Chapter 490

Chapter 490: The Super Tucano

Sally personally managed a company that had developed into a small consortium with assets worth hundreds of millions of dollars. While it seemed insignificant among many powerful international groups, in northern Afghanistan, it loomed like a giant presence.

Sally felt a surge of confidence and was even determined to unify Afghanistan, bringing happiness and stability to all Afghan civilians.

In the midst of chaos, to secure a land for survival, Dragoon Corporation aimed to enhance the strength of Gem Valley, and Sally put in tremendous effort, leaving no stone unturned.

Although the Dragoon military base stationed in the valley shared the same name as the corporation, its role as an ally was limited; it only provided some weapons and military training. The security and defense work was restricted to the Gem Valley area, and no matter how much Sally was willing to pay, it was difficult to persuade the Chinese to deploy troops.

It was evident that if the Chinese troops stationed at the Dragoon military base were mobilized, it would disrupt the military and political balance in Afghanistan and its neighboring countries. To this day, barely any external force knew that the Chinese had successfully established a military presence in Afghanistan, thanks to the unconditional trust and support from the local people of Gem Valley, coupled with the protective cover provided by Dragoon Corporation.

If the outside world learned of the Chinese military’s involvement in Afghanistan, it wouldn’t be a trivial matter.

Therefore, exposing this too early could lead to a series of serious consequences that neither party wished to see.

China’s principle was to quietly enter the village without making noise. Only at critical moments, when the benefits outweighed the negative impacts, would they fully reveal the military base’s role.

The Chinese merely provided limited assistance. In fact, since the incidents involving the "ungrateful wolves" in Korea, Albania, and Vietnam, China’s foreign aid and support had been significantly restricted, unlike before when they spared no effort.

One cannot nurture a giant tree in a greenhouse; most of the time, they had to rely on themselves. Sally was well aware of this, so Dragoon Corporation’s development largely depended on solid, step-by-step progress. Everyone had poured in a lot of sweat and blood, even the sacrifice of life. However, a strong corporation was a reliable home for all, and they had no regrets about it.

Due to the rise of Dragoon Corporation in the northern mountainous region of Afghanistan, many greedy individuals and organizations became interested and took action. These people and organizations were not skilled in management or development; they only knew how to plunder and destroy, contributing to Afghanistan’s long-standing poverty and chaos. This time, they had set their sights on the Gem Valley in the Hindu Kush Mountains.

According to recent intelligence obtained by Dragoon Corporation, those agents from international powers would not allow the emergence of a strong, progressive organization in Afghanistan that could unify the nation again. A new wave of armed attacks targeting Dragoon Corporation was about to arise, potentially involving nearly ten thousand people.

For those agents and the organizations backing them, a chaotic and divided Afghanistan could generate the maximum amount of illicit profit according to their chaotic order.

To ensure self-preservation and possess adequate armed strength, Sally could acquire a large batch of advanced weapons from the Chinese military, although fighter jets were out of reach.

As an open force organization, acquiring fighter jets with an unclear origin would attract too much attention, easily exposing the existence of the Chinese military.

Thus, Dragoon Corporation could only raise a substantial sum of money to establish its own aerial armaments through public purchases.

Sally personally led her team to Paris, hoping to procure a batch of fighter jets at the aerospace exhibition, to protect and maintain the interests of Dragoon Corporation, filling the current gap in military strength.

Afghanistan had always been a battlefield. The Soviets, Germans, and Americans had all come and gone. Despite being underdeveloped and impoverished, this did not affect the Afghan people’s vision; they knew which weapons were best and most suitable for them.

Before coming to France, Sally and her team had done extensive research on the prices and performances of fighter jets from various countries, compiling a list of fighter jet models that would be compatible with Gem Valley.

With an air force, Dragoon Corporation could effectively deter those troublemakers in northern Afghanistan, thereby reducing unnecessary turmoil, using their strength to warn those who were itching to make a move that they were not to be trifled with.

Sally lingered around the perimeter of the National Defense Star exhibition area, but she was unaware that her figure had caught the attention of the man she had been thinking of.

Once again, Sally and Lin Mo passed right by each other.

Destiny is a wave line; no one knows when it will cross paths with another wave line or if it will ever touch. Sometimes, fate is remarkably indescribable.

“Abik, we don’t need to look at the jet fighters anymore; their maintenance costs are too high. If the seller imposes limited sales on us, it could severely impact our combat capability.”

Whenever she had a moment, Sally would dedicate a large amount of time to studying. Business was essential, but she wouldn’t overlook politics, law, history, or international affairs.

She understood very well that the countries purchasing foreign fighter jets, while temporarily gaining an advantage in weaponry, would not enjoy it for long; there were no friendships between countries, only interests. At crucial moments, their combat power could be severely hindered.

Just like Iran, despite having purchased the F-14 "Tomcat," a classic fighter jet, and briefly gaining the upper hand during the Iran-Iraq War, many "Tomcats" became "sick cats" and "crippled cats" due to a lack of spare parts. The advanced weaponry advantage vanished, and they often faced chaotic defeats against Iraq, making this lengthy war a classic example of "advanced weaponry fighting low-level wars," second only to the Vietnam War and the Korean War as one of the deadliest conflicts since World War II.

“Did you see any specific models?”

Despite his crash course in fighter jet knowledge, Abik was only familiar with the modified armed helicopter and the P-51 "Mustang" he had discovered in Gem Valley.

“The A-29 ‘Super Tucano’ is a model I have high hopes for. We can order a custom modification.”

Sally mentioned a model name that surprised Abik as she headed toward a specific direction in the exhibition area, seeking what she needed.

The exhibition booth of Embraer’s defense division was present at the aerospace exhibition, and they had not missed the opportunity.

“A-29? What kind of model is that? I haven’t heard of it. Why not choose the J-7?” Abik scratched his head, only knowing famous jets like the F-15 or J-10, while being completely clueless about non-mainstream models.

“The ‘Super Tucano’ is a light attack aircraft. Although it’s only a basic trainer, we don’t need high speeds in the Afghan mountains. Plus, we don’t have pilots capable of handling jet fighters. The ‘Super Tucano’ has low requirements for pilots, great operational radius, and a versatile arsenal. It can carry a Rocket Pod, regular bombs, cluster bombs, laser-guided bombs, anti-tank missiles, and even infrared homing missiles. Many countries have adopted it as a supplementary air force capability, and for us, that’s more than sufficient.”

Perhaps out of love for Lin Mo, Sally had done her homework. However, her next words made everyone’s expressions shift.

“My next step is to invest in the aviation industry, designing and producing our own fighter jets. We can’t always rely on others for purchases.”

Additionally, Abik was unaware of another hidden reason: the partner for producing the “Super Tucano,” Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC), was a top-notch American federal contractor controlled by women.

Compared to Dragoon Corporation, also led by women, they seemed to share more common ground in the male-dominated realm of business warfare.

After visiting several fighter jet exhibitors, after careful consultation and inquiries, she and Abik collected promotional materials and quotes, ultimately setting their sights on the production section of the A-29 "Super Tucano" at the Embraer defense area.

Although China’s National Defense Star had stolen much of the spotlight at the exhibition, many clients, like Dragoon Corporation, were not in need of jet fighters costing around thirty to forty million dollars. There were also many customers interested in purchasing business jets, space launch vehicles, and light aircraft, nearly half of the attendees at the exhibition were from the civilian market.

Many clients were also present at the Embraer defense division’s exhibition area, just as Sally had mentioned. The A-29 "Super Tucano" was indeed a cost-effective low-end aircraft. Despite being a basic trainer, its performance rivaled that of the pinnacle of World War II technology, the P-51 "Mustang," which had previously been exported to countries like Colombia, Venezuela, and Indonesia.

For equivalent weight, the "Super Tucano" used the Pratt & Whitney PT6A-68C turboprop engine, providing more power than piston engines, with a bomb load 72% higher than that of the "Mustang." In terms of modern precision strike capabilities, its 1550-kilogram payload was more than sufficient.

The operating cost of the “Super Tucano” was less than $500 per flight hour, and it could perform in extremely complex terrains and harsh conditions. This was why Sally avoided choosing other brands of fighter jets and specifically aimed for the “Super Tucano.”

The arrival of Dragoon Corporation was warmly welcomed by Embraer’s defense division.