Rebirth of the 1980s: The Military Industry Empire

The faces of the Eastern guests darkened.

Sixty million US dollars per aircraft?

That's too expensive! It's simply not something the East can afford. How much foreign exchange reserve does the East have? Even if Fangbei Company has made a lot of money in recent years, the country can't spend so much money to purchase fighter jets.

What about the army and navy after giving it to the air force? Why are we doing disarmament now? Isn't it to save money? Are all the money saved going to be squandered by the air force?

Old Liu's expression was also a little unsightly. Everyone came to Grumman to discuss improving the J-8 fighter jet, but on the way, they saw the Tomcat's heroic appearance and began to like it. After landing and watching the flight performance, they were even more shocked. Their minds were full of the Tomcat. To be honest, they really had the idea of buying Tomcat fighter jets.

However, this was just an idea. Who could afford the Tomcat fighter's high price?

960 Factory paying for it? Let alone why they should take advantage of 960 Factory, even if they were willing, it wouldn't work. One fighter jet would have to be exchanged for six thousand sets of bulletproof vests. If the air force were to purchase forty, that would be more than twenty thousand sets!

Thinking of this, Old Liu looked at Qin Yang: "President Qin, what's your opinion?"

"Me? I don't think it's expensive," Qin Yang said.

The Americans were immediately delighted. After they quoted the price, the Easterners' faces changed, obviously thinking it was too expensive. Now, someone finally said it wasn't expensive. As expected, young people have魄力!

"President Qin, you don't think it's expensive?"

"That's right, of course it's not expensive," Qin Yang affirmed his statement: "In '74, Iran's procurement contract was much more expensive than this. 80 Tomcat fighter jets and 714 Phoenix missiles, as well as ten years of spare parts for the Tomcat fighter jets, totaled as high as 15 billion, and that was in the currency value of the seventies. Now, our American friends are willing to sell it to us for 60 million US dollars per aircraft, including the price of Phoenix missiles and aircraft spare parts. It's definitely a bargain!"

We can say we can't afford it, but we must never say it's expensive. The Americans are still full of sincerity. You ask the French how much a single-engine Mirage 2000 sells for?

Now it was the Americans' turn to change their expressions.

Sixty million was of course the price of the bare aircraft! If the Easterners wanted to buy it, the missiles and spare parts would definitely be calculated separately!

"President Qin, I'm sorry, what we just said was the price of the bare aircraft," Pelley Hark said. Although they had just met today, Pelley Hark and Qin Yang were already relatively close because of the script, so he was the one to speak.

"What? The price of the bare aircraft? If you add the missiles and spare parts, wouldn't one aircraft cost over a hundred million?" Qin Yang said, "We treat you as friends, and you treat us as fools?"

"Of course not, we are very sincere."

"Sincere? Then what's the price you sell to the US Navy? We'll add another million per aircraft, how about that?"

Selling to the Navy? That price is a loss-making sale! Adding another million is still a loss!

"Everyone, let's talk about your other needs first. I heard that you want to improve the J-8 fighter jet?"

"That's right, our J-8 fighter jet still has a nose intake. We want to change it to side intakes, leaving space to install a large airborne radar. We also hope to choose suitable radar and missiles from the United States so that we can have medium-range interception capabilities. If the price is right, we also hope to replace it with an advanced turbofan engine." Li Ming finally spoke: "I just don't know how much this project will cost?"

The purchase of the Tomcat fighter jet is a pie in the sky. The Americans are asking for too much, and the East is too poor. However, precisely because the purchase is unsuccessful, the air force should pay more attention to the improvement of the J-8. However, price is key! Li Ming was already scared by the hundreds of millions of dollars in refitting costs that Qin Yang mentioned, so he asked the most critical question right away.

"You need to give us the design data of the J-8 so that our professional personnel can study it and give you a quote," Billworth said.

Give the design data?

Li Ming frowned: "I don't know what design data you need?"

"Aerodynamic layout, wind tunnel data, the stress structure of the airframe, etc."

While helping to translate, Nie Xiaoqian had already understood. No wonder Brother Yang said that Grumman wouldn't give a quote at all. The premise for their quote was to first master the J-8's data!

Objectively speaking, the Americans didn't have any other intentions. If there was no design data, who would know how to change the nose? There must be aircraft data before research can be done, and only after research can a quote be given. This is a matter of course.

However, on the Eastern side, it's a different meaning. You want to see my aircraft's design data without giving me a quote? You've read all my data, and then you give a high price? In the end, I get nothing, and my data is exposed to you.

How can this work?

"We need you to quote first. Only after we have a quote can we decide on the next step of cooperation," Li Ming said. He just wanted to know how much money the Americans were planning to ask for and whether his side could accept it.

"Sir, are you professional?" The aircraft designer on the other side was also annoyed: "Without the original data of the aircraft, we can't make a plan. We don't know anything, so how can we quote?"

Okay, now we're in a stalemate. Promoting the Tomcat fighter jet, the other party complains it's too expensive. Improving the J-8 design, the other party won't give the data and asks for a quote first. How can we continue to talk?

For the Americans, they originally didn't plan to talk about serious business at the dinner party. For them, work is work and life is life. However, in order to sell the aircraft, they specially researched the Easterners. They heard that Easterners like to talk about things at the dinner table, so they talked about these things at today's banquet. But now it seems that it has failed.

No projects were reached at the banquet. However, everyone still maintained superficial friendliness. After coming out, everyone checked into the hotel.

"President Qin, how about sharing a room with me?" Old Lin greeted Qin Yang. Many things happened today, and Old Lin wanted to chat with Qin Yang.

Qin Yang shook his head.

"Why?"

"Old Lin, look at the people who came with us. If two people share a room, there happens to be a man and a woman who need a room..."

Old Lin understood: "Okay, anyway, Translator Nie is your unmarried wife. It's nothing for you to live together temporarily."

Nie Xiaoqian's face turned red.

"Old Lin, President Qin, Old Liu invites you to his room for a meeting. We have carefully checked that room and there are no unreliable devices. Be careful when speaking in other rooms."

"Xiaoqian, you go back first, take a bath and go to sleep first. I estimate this meeting will take a while."

Although Qin Yang said this in Nie Xiaoqian's ear, and others didn't hear it, her face turned even redder.

After arranging the accommodation for the Easterners, the senior executives of Grumman also gathered in the conference room.

"Everyone, we must find a way to earn a sum of money from the Easterners. If this continues, Grumman is afraid of going bankrupt!" Billworth's expression was solemn.

"Pelley Hark, what did you discuss with that President Qin today?"

Finally, someone asked about this.

"President Qin wrote a script about our Tomcat fighter jet."