CHAPTER 1099: CHAPTER 584-2

"This battleship, stronger than the Devourer-class Cruiser?"

Hearing this, Su Jie couldn’t help but laugh. He patted Liu Yingying’s little head and said, "Haha, the Devourer-class Cruiser was built as an escort for it, just like the relationship between an aircraft carrier and a destroyer. Which do you think is stronger?"

"What!"

Liu Yingying was stunned. The Devourer-class Cruiser was already strong enough, but it turned out to be just an escort for this battleship in front of her.

"Heh, this will be enough for the Beautiful Country’s carrier fleet to drink a cup of tea."

Su Jie admired the giant in front of him, the current crowning achievement of Puppet Hall and the Jieke Group. Su Jie had high hopes for it.

With such a naval weapon, even if Su Jie went to Tianyuan World in the future, it could still replace him, guarding the Jieke Group.

"Launch it."

Su Jie’s eyes were deep, the battlefield before him suited the debut of this powerful battleship, named in his honor, snatching away the Beautiful Country’s carriers’ glory at sea.

......

Pacific Ocean!

The Roosevelt Carrier Battle Group cruised through the cold ocean, the bow cutting through layers of white waves. The enormous hull lay like a mountain across the ocean. On the flat, wide deck, formidable carrier-based aircraft were poised for takeoff to execute combat missions. Accompanied by multiple escort ships, cruisers, destroyers, and various auxiliary vessels, the carrier battle group was like a mobile military fortress, with an operational radius of up to two thousand kilometers.

Take the Roosevelt Carrier Battle Group, for example. Due to the potential confrontation with the Jieke Group, the Beautiful Country was equipped with an unprecedented powerful escort fleet, including one Ticonderoga-class missile cruiser, the Bunker Hill, and as many as five Arleigh Burke-class destroyers—Russell, Paul Hamilton, Pinkney, Kidd, and Rafael Peralta—belonging to the 23rd Destroyer Squadron.

And the strength of the Roosevelt Carrier Battle Group did not stop there, as it also included a large number of warships from Japan, South Korea, and the Great British Empire.

Japan’s fleet sent out 4 Type-2 helicopter carriers, 24 destroyers, 15 escort ships, 6 conventional submarines, and 5 supply ships; basically, the whole family was here.

South Korea also dispatched 8 escort and destroyer vessels, while the Great British Empire had only two destroyers, but they sent their most important Elizabeth-class carrier, with a displacement of 65,000 tons, making it the second-largest power in the fleet group, apart from the Roosevelt Carrier.

The total tonnage of the entire Roosevelt Carrier Battle Group reached an astounding 750,000 tons, a force capable of dominating the ocean, comparable in strength to the group that included the Reagan-class carrier and Eisenhower Carrier, which had suppressed the Yin Yang Sea Suppressing Palace.

Originally serving as a backup force, the Roosevelt Carrier Battle Group avoided the great tsunami over Hokkaido. However, now the problem before them could involve facing an equally formidable opponent.

"Also, satellite reconnaissance detected the Jieke Group’s movements; their Far East Mixed Fleet appeared at latitude and longitude 144.589—25.044, but in the enemy fleet, only two cruiser arsenal ships have been found, while the other three cruiser arsenal ships are missing."

In the Roosevelt Carrier’s command room, Sigismund Fleck, the commander of the Roosevelt Carrier Battle Group, looked at the sea chart and listened to the latest situation report, frowning tightly and said, "The disappearance of the three cruiser arsenal ships likely means they have submerged. Perhaps the enemy has also discovered our traces and is now approaching us underwater. Order all destroyers and escort ships to closely detect any underwater noise, and let sonar capture any unusual sounds."

Staff Officer Randall Love added from the side, "The Jieke Group’s Far East Mixed Fleet is approximately 1200 kilometers away from us. This distance is within the combat radius of our carrier-based aircraft. Should we strike first and dispatch a batch of carrier-based aircraft to take down the Jieke Group’s Far East Mixed Fleet?"

"The homeland hasn’t given me a definitive combat order; those Congress lords are still debating whether to go to war with the Jieke Group."

Sigismund shook his head, his facial expression resembling a mask of pain.

As a soldier, this was the kind of situation he least wanted to encounter. The Jieke Group’s navy fleet had already posed a threat, yet the homeland had not declared war on the Jieke Group, rendering him unable to attack proactively and placing him in a very passive position.

Hearing this, Randall said in a deep voice, "At this juncture, since we are reluctant to go to war with the Jieke Group, we should detach from Japan’s fleet; otherwise, the Jieke Group will only think of us as being in cahoots with them."

Sigismund waved his hand, explaining, "The homeland won’t agree to that. I know what those Congress lords are thinking. They neither want to give up Japan, which they consider a faithful ally, nor do they want a direct confrontation with the Jieke Group."

"Isn’t this a typical case of having your cake and eating it too? We’ve already lost two carrier battle groups. There’s no way the Jieke Group would retreat so easily. If they were that timid, they wouldn’t have declared war on Japan in the first place."

Randall was speechless upon hearing this. Isn’t this a typical case of having your cake and eating it too? They want the benefits without any risk at all. Those Congress lords can talk the talk, but the soldiers fighting on the front lines have to face the danger of the Jieke Group while wearing shackles, with any carelessness leading to the complete annihilation of their forces.

"That’s why there’s sometimes a benefit to dictatorship. With the Jieke Group’s top-down approach, when their Supreme Leader gives an order, the entire military is of one mind, unlike us, where the procedural framework is so restrictive."

Sigismund let out a sigh, knowing such words could only be spoken among his own people.

The two were still discussing when suddenly a messenger rushed in urgently, saying nervously, "Commander, the latest from the operation command: half an hour ago, the Jieke Group dispatched Luanyang Air-Space Strategic Bombers to carry out air raids on multiple locations in Japan."

Sigismund’s face twitched upon hearing this, and he quickly asked, "What about the Jieke Group’s Far East Mixed Fleet?"

The air raids by the Jieke Group on Japan were expected. Those Luanyang Air-Space Strategic Bombers had made their debut during the You Tai Country war, decimating most of You Tai Country’s military capabilities.

The Jieke Group, possessing such a massive air strike capability, could not possibly refrain from using it. Even the Beautiful Country Fleet was on guard against these large, high-altitude supersonic bombers.

Their course has changed; they are now maneuvering toward the Japan Main Island direction. Meanwhile, our intelligence has detected that the Jieke Group’s homeland has dispatched another fleet, primarily composed of transport ships and supply ships."

"This isn’t good. The Jieke Group plans to launch a ground invasion. We need to stop them; they plan to open a land battlefield. We must protect Japan’s mainland from falling into the hands of the Jieke Group," Sigismund said with a heavy heart.

Randall heard this and sighed. At this point, the two exchanged glances and saw the bitterness in each other’s eyes.

They’re not against a war with the Jieke Group; after all, they have nothing to gain if the Japan mainland falls into the hands of the Jieke Group.

To say the least, they’ve never fought such an awkward war before. In the past, their Beautiful Country ran rampant across Blue Star, fighting whoever they wished, accusing anyone they wanted of possessing weapons of mass destruction, even if it was just washing powder. Back then, the Beautiful Country was extremely shining and powerful, truly a world dominator.

Now, at this moment, the very same Beautiful Country was forced to tread lightly, even against primal powers like the Jieke Group’s navy.