapter 250 Theories of Saving Money
"The government's concerns about building large aircraft carriers are mainly due to financial pressure, which is understandable," Philippe de Gaulle said, expressing his understanding of the current situation in France.

"Unfortunately, this simplistic view is a mistake," Koeman explained, shaking his head. "Judging from current trends, the ship's hull is probably the most valuable part of the ship. Building a Richelieu-class aircraft carrier now costs significantly more than building a 20,000-ton carrier. But the main offensive power of an aircraft carrier lies in its carrier-based aircraft, and those aircraft will obviously get bigger and bigger. Wouldn't it be a waste to build an aircraft carrier ten years from now? Would it be completely unusable?"

The first generation of jet fighters after the war was just the beginning. The pylons were designed for occasional ground attack missions, and the airframe structure and flight control system could not withstand heavy external loads. The bomb load was even less than that of propeller-driven bombers during World War II.

However, the situation changed completely with the advent of second-generation fighter jets. With the addition of supersonic speed, radar, and air-to-air missiles, the maximum takeoff weight of second-generation fighter jets increased dramatically compared to the first-generation fighter jets, and small aircraft carriers began to be phased out at that time.

It's not that there aren't stubborn countries that think they can go against the tide of history. Britain used Harrier fighters as carrier-based aircraft and stubbornly defended its Invincible-class aircraft carriers, almost causing a major setback in the Falklands War.

Koeman's predictions are that developments are predictable: will radar be installed? Will fighter jets get bigger and bigger? Then aircraft carriers will also need to grow bigger.

"What I'm talking about are the components of the carrier battle group. The bigger problem is actually the carrier itself. The biggest military expenditure is actually on the carrier's own electronic systems. Compared to the upgrading of electronic systems, the hull is just a piece of iron. Trying to save money on a piece of iron? That idea is wrong."

Why could Soviet tanks be put into service in special military operations after being repaired and started in tank graveyards? Why can't retired American warships be refurbished?

Seawater corrodes the toughness of steel, but that's a minor issue. The biggest problem is the electronic systems on those decommissioned warships, which have become unusable after being out of service for a long time.

Even a large, old-fashioned television that has been idle for years cannot be guaranteed to turn on smoothly, let alone a warship weighing thousands or tens of thousands of tons, whose electronic systems have been dormant for a long time and can still be started smoothly.

If it's a tank, you can just replace an electronic component. After all, tanks rely on their armor and caliber for their performance. But how many electronic components are inside a warship?
Who can accurately locate and replace the damaged components? Therefore, once a warship is decommissioned, it is basically destined to be dismantled.

Koeman is now telling Philippe de Gaulle that the cheapest part of building an aircraft carrier is the hull. No one would believe that the steel used in 1950 would be incredibly expensive in 1970, but the radar inside and the carrier-based aircraft could be anything.

“As Koeman said, the hull is indeed the most cost-effective part of building a Richelieu-class aircraft carrier,” Martin agreed after listening.

“Of course, the leader of steel will eventually pass away, but the steel of the leader will forever protect the people.” Koman blurted out, but then realized he shouldn’t say it, so he changed the subject, “A truly excellent hull will not change much even after a hundred years. So building a hull is the most economical thing to do.”

This is more than just a warship. The great Eastern power has spent decades upgrading and modifying the Flanker, ultimately proving one thing: the Flanker's aerodynamic shape is awesome.

Philippe de Gaulle had to admit that he was persuaded that light aircraft carriers were a misguided path, and that only aircraft carriers with a standard displacement of 40,000 tons or more were truly good for the next twenty years of development; otherwise, they would be outdated.

Although Koeman didn't say it explicitly, his words implied that family background should be used in different ways. In a good way, it should be used to benefit the country, like it is now.

Philippe de Gaulle stared at the blueprints on the table. He had actually been aboard the British aircraft carrier leased by France, watching those propeller-driven fighters struggle to take off into the wind. And now, this giant ship on the blueprints was designed to usher in the jet age.

He could almost hear the awe-inspiring roar of future carrier-based aircraft being ejected from the ship, and see their majestic figures soaring into the sky at full combat weight.

"I am willing to let the navy I love do the right thing." Philippe de Gaulle finally got on the wrong ship. "I also believe that there are many like-minded comrades within the navy who will agree to build an aircraft carrier that can be used for a long time for the French Navy."

"It's mainly to save money." Coman raised his head slightly. How could he possibly accept that? He had helped the country avoid some detours. It wouldn't be too much to ask Brigitte Bardot to celebrate this achievement with a rocket ride, would it?
It's a pity he doesn't recognize this generation of French Rose. I wonder if this generation of British Treasure has time? There are a bunch of luxury brands in France; it would be good if they came over and did some advertising.

"You're always busy waiting for your assignment." Martin complained as the two left Philippe de Gaulle's residence, but it was just a complaint. He knew this matter must be important. The competition for military funding between branches of the armed forces was a matter for the higher-ups. Officers of their rank still hoped that the French army would be strong and free from internal conflicts.

“You always need to find something to do, otherwise life is so boring.” Koman strolled leisurely. Actually, he hadn’t yet done his biggest purpose for coming back this time, but now it seemed he had the time to do it. “How about I go to the Sal district and conduct a public opinion poll?”

“See how many locals are willing to stay in France? I’ll help you apply.” Martin readily agreed. “It seems that besides Paris, the Saar region is recovering the fastest.” “Well, they have value, after all.” Coman grinned. Isn’t this a concrete manifestation of the local residents’ value in uniting the people?

As for the reconstruction of other parts of France, there is no rush. What's wrong with waiting?
Koeman had previously planned to relocate the families of Waffen-SS members who were doing hard labor in Algeria—essentially just regular labor reform—to the Saar region.

He carried out a series of operations that were not immediately apparent but were secretly implemented, an operation that continued even after he went to serve overseas.

The families of these Waffen-SS members did not sever ties with the Waffen-SS members undergoing labor reform in overseas departments. The purpose was obvious: to inform these families that France held hostages.

If they want to see their families again, they must stand on France's side.

Koeman thought this approach should work, but whether it would actually work remained to be seen after a survey, making a public opinion poll inevitable.

When he arrived in the Saar district, Corman realized how true Martin's words were. The Saar district was now the fastest recovering place in France outside of Paris. He had to remember that the First Army had actually carried out a massive artillery campaign to drive out the Germans there. He had seen the Saar district in its devastation.

While many French cities still bear the marks of war, Saarland shows almost none. Shop windows lining the streets display French goods: Bordeaux wines, magazines featuring Parisian fashion icons, and cloyingly sweet "French" bread. Small German characters are symbolically added below the French on the signs. A strange kind of "prosperity" thrives here, carrying an air of orchestration.

Saar is economically tied to the French Franc Zone, where the Mark is rapidly becoming worthless. Under the protection of the stationed French troops, its body, connected to its homeland of Germany, is being gradually infused with French blood.

With everything arranged in an orderly fashion, Coman arrived at a house that looked relatively new but was quite aesthetically pleasing. He had already circled the area twice to make sure he wasn't being followed before knocking on the door.

"Who is it?" The door wasn't opened; instead, a wary question came from the other side.

"Coman." Coman answered stiffly in German. He realized that he couldn't do without the language for long periods of time. He clearly remembered that he could already communicate simply back in Austria.

The door opened, and Gudrun Himmler grabbed Koman's arm and pulled him into the room. Her beautiful eyes scrutinized the man she had only communicated with via telegram for over a year. This man had reappeared; what was his purpose this time? After a moment of eye contact, she asked, "What brings you here this time?"

“Look, Major.” Koman pointed to his shoulder insignia, a hint of pride on his face. “I haven’t forgotten my promise to become a general. Now that I’ve achieved something, I’m going to make sure you see it.”

Upon hearing this, Gudrun Himmler felt his earlobes burning. He retorted irritably, "You disappeared for almost two years without a word, and you still have the nerve to bring this up."

"I went to fight in French Indochina and also suppressed the riots in Madagascar." Although Koman didn't say it directly, every word conveyed the same meaning: his military rank was earned with his life.

There is indeed no danger, but did he go to Saigon? Did he also go to Madagascar? If he did go, it means he wasn't lying.

Sure enough, as soon as the words "risking one's life for a military rank" were uttered, the antagonistic look in Gudrun Himmler's eyes almost disappeared, and his voice became much gentler, "You're crazy to risk your life for a promise."

“I’m the kind of guy who would fight tooth and nail for a woman.” Koman pressed his lips against Gudrun Himmler’s and kissed them fiercely.

“Major Koman is here.” Gudrun Himmler’s mother, Margaret, coughed, her expression conveying a sense of unease that she had arrived at an inopportune time, thus protecting her daughter’s bottom line.

“Hello, Auntie, I really did come for her.” Koman released Gudron Himmler, whose face was flushed, and greeted him politely. He was actually there to conduct a public opinion poll, but he absolutely could not answer like that.

(End of this chapter)