The rise of great powers: starting from military industry

The new generation of U.S. aircraft carriers, named 'Ford-class' aircraft carriers, are new super aircraft carriers under development in the United States. This class of ships will build 10 or more ships in the next 50 years and gradually replace the existing 'Nimi' Z'-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.

Prior to this, this class of ship was originally called CVN-21, which represented the first super aircraft carrier design of the U.S. Navy after entering the 21st century.

The CVN-21 Ford-class aircraft carrier originated from the order of the first three Nimitz-class aircraft carriers in 1975. The U.S. Navy launched a series of conceptual plans for future aircraft carriers after the Nimitz-class, called CVNX, covering From light, medium to heavy aircraft carriers, a total of 15 plans of different hull sizes are studied. Model waterline performance, while the take-off and landing methods include three types: CTOL using traditional catapult/interception rope, STOL using ski jump short takeoff/interception rope landing, and S/VTOL using ski jump takeoff/vertical landing. One direction includes traditional deck layout and new designs. At that time, CVNX had a total of about 50 design options.

However, considering the cost, risk and practicality, the US aircraft carrier configuration from the Kitty Hawk to the Nimitz class was finally improved.

"The Navy is still in cost negotiations with Northrop Grumman Group. Northrop Grumman Group wants a price of US$8 billion. With such a high price, we will be under great pressure. Congress is likely to attack us!" The US Secretary of Defense looked a little ugly.

Northrop Grumman, also known as Northrop Grumman, is a large weapons manufacturer in the United States and the largest naval ship manufacturer and radar manufacturer in the United States.

The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier was built by Northrop Grumman.

The next-generation U.S. aircraft carrier, the Ford-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, is also developed and built by Northrop Grumman!

George Wharton raised his eyebrows. The asking price was not low.

The cost of U.S. warships has been rising every year in the past thirty or forty years.

The first Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, the USS Nimitz, cost US$725 million in fiscal year 1967, but the budget cost of the subsequent USS Bush aircraft carrier reached US$6.2 billion.

Well, now, the first ship of the new generation of 'Ford-class' aircraft carrier is asking for US$8 billion. According to Northrop Grumman Group's practice, won't the cost of one ship skyrocket to US$16 billion or even US$20 billion in ten years?

In recent years, with the two regional wars, the "Afghanistan War" and the "Iraq War", and other countries feeling the tension and speeding up the procurement of arms, American military industrial enterprises have made a lot of money.

Just the United States' own purchases can make American military-industrial companies have a mouth full of oil, not to mention the purchases of U.S. allies and some countries.

The strength of the military-industrial complex has increased significantly!

Even if the U.S. subprime mortgage crisis broke out this time, it did not affect the military-industrial complex at all.

After all, the war outside is still going on, and the orders from the U.S. Department of Defense have not stopped either.

The U.S. military budget for fiscal year 2007 reached US$850 billion, and a considerable portion of it went to the military-industrial complex.

As the military-industrial complex becomes stronger, its influence in the United States will naturally further increase.

"Promise Northrop Grumman Group to start construction as soon as possible!" George Wharton said.

His term of office will last for almost one and a half years, and there is not much time left for him.

The power that supports him, such as energy, chemical industry, military industry and other giants, have received rich returns in recent years.

It is impossible for him to have a third term. Northrop Grumman makes more money, but it is not George Wharton's money.

And he has a good relationship with Northrop Grumman Group.

"Our top priority now is to have the next generation of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers as soon as possible. The U.S. Navy must be the number one navy in the world!" George Wharton said solemnly.

The U.S. Army may not be the most powerful army in the world.

Anyway, during World War I and World War II, the U.S. Army was not known for its strength. At that time, the German Army was the most powerful, followed by the Soviet Army.

During the bipolar struggle for hegemony, the Soviet Red Army's army was much more powerful than the U.S. Army.

But the United States must be the world's largest navy, because the United States has vast maritime interests and must have a powerful navy to safeguard its maritime interests.

"Michael, you CIA must figure out how many of these Type 003 nuclear-powered aircraft carriers they are going to build? Are they building a more advanced Type 004 nuclear-powered aircraft carrier? Or are they already building a Type 005 nuclear-powered aircraft carrier?" George Wharton said to CIA Director Michael Vincent Hayden.

Michael nodded and said: "Understood, we will definitely strengthen our intelligence work!"

He was appointed director of the CIA last year and has been on the job for a full year now.

Being appointed as the director of the CIA by George Wharton can illustrate his status in George Wharton's heart.

George Wharton said: "The topic in half a month will be added to the agenda. The two sides will discuss whether they can reach an agreement similar to the Washington Naval Treaty. We can no longer build warships without restrictions. Although the ocean is vast, it cannot accommodate it. So many warships!”

Everyone else couldn't help but look surprised.

I didn't expect that George Wharton would raise such an issue.

Naturally, they would not be unclear about the Washington Naval Treaty.

During World War I, all naval powers designed battleships with larger scale and firepower, and the main gun caliber increased to 16 to 18 inches.

Because battleships are extremely expensive to build and maintain, this costly arms race will become a heavy financial burden after the war.

During the Washington Conference in 1922, the five naval powers of the United States, Britain, Japan, France and Italy signed the Treaty on the Limitation of Naval Arms, also known as the Washington Naval Treaty. The treaty limits the tonnage of battleships (35,000 tons) and the caliber of main guns (no more than 16 inches), and stipulates that the total tonnage ratio of the battleships (battleships and battlecruisers) of the navies of the United States, Britain, Japan, France and Italy is 5.25:5.25:3.15:1.75:1.75. In addition, it also stipulates the total tonnage, standard displacement and gun caliber of the contracting parties' aircraft carriers.

Therefore, the 15 years from 1922 to 1936 were called the "Navy Holiday" era, and the construction plans of large battleships in various countries were terminated or cancelled.

It's just that it's not easy for the United States to reach an agreement like the Washington Naval Treaty with the world's major naval countries!

Because the US Navy itself has the largest total naval tonnage in the world.

What conditions should the United States put forward for other countries to agree?

Other countries are not fools. It is impossible for the United States to not pay any price and let other countries not develop their navies?

Most importantly, for those sovereign and independent countries, the United States can actually have very limited influence, and it is impossible for these countries to all obey the arrangements of the United States.

If the United States had that ability, the problems it faces now would not be like this. (End of this chapter)