Darkstone Code-Chapter 716 - 0714 The Rhythm of the Future

"Mr. President!"

The other Admiral in the Navy, who is the Commander-in-Chief of this joint military exercise, was somewhat surprised to hear that the President was looking for him, but soon his smiling face turned serious.

Immediately after, whether it was Federations or others, including military observers from various countries, something slightly unusual happened.

The originally "bold" Federation Fleet formation suddenly changed, appearing to adopt a defensive posture. This overall change was very striking.

In addition to this change, some of their exercise content was also cut. In this small-scale skirmish, the Federation Fleet’s performance was the worst, sinking the fewest target ships, each suddenly seeming as if... plotting some conspiracy.

The Commander-in-Chief of the Gafura Fleet was more sensitive than others, and his excellent experience and intuition quickly discerned the subtle changes in the Federation Fleet’s formation.

"They are forming a defensive array; something must have happened that we don’t know. Where are their submarines?"

"Their submarines are still docked at the designated location."

"Keep an eye on their submarines, and notify me immediately once they dive, understood?"

After instructing his subordinates, the Commander-in-Chief of the Gafura Fleet was still a bit uneasy. Subsequently, the Gafura Fleet also began to change their formation, with their ships’ angles altering by at least ten degrees, and some ships’ angles changed by over thirty degrees. This change was easily noticeable.

From a third-party perspective, it seemed like both sides... were wary of each other! 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Is this... to use this military exercise as a cover for an ambush?

The two strongest naval military powers in the world suddenly started adjusting their formation and angles for a defensive posture. If other nations haven’t noticed these subtle changes, they likely have already perished in previous wars.

At this moment, all the other nations’ leaders were considering one question: What if the Gafura and Federations clashed again, what should they do?

Choose a side or remain an observer?

And would this conflict first impact them?

To avoid the misfortune of the weak in the battle between the two strong, the style of military forces from other countries also began to change. Some weak military nations’ ships directly sent out signals of maintenance issues, requesting tugs to tow them away from the exercise waters.

Thus, what should have been an exciting military exercise suddenly became somewhat unpredictable.

Due to changes in angle, the target ships did not reposition, causing many ships to fire only the front or rear guns, far from the shock of a multi-gun salvo.

Insipid and dull.

Within less than an hour of these changes, the Gafura Ambassador requested to meet with the President, and the leaders of various countries were in close communication.

Of course, these matters had little to do with Lynch, who was eating barbecue and drinking beer with Truman and the military personnel, watching the abruptly changed style of the joint military exercise.

"The new navy ships will take approximately four to five years before they are launched, that’s quite a lengthy interval..." Mr. Truman, as he chatted, began discussing the new armament service plans.

There were quite a few military personnel in the room, whether army or navy. The highest rank among them was colonel, yet each represented a general behind them.

Each individual was part of the core forces within their faction.

The Military is independent from the political system and Ministry of Defense, internally hated by many for its near-dictatorial governance style, where superior officers exercise almost unquestionable control over subordinates.

Some have criticized the military for its lack of transparency in management; however, this ironically is a characteristic of the Military.

If an institution like the army, which involves national sovereignty and security, were to turn into a Congress hall, that would be truly disastrous!

Mr. Truman, as a representative politician rising from the military, has now ascended to high ranks, and the military internally is very optimistic about his future, always dispatching some new generation representatives from the military to interact and establish relations with him.

Having someone within the government to speak for you versus having no one, and whether this person holds any position, makes a definite difference.

As for Lynch, he is also a friend full of goodwill, well-liked by Navy officers.

When the conversation turned to more specialized topics, Lynch naturally refrained from speaking, while those from the Navy followed Mr. Truman’s topic to discuss further.

"Some of our relatively advanced training ships are undergoing modification, unlikely to perform far-sea missions but can handle near-sea tasks. We expect an interim fleet to be formed next year." A navy colonel sighed.

"Building ships consumes too much time. If building ships were as simple as making army equipment, that would be ideal."

"If you want to join the army, we can switch places. The new equipment has started to be replaced, guaranteed to satisfy you!" An army officer chimed in teasingly.

The Navy has proven itself, so not only does it not need to reduce military forces, but it can expand them. On the contrary, the Army is undergoing small-scale reductions.

However, there are no disarmament plans for next year; at least, within a few years, the Army will not have any potential for downsizing, as it is the most important and final means of homeland defense.

Some of the new Army equipment is nothing more than new standard weapons: two types of semi-automatic rifles, a few new handguns, some new machine guns, and new artillery—essentially the same things but with improvements in performance.

Additionally, this time, the Army’s re-equipment thoroughly integrated all calibers, ensuring consistency across weapons from any Military Industrial Group with the same specifications.

This was proposed by the Ministry of Defense, prioritizing reducing pressure on logistics.

The reason for this is the Ministry of Defense’s international strategic research group considers that the likelihood of defensive warfare breaking out on the Federation Mainland is small. Proactiv offensive actions are more probable, thus making logistics exceptionally important.

A group of people chatted energetically, whereas Lynch, meanwhile, TV watch barbecue eat beer drink. He did not intervene nor did anyone communicate with him, yet it did not render him lonely.

Suddenly, Mr. Truman asked, "Lynch, what do you think future warfare will be like?"

This question was quite perceptive. From dozens of years ago to now, the rapid development of warfare makes it difficult for people to adapt.

The emergence of mechanized forces along with a proliferation of advanced weapons has comprehensively altered the manner of warfare, rendering the scenes of lining up and shooting each other a relic of the past.

Artillery, especially large-caliber artillery, dominates warfare. Whether against fortifications or trenches, when facing dense artillery barrage, their significance diminishes.

Just like in any stage of warfare evolution reaching a certain form stagnates, the shape of warfare has not significantly changed over the last decade-plus, these soldiers swigging on some booze start to envision what future warfare might be.

Lynch took a sip of beer, tasted with strong malt flavor, put down his beer, and pondered before speaking, "On land, there are our soldiers; in the oceans, there are my soldiers. Where else do you think there should be our soldiers?"

This question was very intriguing, prompting these soldiers, who had sparked some faster or slower thinking, to start considering. Mr. Truman, not entirely inebriated, seemed to have found the answer and used a less certain tone to say, "In the sky?"

Lynch nodded, "Yes, in the sky."

"The simultaneous launch of attacks by sea, land, and air is the shape of future warfare; the era of giant ships will be concluded by the era of the sky..."

Lynch had just said this when a navy officer interrupted, "Impossible!"

"Mr. Lynch, I admit... your idea is intriguing but your statement is unrealistic."

"I know those flying machines; they can only carry two people; even a bit more load makes it difficult to take off. How could these things end naval might?"

He said while his voice increased in volume, "Fly up and crash into warships?"

People laughed loudly, so did the officer, "Those aluminum-clad wooden frames, besides potentially smearing two bloodstains on the deck, what else can they do?"

"Ah, right, they can tire out our cleaners!"

As the officers laughed loudly, drank beer, and Mr. Truman did not join them but instead seriously contemplated the question.

Lynch retained a calm face, not irritated at all. A civilized person wouldn’t get angry because a group of backward savages mocked his top hat.

Just like at this moment, when he predicts the future belongs to the sky, these people will ultimately witness the arrival of an era of the sky.

The merrier their laughter now, the more ashamed they’ll be in the future.

"Could flying machines achieve this level, Lynch?" Mr. Truman remained relatively rational, "I know they can lift some lightweight weapons, but anti-ship weapons seem too heavy. The weight of a torpedo is almost as much as these aircraft now; how could it be the main dominator of a new war?"

Lynch took out a box of cigarettes, lit one, and said while exhaling smoke, "Technology is always progressing."

"When people first used muskets unable to kill enemies beyond fifty yards, they could never imagine a future where an enlarged musket could launch shells weighing over ten pounds, instantly killing a group of people."

"Many people now think flying machines are dangerous games for the rich; why can’t they hang a couple of torpedoes and fly in the future?"

"Specialized bombs, specialized torpedoes, the times are always advancing; that day surely won’t be too far away."

Mr. Truman thoughtfully looked at Lynch, "Is this why you founded an aircraft company, for the future sky?"

"Maybe so, maybe not. Someone always has to explore the path to the future. I am not the first, nor the last."

"But regarding this matter, I’m confident that I’ll be the successful one!"