America: Starting with Daily Intelligence

"Boss, didn't you go to work today?" Sieg asked, a bit disoriented.

"You really partied hard last night, even daring to go for a sweet three-player game. Do you know how you got back?" Allen Zhang asked.

Sieg said somewhat embarrassingly, "I wasn't really aware, but I think Boketu and the others must have carried me back. After drinking, I felt something was off, but I had no choice, I had to shoot the arrow since it was already on the bowstring!"

"Reduce those blue pills you take outside, do you know how much technology and hard work is in there? Nobody's going to take care of you if you ruin your kidneys. If you really want to become stronger, besides the natural fitness stances I've taught you, you can also ask Dr. Jerry to research a small dose of Viagra for you," Allen Zhang joked.

"Boss, I'll definitely be careful in the future," Sieg hurriedly said. He had overestimated his abilities, thinking that by being around the General Sect Leader and soaking up the atmosphere, he had already become quite strong in level and physical constitution.

But to his surprise, just upon encountering the sweet three-person game, the pressure multiplied, and it was more than he could bear!

Allen Zhang earnestly lectured Sieg, then had him wash his face, dress up properly, and took his female assistant Gwen out.

Sieg was tasked with driving to a warehouse on the outskirts, preparing to bring a team of professional ground staff to the General Dynamics Shipyard to pick from a selection of retired ships in good condition.

After all, the General Sect Leader's knowledge of warships was limited to boasting on the internet. He had scarcely ridden on yachts or cruise ships, and he was not well-versed in the costs of maintaining a warship or the number of people required to be recruited, especially needing professional advice and recommendations.

First, Sieg drove to the storage warehouse in the suburbs to pick up Harvard, who was in charge of monitoring and maintaining the nuclear reactor.

Parking the Rolls-Royce on the roadside, Allen Zhang called Harvard to get in the car, then drove to the suburban hangar to meet Qibatu and the other skilled ground support staff.

During the drive, Allen Zhang also asked Harvard, "How has life been treating you recently?"

"Pretty good. Besides studying the blueprints and open-source materials for nuclear power, there's not much else to do. Boss, did you call me for a reason?" Harvard replied honestly.

"Of course, there's a reason. We've contacted General Dynamics Shipyard; they've got several Coastal Combat Ships and retired Destroyers for sale, and I'm thinking of buying them to refurbish and maintain. Maybe we can even realize your dream," Allen Zhang said with a smile.

"Coastal Combat Ships?" Harvard was surprised, "Aren't those strategically phased out?"

"If they weren't strategically phased out, how could we possibly buy them at a low price?" Allen Zhang replied.

The Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program spanned over 20 years, costing about 30 billion US Dollars, but was ultimately rated by the US media as "the most failed project in the history of the US Navy."

But according to his research, the Littoral Combat Ship wasn't a complete failure; it's just that the Navy had too high expectations, and it didn't match the US Navy's dominant strength and strategic demands, and changes in the era were too rapid.

If the task is near-shore self-defense and retaliatory counter-attacks, it remains very useful, fitting the needs of small Third World countries. Many nations are willing to purchase them, but for proactive long-range attacks far from port, it's practically useless and might as well be free.

Its intended role was to replace the Perry-class Escort Ships, with primary expected missions including entering adversarial coastal waters to attack maritime defenses, striking surface warships and conventional submarines, counter-mining, as well as transporting special forces and conducting near-shore monitoring and blockades.

Its features include high speed, good stealth capability, modular design and construction, and a simple and easily retrofittable hull.

The design emphasizes high travel speed, values stealth, and the ability to operate helicopters and unmanned platforms.

However, it also has very obvious flaws, with fundamental issues in design philosophy, resulting in almost no defense against anti-ship cruise missiles, nor the ability to accomplish tasks of contested presence and power projection. It's only suited for near-shore humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, and self-defense.

Yet, it has its advantages.

It is cheap.

Although expensive to develop, its post-retirement price is very affordable.

A simple design means easier modification and retrofitting.

High speed, quick responsiveness, the ability to carry helicopters and speedboats make it more suitable for close-range self-defense and repelling illegal organizations and pirates threatening private island territories.

For conflicts between states, it is a strategic mistake, nothing but a rookie gift in the presence of major powers. After all, others have anti-ship missiles.

But for private armed forces, its performance is quite superior!

Because others can't afford to use anti-ship missiles against you, it would seem very 'thick-skinned' and durable.

A retired 100 million US Dollar Escort Ship may seem fragile and not cost-effective, outdated.

But a second-hand 4 million US Dollar Battleship, you'd see as well-crafted, robust, and durable, able to fight for another decade!

Harvard: "..."

After thinking it over, he found nothing worth refuting, because, for a price of 4 million US Dollars or slightly more, you could buy an American-made Battleship ready for battle, so why would you need a bicycle?

Blindly chasing performance, there are plenty of excellent warships on the market, but even if you can afford to buy one, you can't afford to maintain it.