USSR 1991

Whose ship to buy and what kind of ship to buy is a problem, but Lakshminarayan Ramdas, deputy chief of staff of the Indian Navy, who has always been ambitious to build the No. [-] naval position in the Indian Ocean, learned from the Kiev class of the Soviet Union Smelling opportunities in the sale of aircraft carriers, he believes that this is an excellent opportunity to strengthen the Indian Navy and the best opportunity to become the hegemon of the Indian Ocean.

So he found Minister Kapoor of the Ministry of Defense, and prepared to persuade the Minister of Defense to allocate funds for adding another aircraft carrier to the Indian Navy to form the combat capability of three aircraft carrier battle groups.Owning three aircraft carriers at once, only Brother Ah San has the courage to be such a fool with a lot of money and desperate for face.

But Ram Dass' idea shocked Kapoor, especially the idea of ​​building the number one hegemon in the Indian Ocean seemed to him unrealistic fantasy. Minister Kapoor wiped the sweat from his forehead, He asked with some doubts, "Admiral Ramdas, do you know how much the funds for India's two aircraft carriers now account for India's total annual military expenditure? Do you know how much more money we need to allocate each year to train two aircraft carrier battle groups?" Funding? Do you know how miserable we were by the Soviet Union? And you are still adding a Kiev-class aircraft carrier. With all due respect, does Admiral Ramdas just want our naval construction to go bankrupt? ?”

Faced with Minister Kapoor's accusation, Admiral Ramdas replied calmly, "I think Minister Kapoor misunderstood my thoughts. I don't want to continue to buy a Kiev-class aircraft carrier. After all, buying one more aircraft carrier like this The aircraft carrier that will be eliminated sooner or later is obviously not cost-effective, I mean we don't need to buy the Kiev class, but we can lease the Kiev class aircraft carrier, can't we? Just like we rented Soviet nuclear submarines, it saves money and It guarantees the long-term plan of the Indian Navy's three aircraft carriers to control the Indian Ocean, and I personally think this approach is worth a try."

"And let's not forget that our opponent, Pakistan, has just recently purchased three submarines from France. If the Indian Navy does not try to do something, it will sooner or later be crushed by Pakistan."

What Admiral Ramdas said made Kapoor deep in thought. To be honest, he didn’t expect that the Indian Navy could rent someone else’s aircraft carrier. Anyway, the Kiev class of the Soviet Union is now only in the wind and rain near the shipyard, and the Soviet Union The government has to pay a maintenance fee every month, but if India leases it, the Soviet government, which must not be able to sell the Kiev level, must welcome India's approach very much.

The most important thing is that countries like Kiev-class aircraft carriers with aircraft carrier strike power look down on the castrated version of Kiev-class, while countries without aircraft carrier battle groups do not have enough funds to maintain the operation of an aircraft carrier, so the buyers of the Soviet Union It can only be India, because outside of India, it is impossible for other countries to acquire Soviet aircraft carriers.Thinking of this, Minister Kapoor gradually felt that Admiral Ramdas' method was worth a try.

"If there is only one customer, then we can lower the price of renting the Soviet aircraft carrier, and by the way make up for our loss on the Vikramaditya aircraft carrier. The modernization of the Soviet Union caused India to lose a lot of funds. How could we miss this opportunity to bite back." Ram Dass said excitedly, it is definitely a dream of Ram Dass to be able to cheat the Soviet Union.

Thinking of the original aircraft carrier purchase plan, Minister Kapoor felt his heart bleed.Comparing Ulyanovsk and Varyag, India's Vikramaditya aircraft carrier is simply a pile of horrible sea scrap iron that has been experimentally transformed.Of course, Kapoor would not use scrap iron at sea to describe this big guy, after all, he has to take care of the growing confidence of the Indian Navy.

After careful consideration, Kapoor breathed a sigh of relief, which meant that he had basically agreed to Ram Dass' request.

"Admiral Ramdas, if you rent the Soviet Kiev class this time, I will send you as a representative of the Navy to negotiate with the Soviet Union. I hope you can prepare first." Kapoor said, after all, this plan is Ramdas He was put forward first, so the entire navy belongs to him and he is the most suitable candidate.

"Okay, Minister Kapoor, I'm going back to discuss matters related to the lease of the aircraft carrier, and I hope that Minister Kapoor can blow the wind to the group of guys who manage the money bags, so that the navy will not be able to ask for military expenses. Make things difficult." Ram Dass suppressed the excitement in his heart, this time is definitely an opportunity for him to make contributions, if the matter of renting the aircraft carrier is settled this time, then he will be one step closer to the position of chief of the navy's general staff in the future.

"I know all this, but you must not let us down, Minister Ramdas." Kapoor said earnestly, "If we succeed, we will be able to recover all the price we paid from the Soviet Union. "

Chapter 387 A Bear That Is More Vicious Than India

"You said that the Indian Navy wants to discuss with us about leasing a Kiev-class aircraft carrier as their navy's backup aircraft carrier? Comrade Yazov, your Ministry of Defense can handle this kind of thing, and you don't have to report it to the central government?" Nayev casually flipped through a book, raised his head from the heavy book, glanced at Yazov's unnatural face, and asked softly, "Do you have anything else to report to me? "

Yazov took off his hat, scratched his head, and didn't know how to speak, "It's still about the aircraft carrier, Comrade Yanayev, although we announced that we will sell two aircraft carriers, except for the Indian Navy, other Countries are not interested, so I think this negotiation with India will not be so easy, at least not as easy as we imagined."

Yanayev closed the book, he finally knew the reason why Yazov came to discuss with him.Because he is very clear that what Yazov said is not easy refers to the last time when the Soviet Union sold the Gorshkov, the Soviet Ministry of Defense played the other side severely once, and India paid the price of a new aircraft carrier to refit Gorshkov.Marshal Ogarkov of the former Bureau of Strategic Deception said before that the aircraft carrier that India bought from the Soviet Union can sail, and it will be good if there are no problems. If there is a big problem, the Soviet Union will not be responsible for the warranty.

"India has done their homework this time and came prepared. Do you think we can fool each other?" Yanayev smiled. People never make mistakes twice in the same place, and they want to be successful. Ah San, he must find a way to fool the other party once in other places.

He suddenly remembered something, raised his head and asked, "And Comrade Yazov, who is the representative that the Indian Navy is going to send over to negotiate with us this time?"

"It's Admiral Ramdas, the deputy chief of staff of the Indian Navy." Yazov didn't understand why Yanayev suddenly asked about this matter, but Yazov understood from the smile on the corner of the other party's mouth. General Secretary Nayef has already thought of a conspiracy to cheat the other party.

"I didn't expect that Ram Das has now become the deputy chief of staff of the Indian Navy. The timeline has really become more and more deviated from the original historical development track." Hearing this name, Yanayev couldn't help feeling emotional One sentence.

"General Secretary Yanayev, are you okay?" When Yanayev came back to his senses, Yazov was looking at himself suspiciously.Yanayev coughed and waved to Yazov, indicating that he was fine.

Yanayev reminded the Minister of Defense, "Maybe Comrade Yazov still doesn't understand one thing, that is, Admiral Ramdas is a rare Orthodox Christian in the Indian Navy and the first Orthodox Christian in the Indian Navy. Senior general. I think Comrade Yazov should have a good idea of ​​the next itinerary, right?"

"Orthodox Church, Orthodox Church..." Yazov hesitated at first, not knowing why Yanayev mentioned this matter, but he immediately understood the meaning hidden in the words, and said excitedly, "You mean When Ram Dass visits the Kiev-class aircraft carrier, let our Patriarch of the Orthodox Church accompany you?"

"Yes, there is nothing more glorious than an Orthodox Christian being accompanied by Patriarch Alexei II. For this alone, Admiral Ramdas should be grateful to the Soviet Union. "Yanaev sneered and said that although the Soviet Union still spared no effort to attack religion as before, it would also be very generous on certain issues. The Orthodox Church lost its moral authority under the rule of the Soviet government, but This does not represent the influence of the Patriarch of the Orthodox Church in the hearts of believers all over the world.

"In this way, we first raised the other party's favor towards the Soviet Union, and thus further raised the favor towards the Gorshkov. We have a basis for joint cooperation, and we still worry that we will not find an opportunity for India to lease an aircraft carrier. You can't suffer?" Yanayev said with a smile.

"Isn't India confident because it is unique in terms of customer issues? In this case, we also need to create a little tension for them, so that we know where the two parties are in this lease negotiation."

"Nervousness?" Minister Yazov was a little baffled by Yanayev's series of dazzling methods. Of course, if he wants to cheat the Indian Navy once again, this is a battle of wits and an Oscar winner. acting.

"Yes, after agreeing to the request of the deputy staff officer of the Indian Navy, he immediately released the news that the Soviet Union was seeking cooperative buyers around the world, and then blew the wind in front of the Indian Navy, such as Argentina, Thailand, Egypt, and even India. The old rival Pakistan is very interested in the remaining Kiev-class aircraft carriers of the Soviet Union, and even sent a secret delegation to Leningrad to discuss matters concerning the purchase of aircraft carriers. Do you think the Indians will start to panic first? Competitors If there are too many, their quotation will naturally go up, this is a routine."

"When the negotiations are at an impasse, we can also release some fake news to knock the mountain away. For example, we will sell some second-hand modern-class destroyers to Pakistan, especially after modification to deal with aircraft carriers active in the Indian Ocean. India will Panic? They definitely will, this is equivalent to the Soviet Union teaching Pakistan how to deal with Indian aircraft carriers. This is our third smoke bomb. When we next negotiate with the Indian delegation about leasing aircraft carriers, believe me I will never There will be the previous arrogance."

"If it really doesn't work, don't our KGB still have swallows? Although the methods are not so fair, but for the lease of the Kiev-class aircraft carrier, everything can be forgiven."

Yanayev folded his hands on his chin, and calmly said to Comrade Yazov, "The current GLONASS system update plan is short of money, and it is impossible for us to allocate the original Navy's Poseidon project budget to spaceflight. Department, so I can only withdraw some budget from the Kiev-class aircraft carrier. The navy’s budget has also been a little tight in recent years. The launched Ulyanovsk and Varyag are simply gold-absorbing monsters, plus Poseidon There are eight Glory-class cruisers and five Kirov-class cruisers in the plan, without a strong comprehensive national strength, it is impossible to truly build a giant wave of steel."

"Comrade Yazov, I would like to trouble you to make preparations. This time the layout must be cautious. The budget of the aerospace department GLONASS depends on this price negotiation, Comrade Yazov."

Yanayev patted Yazov's arm and said seriously.

Chapter 388 Kiev-level seller show

The treatment that Admiral Damras received during his visit to the Soviet Union this time was even more advanced than when Minister of Defense Kapoor visited the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union almost took out the specifications second only to the reception of the head of state to receive Admiral Damras.From the moment he got off the plane from Ukraine's international airport, Defense Minister Yazov and Orthodox Patriarch Alexei II stood on the parking stand, quietly waiting for Admiral Damras to emerge from the aircraft cabin. Appear behind the door.

"The rest will be left to you, Patriarch Alexei." Minister Yazov nodded to the kind-looking pastor beside him, indicating that everything is going according to plan. Even he did not expect that the Soviet Union's arms project negotiations would involve a whole A peace-loving leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, it is really inexplicable irony to think about it.

Alexei II nodded slightly, looking at the hatch that opened slowly, with a slight smile on the corner of his mouth.As long as he stands here, even if he doesn't say a word, it is the beginning of the victory of the Soviet Union.

When Patriarch Alexei II appeared in his field of vision, Admiral Damlas's excitement was beyond words. He did not expect that Moscow would prepare such a grand reception specification, allowing him to experience the first time in person. What a privilege and honor it is to hear the church of the saints face to face.

"Hi Patriarch Alexei, hello." Admiral Damlas tried his best to make his poor Russian not so bad. He looked at the spiritual leader of the Orthodox Church in front of him, like a child who was at a loss for a while, and didn't know what to say what's good.

"I'm just so excited, really, it's a great honor to have you come and receive me in person."

"The Lord treats every devout believer equally, General Damlas, although you are a guest from afar, you are also a devout believer of the Lord." Alexei II calmly replied, "Whether you are rich or poor, whether you are healthy or sick, the Lord will treat you equally. You will not be treated differently because of your skin color or your origin."

Alexei's deceit was very useful to Damras, who believed in the Orthodox Church. He nodded in satisfaction and said with a smile, "I am very honored to listen to the priest's teaching."

Next, the priest accompanied Alexei to visit the Kiev and the Minsk. The previous Novorossiysk and Gorshkov had been sold to South Korea and India. Now it is prudent that the remaining two ships are still in the US. A bleak future and a tragic fate awaited them quietly in the Black Sea Shipyard.

Of course, in order to ensure that these two aircraft carriers still have the combat capability before retirement, the Soviet official high-level specially drove the aircraft carrier to the offshore waters for sailing, and Admiral Damras felt the impact brought by this steel behemoth on the deck. shock and impact.He touched the fence and said with some emotion, "This is the real aircraft carrier. If India has three aircraft carrier battle groups, then no country's navy in the Indian Ocean can be India's opponent."

Alexei II would flatter him from time to time, which made Damras feel a little fluttering, as if looking at their journey was a sea of ​​stars.Only Minister of Defense Yazov watched the Indian general's performance without saying a word. In Yazov's view, it was not only funny, but also ridiculous.A country that can't even manufacture an aircraft carrier is actually trying to talk about the role of the sea hegemony?India doesn't keep its eyes open to see, how many ocean heroes are there above him?

When the Kiev returned, General Damras said to Minister Yazov, "We are very satisfied with the status of the Kiev class. For India, it really needs such an aircraft carrier as a new aircraft carrier battle group for our own navy." capital ship."

"The negotiation is not in a hurry, General Damras, at least not today. We have other things that we haven't shown you." Colonel Yazov said with a smile, and he said to the huge cylindrical object behind him , "A real Kiev-class aircraft carrier not only has powerful fighter combat capabilities, but also can replace frigates and destroyers by itself, showing certain air defense and anti-ship capabilities. This is the meaning of the existence of the Kiev-class aircraft carrier."

"See the big guy behind me? This is the SS-N-12 anti-ship missile, dual SA-N-3 anti-aircraft missile launcher, dual SA-N-4 missile launcher, AK-726 dual 76.2mm artillery, AK-63030mm near-fire artillery, there is no doubt that the aircraft carrier with such terrible anti-ship capabilities and air defense capabilities is the only one in the Soviet Union. This is the crystallization of our saturation offensive tactics." Yazov said.

The next thing is the highlight of the Soviet Union. If they don't show the terrifying power of the Soviet aircraft carrier to the other party, how can they be willing to buy it out of their pockets?

"General Damlas, have you seen the target ship in front?" Yazov handed the telescope to Damras, and observed through the telescope, there was indeed a large target ship parked there They were heading straight ahead, blocking the way.

"Don't you want to know if the Kiev class is worth buying? Now it's a special project prepared by the Soviet Union for you."

As soon as Yazov finished speaking, the double AK726 artillery and the 6-tube AK630 artillery aimed at the target ship. With a loud noise, two different types of artillery began to pour firepower at the position of the target ship. A group of dazzling flames exploded on the surface of the sea. In order to create an effect, Yazov also specially asked people to place a large number of gasoline barrels on the target ship.

The six-barreled artillery splashed countless water splashes on the sea surface, and the side of the target ship was riddled with holes from the AK630 artillery. Admiral Damras looked at all this in a daze. He did not expect the Soviet Union to show itself to customers. The weapon actually uses such a direct and rude method.

Think about it, it is really a terrible fighting nation.

"General Damras, this is just a foreplay. More exciting performances are yet to come. I guarantee you will be amazed at the anti-ship capability of this aircraft carrier. The SS-N-12 anti-ship missile only needs one , can seriously damage the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier of the United States, making it lose its combat capability, but unfortunately the Soviet Union does not have suitable scrapped ships that can be used as target ships, so let’s take a look at the target ship converted from this cargo ship.”

The anti-ship missile aimed at the target ship, which was already burning, and then fired. The target ship was reduced to ashes in the reflection of Damras's constricted pupils.After the strong explosion, only burning debris remained on the sea surface, and there was no target ship anymore. Yazov nodded with a smile, and said to the Indian customers beside him, "Look, we never treat our customers badly."

Damras, who had recovered from the shock, had a slightly distorted expression. Obviously, he was not used to the "seller's show" method of watching battles at close range, but he nodded and said with a stiff face, "This show is a show for me. Very satisfied."

Chapter 389 The Negotiations Are Deadlocked

General Ramdas, who has experienced a Russian-style arms show, will face the most serious problem next, that is, there is a gap in the quotations between the two parties.The price quoted by Ram Dass and the price proposed by Yazov must have differed by several digits, which also means that this negotiation will be full of gunpowder from the beginning.