Chapter 151: Warships Can Be Upgraded Too

Liu Yaofeng asked worriedly, “Boss, when these twin cannons fire, can the people inside the tank withstand it? Will the whole tank drift sideways?”

Du Qiu immediately glared at Liu Yaofeng and retorted, “What nonsense are you spouting? Do you think I’d be so reckless? This tank uses an all-electric propulsion system, which frees up a lot of space. Compared to the original Type 59 tank, everything except for the chassis has been completely redesigned and replaced.”

Liu Yaofeng muttered, “Well, it had to be replaced since there are two barrels now, after all.”

Du Qiu ignored him and continued his explanation, “The electrical drive reaches 1600 horsepower. The upper turret has been redesigned and new materials are used to reduce weight. The total weight has only increased by 6 tons compared to the original, reaching a total of 40 tons, so it’s still classified as a medium tank. The twin turret still uses a 125mm smoothbore cannon, but I’ve completely overhauled the fire control system, significantly improving both its accuracy and rate of fire.”

“Master, has this tank prototype been completed? How much does the improvement cost?”

Du Qiu replied somewhat sheepishly, “Well… you might need to discuss this with your father. The costs are a bit higher than expected.”

Hao Ren had a bad feeling and urgently asked, “Exactly how much are we talking about?” Considering that Tang Country’s main export, the VT-4 battle tank, is priced at $5.5 million USD (including various technical service fees), if the modification costs exceed this, buying a new one might actually be more reasonable.

Du Qiu waved his hand dismissively, “Never mind. This type of tank isn’t right for the Tanga Federation anyway. I’ve got another improvement plan. Let’s move on and take a look at that.”

“Master, just tell us, how much does each Apocalypse tank cost?”

“Alright, I’ll tell you; it’s about $6 million USD.”

Liu Yaofeng, who was pretending to be a bystander, took a sip of tea brought by Secretary Leng and then spat it out in surprise when Du Qiu announced the price.

“Boss, is that the modification cost?”

“Yes, and we’re still using the Type 59’s chassis.”

Liu Yaofeng held his forehead and sighed, “Boss, do you really have no clue about tank prices? This price is on par with the cost of an M1A2 from the United States and is even more expensive than our T99. How can Hao Ren’s country afford it?”

Hao Ren looked pleadingly at Du Qiu, “Master, you might as well show us the other plan.”

Du Qiu scratched his head, “Hao Ren, why don’t you ask your dad? Just in case…”

“Don’t. I’m afraid he would beat me to death. Such an expensive tank and it’s merely for the old tank’s modification fees. I’d rather die than tell him,” pleaded Hao Ren.

“What a fine Apocalypse tank it is. You just said it was ultra-cool. Don’t you want it anymore? If not, I might just keep it for myself,” teased Du Qiu.

“You keep it, Master. After all, you’re not short on cash,” Hao Ren responded with a wave of his hand.

Du Qiu clapped his hands, “Star Ocean, show the Wolf tank combat video!”

The large screen flickered and a video started playing.

On an African savannah, 12 T90SU tanks thundered forward in combat formation. Opposite them, three tanks with an unusual appearance maneuvered at high speed.

Liu Yaofeng immediately noticed that these three tanks still bore the Type 59’s characteristic five pairs of road wheels, signifying these were heavily modified Type 59 tanks.

Watching the video, Liu Yaofeng exclaimed, “Wow, the mobility is astonishing, isn’t it? It seems to reach almost 100 kilometers per hour!”

“The current speed in the video is 98 kilometers per hour. The Wolf tank can reach a maximum off-road speed of 108 kilometers per hour, surpassing all current tanks,” explained Du Qiu.

In the video, the three Wolf tanks started firing while maneuvering at high speed.

Liu Yaofeng shouted again, “They’re opening fire from so far away, can they hit the target? And even if they hit, can they penetrate T90’s armor?”

“The distance here is 2800 meters. The Wolf tank can ensure a hit and destruction,” clarified Du Qiu.

On-screen, as the Wolf tanks opened fire, the opposing T90s also began shooting; in a 3 against 12 situation, thanks to the Wolf tanks’ maneuverability, all of T90’s shots missed. However, the Wolf tanks scored direct hits on the first shot, causing three T90s to burst into splendid flames and turn into scrap metal.

The video continued to play; the three Wolf tanks, like three hunting wolves, relied on their high mobility and accuracy to utterly annihilate all 12 T90s in this tank duel.

“Master, this is amazing! The modification on this tank is fantastic!”

“Hmm, but I’m still somewhat dissatisfied,” Du Qiu murmured, stroking his chin.

Hao Ren hastily said, “It’s enough, Master. This already meets our country’s defense needs. But how much is the modification fee?”

Du Qiu shook his head, “The main expense is the specially customized 1500 horsepower engine, which costs $100,000. Other improvements like the fire control system only cost $80,000. Of course, this is just the material cost. If it goes into mass modification, your father will probably have to pay double. To round it up, let’s say $400,000 USD.”

Liu Yaofeng gasped, “Wow, $400,000 USD to heavily modify the Type 59 to withstand T90. I feel that even our Tang Country’s Type 99 might not be a match with this kind of performance.”

Hao Ren burst into laughter, “Haha, with that price, you’ve got to make some profit. I can report back to my father tonight; he’s been waiting eagerly.”

“Hey, Hao Ren, the tank modification project isn’t bringing in much money. Why don’t you talk to your dad, maybe I can modify those 053 frigates you bought from Tang Country last year,” suggested Du Qiu.

“Boss, you can even modify warships? Have you become a weapons expert in just over a year?” Liu Yaofeng looked at Du Qiu in amazement.

“It can’t be helped; the Americans have forced this upon me,” Du Qiu lamented with a wry expression.

Hao Ren chuckled, “Master, you can really modify warships? We finally got these two ships after much difficulty; please don’t change them for the worse.”

“As long as your father is willing to hand them over for modification, I guarantee you they’ll be able to crush the Arsan country’s Galgoda-class across the ocean, how about that?”

“Boss, that’s a 7500-ton destroyer they have with 16 BrahMos anti-ship missiles. I’m afraid the 053 frigates just aren’t up to the task,” Liu Yaofeng pointed out.

“That’s why they need my improvements,” Du Qiu clarified.

Du Qiu turned to Hao Ren and said, “Hao Ren, tell your dad if I improve the anti-ship missiles and maritime search radar, it should be enough to counter the Arsan Galgoda-class. The modification shouldn’t cost much. With such upgrades, the Tanga Federation’s navy would be invincible in the western Indian Ocean.”

Liu Yaofeng took a drink of water and sighed inwardly at Hao Ren’s excited expression, “Even with the capabilities of two 053H’s, they’d be invincible in the western Indian Ocean. It seems the Boss’s talent for bluffing people has improved greatly after more than a year.”

Hao Ren, unaware of Liu Yaofeng’s muttering, was captivated by the bright future painted by Du Qiu.

Why did the Tanga Federation purchase two retired frigates from the Tang Country?

It was because the Sanji Archipelago within the Federation always had aspirations for independence, prompting the Federation Defense Forces to make a significant investment.

For years, the Tanga Federation’s Marine Corps had been quite strong, built following Tang Country’s model and almost identical in equipment.

The iconic Type 63A amphibious tank was the mainstay of the Marine Corps.

Recently, the discovery of oil fields near the Sanji Archipelago has greatly increased the island’s desire to break away from the impoverished mainland motherland.

The Federation Defense Forces bought the two retired frigates from Tang Country also as a deterrent against minor threats.