The East Continent Empire started with its navy, beginning from its islands, naturally emphasizing the construction of its navy.
In the current era, powerful battleships and dreadnoughts dominate the world, representing the highest military might of a nation.
“Your Majesty, we have completed the first round of the Naval Expansion Act.”
“As of now, we have completed the construction of the second East Continent-produced battleship, which is currently undergoing sea trials.”
This is a battleship, hailed as the pinnacle of military technology in the world.
“Due to the adoption of new technologies, this battleship surpasses our current main East Continent battleship, the tiangang-class, by approximately 20%.”
“It completely surpasses John Bull’s current Fearless-class battleship.”
“The first heavy cruiser has also been completed. Due to its unique nature, we have not yet disclosed its existence.”
The East Continent Empire can be said to have set the standard for naval military power in the current era.
The first destroyer, the first light cruiser, and the first heavy cruiser were all initially built by the East Continent Empire, and then imitated by other naval powers around the world.
This heavy cruiser was also used to test technology, incorporating many Fearless-class dreadnought blueprints that Fang Mingzhou had retrieved from the library.
“The first batch of four improved Rainbow-class Light Cruisers, which we focused on building, has been completed, and the second batch is also more than halfway through.”
“In addition, the second-generation ocean-going submarine has also been completed and is currently undergoing sea trials.”
“Furthermore, other countries have also discovered the usefulness of submarines and are intensifying their research. Two years ago, the Lighthouse Country had already begun researching submarines.”
“Although its displacement is less than one hundred tons and it can only carry three torpedoes, it is still a threat.”
This is unavoidable; global naval technology is developing rapidly. Although we have the library system and no shortage of technology, the development of others cannot be halted.
“How far along is the sonar research by the Military Research Institute?”
The sonar system is another trump card of the East Continent Empire, with research beginning two years ago.
Zhou Chuanjian, the Minister of Science and Technology, immediately replied, “Preliminary research has been completed, and a finished product is expected next year.”
Sonar is a good thing; in addition to military use, it is indispensable for fisheries and ocean exploration. Since sonar is about to be released, these early submarines will no longer pose a threat.
“In addition, in recent years, our navy has primarily focused on building auxiliary vessels.”
The navy is not just about warships; auxiliary vessels are equally important. For example, when it comes to oceanography, the current East Continent Navy cannot compare to John Bull.
The reason John Bull became the leading naval power, in addition to its massive warships, is its extensive network of hydrographic and oceanographic survey ships spread across the world.
The East Continent Navy’s previous warships were all purchased from abroad, and now all the previous debts have been settled.
Last year, under the leadership of Fang Mingzhou, the navy began to split into two main parts, the East Continent First and Second Fleets.
The First Fleet’s homeport is Weihai, with six tiangang-class battleships and two Di Sha-class heavy cruisers as its backbone, supported by four Rainbow-class Light Cruisers and ten Class A destroyers.
It is primarily responsible for the defense of the Beibu Gulf and the capital, covering the Northwest Ocean, serving as the most important strategic strike force.
The Second Fleet’s homeport is Huacheng, primarily composed of two tiangang-class battleships, the first self-built battleship, six Di Sha-class heavy cruisers, and all twelve rainbow-class armored cruisers are assigned to the Second Fleet, along with twelve destroyers and numerous gunboats.
At the same time, the East Continent’s first, and the world’s first, heavy cruiser was also assigned to the Second Fleet.
From these allocations, it can be seen that the First Fleet is mainly for deterrence and naval warfare. battleships are considered a nation's vital asset, and the First Fleet is equipped with six of them.
The Second Fleet, on the other hand, primarily operates in the southern part of the Empire and the vast colonial territories of the South Seas, thus having stringent requirements for speed.
At the same time, Phu Nam’s Subic Bay serves as the main base. Due to the numerous islands and waterways in the South Seas region.
To defend these areas, rainbow-class and Class A destroyers are the most suitable warships. At the same time, to ensure sufficient deterrence against John Bull’s strait colonies.
Therefore, it is also equipped with two battleships and most of the heavy cruisers.
As for those gunboats, they cannot undertake long-distance voyages, but they are sufficient for patrolling in the South Seas.
Although they are separated, it does not mean they operate independently. They primarily deal with different scenarios, and if a major war breaks out, the two fleets will certainly unite.
And because the East Continent Empire’s territory is too vast, most of the Army relies on marching on foot. Therefore, after consideration, Fang Mingzhou adopted the theater system.
Similarly, to prevent situations where military orders from outside are not followed or Commanders accumulate power, theaters are generally equipped with a General Staff. Daily work will be completed by these General Staffs, and the Commander position is vacant, only to be filled when a major war is imminent.
A general will be dispatched by the Empire’s General Staff Headquarters to serve as the Theater Commander.
This reform reduced multiple layers of command in the middle, and front-line troops no longer had so many “supervisors” above them, improving wartime command efficiency.
The Commander of the First Fleet remained Zhang Ping, while Fang Mingzhou unexpectedly appointed Xu Wenguang as the Commander of the Second Fleet, which puzzled many people.
Zhang Ping, needless to say, participated in all of the East Continent Empire’s past naval battles, an old navy man who started with Fang Mingzhou from the very beginning.
Xu Wenguang, however, was noted for his excellent overseas study experience, his outstanding performance in the naval battles against Neon, and his prominent role in the final confrontation with John Bull.
The South Seas region is complex, and Fang Mingzhou valued Xu Wenguang’s bold and decisive naval combat style and his unique ability to seize opportunities on the battlefield.
With the navy divided, the Army is also organized according to theater responsibilities. The East Continent Royal Army established six theaters: East, West, North, South, Central, and Overseas Theaters.
The East Continent Empire’s military strength already meets daily needs. Unless a world war breaks out, Fang Mingzhou does not intend to continue large-scale military expansion.
More troops are not always better; it’s not yet time for a massive troop surge. The East Continent Empire, with a population of 460 million, does not fear any war.
Overall, the East Continent is still in a phase of rapid development. Emperor Fang Mingzhou has poured money into it for the past decade, building the world's fifth-largest navy and one of the top five armies.
These forces serve as a protective umbrella for the East Continent.
However, even under this umbrella, the situation is not optimistic. The South was only pacified two years ago, and people's hearts have just begun to stabilize. Although the gentry and conservative forces have been severely weakened, it does not mean they have disappeared.
This is a long-term process. Theoretically, these individuals are obstructing the Prime Minister's Office's official power from reaching local areas.
“Your Majesty, since last year, we have fully implemented land policies and new currency issuance in the South.”
“Currently, the results are not very ideal; those gentry are still holding onto their silver.”
Fang Mingzhou felt he had given these people too much leeway and said, “Are the dozen National Guard Divisions handed over to the Prime Minister’s Office just for show?”
“There is a final deadline of one month. After that, silver transactions will be prohibited in the market. If anyone takes the lead in resisting, then clean them out for me.”
“In any era, at any time, no one shall be above national interests.”
