.Huang Zhibo took time out of his busy schedule to send Mu Haoyang to the airport, definitely not just to chat on the way.

It is an indisputable fact that military changes have arrived.

While the Chinese team was busy rectifying their arms and making comprehensive plans for equipment development within 20 years, other powerful countries also launched similar arms plans.

As the world's number one power, as early as early July, the United States revised and supplemented the "National Defense Force Vision Plan" adopted in early 2016, accelerating the development of certain arms projects, integrating certain arms projects, and launching some new arms projects.

In order to maintain the world's number one military force, the United States' initiatives are very powerful.

According to the new vision plan, starting from 2022, the United States will replace its existing equipment and replace all weapons and equipment before 2037, including the F35 series fighter jets that were officially put into service in 2015, the Ford-class aircraft carrier and the Zumwalter-class destroyer that were in service almost the same period, as well as the first batch of Virginia-class attack nuclear submarines and all Ohio-class strategic nuclear submarines. Several types of equipment under design, such as CGX cruisers, SSNX attack nuclear submarines and SSBNX strategic nuclear submarines, as well as FX fighters, BX bombers and Ex integrated electronic warfare platforms, will all reset performance indicators.

Such a big move has only one purpose: to adapt to future wars.

The Second Korean War and the East China Sea War have shown some characteristics of future wars, such as high-intensity application of troops and harsh electromagnetic environments. The U.S.-South Korea Allied Forces suffered a crushing defeat on the Korean Peninsula and Japan's crushing defeat in the East China Sea have proved the same problem, that is, an army that cannot adapt to a new way of war will find it difficult to gain a foothold in the future battlefield and will even more difficult to win in future wars.

Military changes are imperative, and whoever takes the initiative will be able to take the initiative in future wars.

This is true for military reforms carried out by other countries.

Take Russia as an example. After the end of the East China Sea War, Pukin, who was re-elected president, personally inquired about the progress of military projects such as T50 fighter jets. During the inspection of the Far East Military Region, he asked the Russian army to prepare for the war at any time, claiming that Russia would become a military power with global influence by 2025. Subsequently, Pukin also went to the northern shipyard to inquire about the construction of the new aircraft carrier.

It is undeniable that Pujin worked hard.

It is also undeniable that Russia's national strength is very limited.

For example, as early as 2011, then Russian President and current Federal Prime Minister Medvichev claimed that Russia would build six large aircraft carriers by 2025, and three for the Northern Fleet and the Pacific Fleet to build the world's second-largest naval fleet. Unfortunately, the first aircraft carrier was not started until 2018, and it is expected to be launched in 2027 and put into service in 2030. As for the remaining five, if they cannot be built before 2024, they may not be able to enter service by 2035. With Russia's national strength, it is almost impossible to build six aircraft carriers and supporting large surface warships in 2025.

Like Russia, European powers also launched new arms plans in July.

The difference is that European powers pay more attention to equipment, but to integrate existing military forces, starting with France and Germany.

France and Germany first signed, and then the arms integration plan formulated by the "European Defense Federation" participated by seven countries including Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic will achieve full integration of the defense command system before 2025.

What is more eye-catching is that in this plan, clear provisions are made on the arms plans of various countries.

For example, France will provide nuclear protection umbrellas for all countries participating in the defense consortium as a permanent member of the Security Council and a nuclear power, and promise other countries to enjoy the same strategic security level as France's mainland. If other countries suffer strategic blows, France will fight back.

Similar arrangements have been made in terms of conventional military strength.

For example, France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands will form the "European Fleet", France will build two more medium-sized aircraft carriers, and the other three countries will provide supporting warships.

However, Europe's arms plan has a fatal flaw: there is no unified Ministry of Defense.

It can be said that the "European Defense Federation" is still a cooperation between countries, coordinated by member states, rather than a unified deployment by a Ministry of Defense.

If there are too many decrees, the result will definitely not be much better.

During the Cold War, Europe failed to achieve a defense alliance in the face of the powerful Soviet Red Army and the unified command of the United States, let alone in an era without direct threats.

Perhaps European legions will be expanded, but it will be difficult for Europe to achieve military unity before political unity is achieved.

For Europe, joining the arms race led by the United States and China is just not behind the times and accelerating the process of political integration through military alliances.

In the actions of rectifying and expanding arms, Japan's performance was the most eye-catching.

Because it was not until December 2019 that the House of Representatives of Japan passed a bill submitted by Taichiro Kida, and the Self-Defense Force was officially renamed the Defense Force. Taichiro Kida announced the dissolution of the parliament in early January 2020 and held a general election in advance. So it was not until 2020 that Japan's defense expansion plan surfaced.

Compared with other countries, Japan's military expansion operations are not only large in scale, but also very wide in scope.

In terms of hardware, Japan will build four guard groups with twelve large warships each by 2025, and obtain the first large aircraft carrier built by itself by 2030. In the secret armament plan that has not been announced, Japan is also preparing to complete the construction of the first attack nuclear submarine by 2035. In terms of the army, the scale of troops will be expanded to 500,000, and the main combat equipment will be increased accordingly. In terms of the air force, by 2030, the combat aircraft will be increased to 1,800, including 100 bombers. In addition, Japan will also form a Marine Corps with a force of no less than 30,000 and the headquarters is located in Naha, Okinawa.

There is no doubt that Japan has very great military ambitions.

If the military expansion operation is completed as planned, the equipment will be mainly built and manufactured in China, and Japan will spend $5 trillion, which is equivalent to an average annual investment of $500 billion between 2020 and 2029. After deducting inflation and other factors, it is about eight times that of national defense expenditure in 2010.

In terms of software, Japan officially issued the Military Service Law in 2020.

According to this law, all male citizens over the age of 18, without special circumstances, must serve for two to five years, and evading military service will be severely punished.

With Japan's population size, it is enough to support a million military force.

In order to support such a large-scale military force, Japan has also introduced corresponding economic rectification plans, adjusting the lifelines of the national economy such as finance, industry, commerce, agriculture, etc. between 2020 and 2030 to enhance the government's control in the economic field.

If the arms plans of other countries are just strengthening their military power, then Japan's arms plans are preparing for war.

However, before 2020, no one knew that Japan would have such a fierce reaction.

No one knows it doesn’t mean no one realizes it.

In the East China Sea, it is inevitable that Japan will expand its army, and expanding its army is to prepare for war.

"How long do you think peace can last?"

"Peace?" Mu Haoyang looked at Huang Zhibo with a little confused.

“Our peace with Japan.”

"This..." Mu Haoyang thought for a moment and said, "Ten years, maybe twenty years."

"At most twenty years, maybe not that long." Huang Zhibo vented his breath and said, "There is a saying that if you don't kill a snake, you will be bitten by a snake. This is the case now. We hurt Japan, but we did not kill Japan. Stimulated by the crushing defeat, Japan will strengthen its military strength at all costs. It won't take long before Japan will abolish the peace constitution and establish a regular army to clear obstacles for military expansion."

"Even without the East China Sea conflict, Japan will take this path."

"But it's not now, but one day in the future." Huang Zhibo shook his head with a wry smile and said, "If we start a war with Japan again and you are in command, what will you fight?"

"Mr. Huang..."

"Twenty years later, I will definitely retire. You are young now, which does not mean that you are still young in twenty years." Huang Zhibo glanced at Mu Haoyang and said, "I took you to the airport just to talk to you and listen to your thoughts. You must know that the one who commands our army to fight in twenty years will definitely be your generation."

"That depends on the situation at that time." Mu Haoyang did not recommend the Commission again. "It is mainly about combining national strength and military strength, and how much power it has to do."

"Do you think there will be variables in the middle?"

Mu Haoyang nodded and said, "With the current trend, the gap between us and Japan will only widen and will not narrow. Not to mention twenty years, even in fifty years, Japan will not be our opponent. In addition, there is another crucial factor, that is, the United States is willing to completely loosen its ties. Without strategic threat capabilities, no matter how strong Japan's military strength is, it is an order of magnitude worse than us."

"You mean, will the United States loosen Japan?"

"No surprise, the United States will never loosen Japan's ties, because this means that Japan will completely lose control and the United States will also be threatened."

Huang Zhibo nodded thoughtfully and waited for Mu Haoyang to continue talking.

"The problem is that no matter who lives in the Prime Minister's Office, they understand this truth. If Japan wants to defeat us, it must first make a fuss about strategic strength. Only by gaining the same strategic threat capabilities as us, at least with the strategic strike capabilities that can make us afraid of us, will Japan be qualified to challenge us."

"Then what?"

"Then?" Mu Haoyang was stunned for a moment and said, "In order to achieve this goal, the Japanese authorities will definitely try every means to break the forbidden curse set by the United States."

"How to break it?"

"Make Japan important. Without Japan, the United States will not only lose the hegemony of the Western Pacific, but also lose the throne of the world hegemony."

Huang Zhibo smiled and said, "Boy, it's not bad, it's so long."

Mu Haoyang also smiled, feeling that Huang Zhibo was not just praising him.
Chapter completed!