Chapter 1462 - Emergency Meeting (1/2)
“I propose to increase troops to Colombia! And mobilize our allies, especially the parasites who are in arrears with NATO military expenditure!”
“Not a bad idea, but very difficult to execute. The United Kingdom has sent two divisions to support us, and France has also sent a division. We cannot expect them to invest more troops for South America that is not in their interests…”
“What about Turkey? If we promise to help them enter the European Union…”
“Then we will offend at least twenty allies!”
“…”
There were endless quarrels and arguments in the conference room, and Mike Pence stared at the globe in the corner of the table without a word as he was immersed in his own thought.
The problems the UA faced were far more severe than he imagined.
Although the defense budget had continued to increase, the number of soldiers had steadily decreased.
Since the end of the Iraq War and the end of the Afghanistan War, the total number of UA Army soldiers had dropped from 570,000 at its peak in 2012 to 480,000 in 2020. The current number of active soldiers was about 300,000 in the Air Force, about 320,000 in the Navy, and about 180,000 in the Marine Corps. Of course, these stats did not include the National Guards in each state. It was easier to mobilize the reserves to participate in a war than to mobilize the National Guards.
In asymmetric wars, this number of standing troops was sufficient for a country with superior sea power. Unfortunately, they were now at a disadvantage against the technical prowess of Celestial Trade. Fortunately, Hill in her term suspended Obama’s plan to reduce troops, otherwise, the current situation would only be worse…
“Folks,” National Security Advisor John McCain knocked on the table with his knuckles and signaled everyone to stop arguing and look to him. He raised his voice and said, “There are already 130,000 of our soldiers fighting for Colombia’s freedom. Based on the data analyzed by the top military command, if we want to gain ‘overwhelming’ advantage in Colombia, we need to invest at least an army in South America. Moro and Madagascar Volunteers are on the way, and those Third World gangsters will drag us into the mess.”
At this point, McCain paused for a moment before he continued.
“You all overlooked the most effective method.”
“While Celestial Trade is powerful, their strategic depth is limited! Whether it is the space elevator or the high-tech factories concentrated in Xin. Instead of throwing hundreds of thousands of people into the bottomless pit of Colombia, it is better to send our aircraft carrier groups to fight in the Western Pacific. Launch our intercontinental missiles! Even if their air defense systems are great, they can’t make up the gap in numbers!”
“We’ll launch 400 Tomahawk cruise missiles to the space elevator and launch a strategic nuclear strike on the Ange Island Industrial Base. Even if they can arm every soldier to the teeth, we can also bring them back to the Stone Age!”
“You are a lunatic!” Another advisor sitting next to him exclaimed, “We are not the only ones with nuclear weapons! If they launch a retaliatory attack on our homeland…”
“But our gains are immense!” McCain said firmly. “If we look forward, as long as we absorb their technology and rely on the industrial strength of us and our allies, we will be able to colonize the Gliese 581 in a few decades! Instead of defending against aliens in front of the door!”
As for blowing up the space elevator, as long they possessed the technology, they could just build another one. Once the new space elevator rose again, they could take over Celestial Trade’s Moon and Mars colony. At that time, the UA would lead the mankind of the future, not Xin or Celestial Trade!
“This is too risky.”
Mike Pence frowned, but he was seriously deliberating this possibility.
He had heard of the submarine missile wells of Celestial Trade a long time ago, but Hill did one thing positive before she left office, and that was to introduce the THAAD air defense system into Guam and Wake Island. If Xin launched intercontinental missiles from the Western Pacific, there was a high probability that they would be able to complete the interception during the boost phase…
But if the missiles could not be intercepted…
Just when Mike Pence was hesitating, there was a phone call.
McCain still wanted to persuade, but when he saw the President picked up the phone, he closed his mouth politely.
The hand that held the phone turned pale and uncertainty was written all over Mike Pence’s face.
After he had put the phone down, the hand on the phone did not move, and he sat there silently.