Thinking about this, Han Yu asked in surprise: "So this time the exercise didn't requisition a few big ships?"

"No."

"Landing operations are different from other operations. Relying like this on fishing boats won't work. Fishing boats have small tonnage, can only transport personnel and can't transport heavy equipment, can't even transport a few soldiers. They have low horsepower, poor mobility during beach landing tasks, and they become live targets when clustered on the sea surface at the beachhead."

"There's nothing we can do about it. We equally want to equip more landing ships, but the higher-ups don't equip us. We can only rely on existing equipment to win modern warfare under high-tech conditions."

"Some tasks can be based on existing equipment, but some tasks are impossible."

"You know this, I know this, and the superiors know it too. Who doesn't want advanced equipment, but it costs money. You've executed the transfer task for 'Big Shark' before. You're most aware of how much it costs to introduce one 'Big Shark'."

Chief of Staff Zhang took a deep breath and continued: "Don't even talk about large ships, even small boats aren't cheap. For example, the anti-smuggling boat you just received costs over 20 million each. Can we afford that?"

Han Yu could understand Chief of Staff Zhang's feelings, he was silent for a moment and then said with a bitter smile: "I might say something that upsets the higher-ups, but relying on existing equipment to win modern warfare under high-tech conditions seems a bit unrealistic."

"Exactly, the equipment gap is too large compared to others. Not to mention compared to the United States, we can't even compare to Japan. Look at their Eight-Eight Fleet, it feels so frustrating."

Chief of Staff Zhang lit a cigarette and continued: "Our Navy is not up to much, and the Air Force isn't much better either. I've heard the Air Force is researching how to use J-7 and J-8 to combat F-16s. The electronic equipment of F-16s is so advanced, capable of beyond-visual-range combat. Before seeing them, their missiles have already arrived. How can we fight that?"

Han Yu whispered: "Taiwan is equipped with F-16s."

"Equipped two years ago, with 130 aircraft. In addition, there are 60 Mirage 2000 and more than 40 IDF lightweight third-generation aircraft."

"More than our Su-27s."

"Yes." 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"So, our military exercises might not necessarily scare them?"

"Neither have complete air domination nor complete sea domination. If it's just comparing equipment, they might not be afraid. But we can't do nothing. When the embassy was bombed, we were publicly criticized. You know that."

Whenever there's trouble at sea, the Navy gets severely criticized, and the newly established Marine Supervision does too.

Compared to the Navy and Marine Supervision, the Fishery Administration has a much better reputation.

The most laughable thing is that in such situations, the Urban Management gets mocked, as the public says, "Give me 3,000 urban management to recover Taiwan."

The more Han Yu thought about it, the more he felt uneasy and said with a bitter smile: "Chief of Staff Zhang, luckily, I didn't become Navy, or I would be criticized just like you."

"Trying to distance yourself is impossible." Chief of Staff Zhang stubbed out the cigarette and pointing at him said: "You are our Navy's reserve officer, you are the Navy!"

...

8:24 PM, East Sea Base.

The surface fleet under the base has all departed port, and the pier stands empty, but the command building is brightly lit.

The phone rings one after another, and operations staff are busy around the nautical charts.

The Commander went to Jianfu Province yesterday, and Vice Commander Yu stationed at the base.

He had just confirmed the positions of various transport teams when the deputy captain of the exercise director group responsible for personnel transfers and logistics supplies hurried in.

"Captain Fang, any instructions?"

"No instructions, but we saw an interesting transport fleet at sea."

"Which one?" Vice Commander Yu asked curiously.

Captain Fang took the baton from the operations staff and pointed at the nautical chart, smiled and said: "Binjiang Civilian Transport Team."

Vice Commander Yu was an old subordinate of Director Feng, could not help but think of the old leader's "closed-door disciple," curiously asked: "What's up with the Binjiang Civilian Transport Team?"

"They didn't join the big fleet, deliberately keeping distance from it. Their formation is very scattered, not only arranging several ships for alert on the periphery, but even moving anti-aircraft guns onto the ships. I have become their target; the gun barrels are always aimed at me. Pilots were worried they'd fire accidentally; they were really surprised."

"Do they have air defense?"

"At first, I thought they deviated from course. Upon close observation, I found that their exercise had already started, implementing all possible air defense measures."

Just knew that kid Salted Fish wouldn't be peaceful!

Vice Commander Yu couldn't help but laugh and ask: "What other air defense measures?"

Captain Fang took a series of photos handed by the accompanying staff and passed them over with a smile: "These were taken by us this afternoon on the plane. Look, they even have camouflage. Although they used fishing nets, without careful observation, you can't really see the deck of those fishing boats packed with participating officers and soldiers."

Vice Commander Yu looked at the photos, smiled looking up, and said: "Captain Fang, they aren't the Binjiang Civilian Transport Team, but the Binjiang Reserve Corps mixed with Binjiang Naval Reserve Rescue Ship Brigade. You should remember the Brigade Captain, it's Salted Fish who helped us transfer 'Big Shark' back in the day."

"So it's him!"

"He is now the captain of the Binjiang Naval Reserve Rescue Ship Brigade. It is normal that he thought of this."

"What do you mean?"

"For us, this is exercise; for him, it's very much like actual combat, or you could say he has always been in actual combat."

"Vice Commander Yu, can you be more specific?"

"He's the Water Police, worked on the water since he was sixteen, fighting river pirates, assisting Port Supervision, Fishery Administration, and Water Administration law enforcement, and every time there's a flood disaster, he has to rush rescue operations, organizing efforts to put out ship fires when it occurs."

Vice Commander Yu paused, then continued: "For us, soldiers are trained over time for their occasional need, mainly training in peacetime. He's different from us, he not only needs to train but also to fight; he can't and doesn't dare treat training lightly; training must be close to real combat, otherwise, lives are at stake."

In terms of combat experience, the active forces truly aren't as good as the police.

Captain Fang was silent for a moment and asked softly: "Which unit is he in now, and what's his position?"

"Just transferred to the Smuggling Crime Investigation Bureau Binjiang Branch, now the Water Anti-Smuggling Director of the Binjiang Branch. Jiangnan Customs just received two anti-smuggling boats, and he organized training for the boats' crew. According to him, they are the Second Navy, and indeed he can direct two anti-smuggling boats equipped with machine guns."

"Do you know him well?"

"He's the person Chief of Staff Feng watched grow up, cultivated by Chief of Staff Feng, in terms of seniority can be considered my junior."

"Cultivated by Old Feng?"

"Yes, by Chief of Staff Feng while serving as Binjiang Port Director, appointed him for the transfer of 'Big Shark' back in the day."

"No wonder, a strong general has no weak soldiers under them."

"It's a pity that he doesn't fancy our Navy. Otherwise, he would have been specially recruited a long time ago."