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Chapter 448 The Admission Ticket from the Military-Industrial Complex

In a suburban estate in Columbus, Ohio, a party is underway to celebrate Case Defense's acquisition of Chrysler's defense assets.

The light from the crystal chandelier refracted through layers of light, casting dappled patterns on the velvet-covered dining table. Waiters carried silver trays, on which amber-colored cocktails swayed gently with each step in the crystal goblets.

Ernst's gaze unconsciously wandered throughout the banquet hall, trying his best to take care of every guest.

This was a day he had specially chosen. With so many important figures visiting today, he naturally wanted to find a reason to build closer ties with these military forces and strengthen their relationship.

"Ernst, congratulations to Case Defense on completing this significant acquisition."

Ernst turned around, and the person speaking was the old man who had been sitting to his left that afternoon, Gregory Houston, the director of the Defense Acquisition Committee of the Department of Defense.

This is one of the real bigwigs in the Department of Defense, wielding significant resources and influence, and holding a pivotal position in the entire U.S. defense equipment procurement system.

In the United States, military procurement contracts are basically decided by six parties: the Department of Defense, the Defense Acquisition Council, the Defense Contract Management Agency, the dedicated contracting agencies of each branch of the armed forces, the Defense Contract Audit Office, and the Defense Finance Agency.

The Department of Defense and the Defense Acquisition Council are the top-level decision-making and coordination bodies for the entire procurement system. Key decisions such as what types of defense equipment the U.S. military needs to procure in the future, the overall direction of procurement, and strategic planning are mainly made by these two bodies.

Simply put, they decide what equipment to purchase.

The Defense Contract Management Agency and the dedicated contract agencies of each service branch bear the important responsibility of contract execution and management. After the Department of Defense and the Defense Acquisition Council determine the type and direction of the equipment to be procured, these two agencies will be responsible for the specific procurement execution work.

They have the right to decide how much to purchase, when to deliver, and what additional services are needed.

Finally, the Defense Contract Audit Office and the Defense Finance and Accounting Office play the roles of auditing and financial support. The Defense Contract Audit Office is responsible for strictly auditing the legality, compliance, and reasonableness of defense procurement contracts, while the Defense Finance and Accounting Office is mainly responsible for the allocation and management of defense procurement funds and determining whether a procurement contract can obtain financial support.

To some extent, whether a procurement contract can be approved and whether funds will be allocated are decided by these two companies.

The three parties are interconnected and mutually restraining, but they also collude to protect each other's interests.

Basically, procurement decisions made by the Department of Defense and the Defense Acquisition Council are very difficult to pass smoothly, unless there are huge differences in interests, that is, unequal distribution of spoils.

And Grigory's Defense Acquisition Committee has more say in equipment procurement than the Department of Defense.

The two departments are essentially one inside and one outside. The Ministry of Defense has the final say on equipment sales to foreign countries, while the Defense Procurement Committee has a more decisive opinion on internal procurement.

However, this old man has more than just one identity; his other identity is even more impressive.

This old man got his seat through a revolving door; before becoming the director of the Defense Acquisition Committee, he was a senior advisor to Lockheed Martin.

In other words, this old man represents the interests of Lockheed Martin.

In response to Grigory's congratulations, Ernst smiled and said, "Thank you! But the happiest thing for me today is having the opportunity to meet a soldier like you who has made such a great contribution to America."

Ernst wasn't deliberately boasting or flattering; the old man was indeed a decorated war veteran who had participated in World War II.

Before he retired, he was a general, and the medals hanging all over his chest were enough to prove his achievements.

This became the proudest thing in the old man's life, but it also made him an outlier in the government.

Both the Department of Defense and the Defense Acquisition Council have a number of military personnel who have served in the armed forces.

But few people wear their uniform every day like Grigory does, and wear all their medals of honor on their person.

After retiring, he joined Lockheed Martin as a senior consultant, and then through a revolving door, he got to his current position, which can be considered as going from the private sector to a government job.

In the United States, this kind of thing happens all the time, especially in the Department of Defense, where half of the leaders are retired military personnel.

Gregory Houston was clearly pleased with Ernst's compliment; a pleased smile appeared on his previously serious face, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously curved into a happy arc.

He raised his wine glass to Ernst.

Ernst understood immediately, quickly raised his glass, and gently clinked it against Grigory's.

Then, Grigory looked directly at Ernst and solemnly said, word by word, "Welcome to the club, Mr. Garfield."

A simple sentence made Ernst's heart skip a beat, and an overwhelming feeling of excitement and exhilaration surged into his heart.

Ernst was very clear about the immense weight and profound meaning behind the word "club".

This means that CASE Defence has finally gained initial recognition from the core circle of the military-industrial complex, and will henceforth have the opportunity to participate in higher-level industry cooperation and resource allocation.

Grigory seemed to understand Ernst's inner turmoil at that moment, and with a smile, he took out a gold-embossed card from the pocket of his military uniform jacket and handed it to him.

"You're lucky. There's a yacht club on the Potomac River next Tuesday." There was no further explanation or detail, but Ernst instantly understood the meaning of those words.

The Potomac River Yacht Club is not an ordinary social gathering place, but a secret venue where members of the U.S. military-industrial complex regularly meet.

No more than fifty companies in the entire United States can enter this circle. Apart from these military contractors and some related important material and technology suppliers, the rest are politicians and military bigwigs.

"I really look forward to seeing you again at the yacht club next Tuesday." Ernst raised his champagne glass again, clinking it lightly with Gregory's. "I also hope that Case Defense can bring more new vitality and benefits to this club in the future military industry."

The rich champagne was slowly sipped, the liquid sliding down the throat, leaving a slightly intoxicating warmth.

He knew that having someone protecting him in the arms dealing world meant he would have to take on corresponding responsibilities for this interest group.

The two chatted idly on one side, while in another corner not far away, Massim was also talking and laughing with several generals, but his brows were often slightly furrowed.

From the moment Gregory Houston walked up to Ernst and began their conversation, Massim's gaze kept drifting in that direction, closely watching their exchange.

As the first emerging force that the Boston Consortium approached and courted, Massim certainly did not want Ernst to establish too many connections with other consortia.

Similarly, he did not want Ernst to become too close to the people of the Republic.

Gregory is a mouthpiece for Lockheed Martin, a company with deep ties to the Republican Party and a staunch supporter of it.