Chapter 973 Naive or arrogant
The existing northwest wind class can make do with diesel engines, but what if the big one needs a displacement of 40,000 tons? What motivation should be used?
If it remains unchanged, it is estimated that it can only run to about ten knots, which is not possible at all.
Replace gas turbine?
Then you have to consider where to purchase gas turbines.
USA? If the Americans knew that they would install the LM2500 gas turbine on the Mistral variant and sell it to Da Mao, they would not come over on the Concorde to scold them.
U.K?
The British will not allow them to sell their gas turbines to Lao Maozi. Although Lao Maozi is clamoring for procurement and bidding, shipyards in countries like Britain and the United States will never come to bid even if they starve to death.
The only thing left is the East!
"Da Mao Navy has a good relationship with Dongfang. This tender is likely to be tailor-made for Mingzhou Group." Dikaina analyzed: "If we are forced to purchase gas turbines from Dongfang, then Mingzhou Group may not agree. We also get criticized for sourcing other people’s products for critical projects.”
Lucas thought for a moment and then said: "I think this is an opportunity. Da Mao has been pursuing diversification of procurement and will not just rely on the Orientals. Otherwise, there is no need to invite bids this time and the orders will be given directly to the Orientals. That's it. They hope to purchase from a third party and expand their channels. We can meet Da Mao's needs. Moreover, we purchase from Mingzhou Group. This is a community of interests. Even if we get the order, we will share a part. The profits will be given to Mingzhou Group, so we will have less resistance."
Di Caina's eyes lit up: "Yes, it seems that we need to find the Mingzhou Group in advance and tell them that even if we win the bidding, they can still make profits! I have a good relationship with the Oriental people, I will go there!"
So, Mingzhou Group welcomed an uninvited guest. After hearing about it, even Qin Tao was a little surprised. Are these French people so cute and innocent?
At that time, he was discussing Damao's amphibious assault ship project with people from the Second Design Office.
"For them, they definitely hope that the larger the displacement, the better, but if the displacement is too large, the cost will soar. Therefore, it is most suitable to modify the design drawings of our 40,000-ton 075 amphibious assault ship and submit it for bidding. "Babic said, when it comes to Lao Maozi, Lao Maozi himself must have the most say.
"Okay, then a 40,000-ton amphibious assault ship, but the cost will soar." Qin Tao said, "We have to figure out how much money Lao Maozi has in his pocket. If it exceeds their budget, I guess they should give up.”
"That's right, so we can make a lot of equipment optional." Babbage said: "For example, the electronic equipment above can be assembled by Lao Maozi himself, as well as close-in defense cannons. Whatever they can install themselves, let them do it. We are actually only responsible for building the shell and engine. Anyway, the main task of the amphibious assault ship is transportation, and there is no need to go to the front line to fight. By the way, some of the cabins Duan can also use the construction standards of civilian ships, so that one ship can be controlled at about one billion US dollars."
“Billion dollars?”
"Yes, we have simplified everything, including the engines. We only use two UGT25000 gas turbines. A speed of 20 knots is enough. If they dislike it, then upgrade it to our UGT40000, and the price is OK. It will continue to rise by one to two hundred million US dollars. In short, our quotation will be low at the beginning, and the price will continue to increase with the optional equipment. This has nothing to do with us, it is all their own needs."
Qin Tao looked at Babic in surprise. As an old man, is it appropriate for you to fool him like this?
Sure enough, there are just as many soldiers as there are generals. My own subordinates have all been led astray by myself.
"Our main competitor is the French. However, France does not have as much experience as us and does not have advanced engines, so this project must belong to us." Babbage said: "Although our navy has not officially ordered 075, But we believe that this amphibious assault ship will become a trend and the first choice of many navies."
"Okay." Qin Tao nodded: "Then design the plan like this. In a week, we will go to Damao to bid."
At this moment, Xu Zhengyang came over and said, "Mr. Qin, the French are here and want to see you."
"French?"
“Yes, it’s the old acquaintance Duquesne.”
Qin Tao was a little curious: "Our competitor? Why did he come to me? Okay, I'll go take a look."
Half an hour later, the reception room of the Second Design Office of Mingzhou Group.
“This is the place where aircraft carriers are designed. It is the most sacred place. I am very honored to be here.” Duquesne said flatteringly.
Qin Tao had a smile on his face: "I recently heard that Da Mao was going to bid for an amphibious assault ship, and we wanted to join in the fun, so recently, I have been here negotiating the bidding plan for Lao Maozi. For this We are determined to win this bidding. Mr. Duquesne, are you here to see me about the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier No. 2?"
The French only built one ship, the Charles de Gaulle, and could no longer build it. Their second ship was a major overhaul. When the French came to Mingzhou, they planned to take a look at the 40-megawatt gas turbine of the Mingzhou Group. At that time, it was still He vowed to make a purchase, but then nothing happened.
This time, Duquesne came not for this matter at all, but for Damao's bidding. When he heard Qin Tao say this, he was slightly embarrassed, but he quickly recovered.
"Mr. Qin, I am also bidding for the Damao amphibious assault ship." Ducaina said: "Although we are in a competitive relationship, we are open and honest. We can both compete and cooperate with each other."
Hearing what the other party said, Qin Tao immediately shook his head: "No, I think we don't need to cooperate in bidding for the Damao amphibious assault ship. Our Mingzhou Group can handle it all by ourselves."
What kind of cooperation? You want to come to us for cooperation, but we are not looking for you. Naturally, Qin Tao will not accommodate the French.
Qin Tao's words blocked Dikaina's mouth. Dikaina's face turned red and white for a while. He hesitated and then spoke.
"Mr. Qin, nothing is absolute, there is always an accident. If we accidentally win the bidding contract, we are still willing to share part of the benefits with you." Ducaina said: "We may need to purchase from you. Gas turbine, I hope you can provide us with related products by then."
"Of course." Qin Tao answered simply: "We sell the whole ship as well as the accessories. The aircraft carrier No. 2 you mentioned originally planned to purchase gas turbines from us. Didn't we refuse? "
“Mr. Qin, if we want to purchase it, what’s the price?” Ducaina said: “For example, your 40-megawatt gas turbine?”
“It’s not expensive. If you want to purchase one, it’ll cost US$200 million.”
Two hundred million dollars! Duquesne was stunned at the moment, what a joke!
The price of a naval gas turbine is more than three times that of an equivalent boiler, which is not that expensive. For example, the price of an LM2500 gas turbine for the U.S. Navy’s own use is only US$5.75 million. It is more expensive for export. Depending on the customer, the price can be as high as US$1,000. Between ten thousand and twenty million dollars.
As for the more powerful 40-megawatt gas turbine, the research and development of the British MT30 is nearing completion, and the price has also been announced: the price for allies, that is, for the United States, is only US$23 million per unit. If it is other customers, even if it is It's twice as expensive and only costs $50 million.
The Oriental people actually want 200 million US dollars for one unit. This is not cooperation at all. This is clearly a waste of time.
Diquena was about to spit out a mouthful of old blood. What about the promised win-win cooperation?
"I'm sorry, we only sell the engines installed on Lao Maozi's amphibious assault ship at such a high price. If you think it's not suitable, you can buy them from other suppliers. The British have MT30, and the Americans have LM2500. The price They are all more affordable than ours.”
Nonsense, if we could buy it from Britain and the United States, would we come all the way here to show our favor? Cadina's face was extremely ugly, and suddenly he thought of something: "Mr. Qin, what if it is for our aircraft carrier?"
“Do you want to use it for your aircraft carrier?”
"Yes, the drawings of our aircraft carrier will be frozen soon, and it will be built next. This aircraft carrier plans to purchase your 40-megawatt gas turbines, and four of them will be used." Kaidina said. “If it is an aircraft carrier purchase, the price can be cheaper, US$50 million for one unit, and US$200 million for four units. This cost also includes installation costs.”
“We don’t have to install it, we can do it ourselves.”
“You don’t want to install the service, it’s still 200 million and 40 units.”
Kaidina secretly rejoiced in her heart. Fortunately, she reacted quickly. Although a gas turbine worth 50 million US dollars is expensive enough, it is within the acceptable range. After all, the price quoted to Da Mao cannot be too high, otherwise Da Mao will not buy it. There is really nothing we can do about it, we actually want to start a price war with the Orientals.
However, the cake of Lao Maozi's two amphibious assault ships is too big. For the French shipbuilding industry, this is an attractive delicacy, and they must eat it in their own mouths.
So, to be on the safe side, should we buy the engine before bidding? This idea flashed through Cadina's mind for a moment and was rejected.
No, what if the bid is unsuccessful? Wouldn’t $200 million be wasted? No factory can bear this kind of loss. The so-called next aircraft carrier still doesn’t know how long it will take, nor what power it will use. If you buy it now, what if you lose it?
"By the way, this price is only valid for now." Qin Tao continued: "If you come to buy again after a while, you don't know how the exchange rate will change, and the price may have to increase."
This is still a threat.
Kedina began to worry again. What if the bid was successful and the Oriental wanted another 200 million US dollars for one unit? What would he do?
"Mr. Qin, I'm afraid we can't place an order now. After all, it hasn't been confirmed yet, and government funding takes time." Kaidina could only shirk.
"You don't have to pay the full price, you just need to pay a deposit. For these four engines, you can pay a deposit of 20 million US dollars." Qin Tao said, "However, you have to think about it. If you don't buy it in the future, the deposit will not be refunded." of."
There is no difference between a deposit and a deposit in foreign countries. Generally speaking, as long as a deposit is placed, it means that the cooperation has been accepted and cannot be refunded. However, there are exceptions to everything. If a foreigner gives a lot of reasons, If you ask for a refund of the deposit, you have to consider various factors, and it might be refunded.
Unless it is written clearly in the contract, the deposit paid will never be refunded. This is the only way.
Risks cannot be borne by one party, and the other party must also bear certain risks. Dickena thought for a moment, and then nodded: "Is 10 million okay? This is already our upper limit. I will coordinate this matter. Before going to Damao to bid, we will definitely place this deposit. No matter who hands the amphibious assault ship contract to, it will not affect our transaction. We also need to sign this order agreement. As long as we place the deposit , you must deliver without delay or refusal, otherwise you will need to pay high compensation.”
"Of course." Qin Tao said: "As long as it is used on your aircraft carrier, we will never break the contract. Ten million is ten million."
“Mr. Qin, you are a world-famous shipyard, and so are we, so we hope to have a happy cooperation in the future.”
“Yes, it’s a pleasure to cooperate.” Qin Tao also extended his hand.
The deal was completed. Seeing Cadena leaving in the car, Xu Zhengyang couldn't help but say: "Mr. Qin, this must be the first time I have seen such a naive opponent. They really thought they purchased our gas turbines and then installed them." Won’t there be any problems when we get to Da Mao’s amphibious assault ship?”
“Of course.” Qin Tao said: “They are not naive, they just don’t know that our gas turbine control technology is so advanced.”
"You don't know that there are so many traps in our gas turbine." Zhao Ling came from behind: "I have already coordinated. It is completely possible to implant a locking program in the control system of the gas turbine, and as long as someone tries to crack it violently, , the entire control system will be damaged.”
“Ordinary cars have begun to transition from carburetors to electronic injection. How can they be so naive as to think that our gas turbines will be hydraulically controlled?” Xu Zhengyang still didn’t understand.
"Although we have become powerful, in their eyes, we may still be the unskilled people we were before. Even if we have gas turbines, they are still Da Mao's technology, and we ourselves are useless." Qin Tao smiled: "This is good, let them learn a profound lesson, and they should know not to underestimate others. In this bidding, regardless of whether we win the contract, we can make a lot of money."
In the early days, jet engines were hydraulically controlled. Even in the era of Su-27 and MiG-29, hydraulic control was still used. Only now are they moving towards electronic control. Gas turbines are generally improved from aircraft engines. , and there is no need to change the throttle frequently, so ordinary hydraulic control can indeed be used.
However, the electronic technology in the East is so advanced, how could it not transition to the era of electronic control?
Monitor all aspects of the engine through sensors, make dynamic adjustments at any time, and even make an emergency stop when signs of an accident are detected. These are things that mechanical control cannot do.
Since it is electronically controlled, other programs can naturally be implanted inside. Needless to say, after the engine is installed, it is not too much to ask for a password when it is started for the first time, right? This password can only be entered by our engineers. After arriving, if they find that the engine has been installed on Da Mao's warship, they will never cooperate to start it.
"Mr. Qin, even if they had to spend an extra 150 million in the end, the four ships would cost 600 million. It's not a lot, right?" Xu Zhengyang was curious. For other people, it might be a huge profit, but for others According to Mr. Qin, these hundreds of millions of dollars are just drizzle.
"What they purchased was just a gas turbine. Later, they suddenly found that they couldn't even make a generator and had to purchase it from us. How much do you want to sell them for one? With the generator, there must be a drive motor behind it. , how much does a 40-megawatt drive motor cost?”
“They can’t make these?” Xu Zhengyang was surprised.
"It's not that I underestimate the French, they don't have the strength." Qin Tao was very sure: "If they want to do their own research, they won't be able to keep up with the construction period, and the cost will be higher than purchasing it from us. Let's wait!"
Xu Zhengyang nodded, waiting for the show.
“By the way, Mr. Qin, next we are going to Damao to bid, do you want to go in person?”
“Of course.” Qin Tao nodded: “But don’t worry, Nicholas will protect my safety.”
Xu Zhengyang nodded: "We will also be prepared."
Mao is going to tender for amphibious assault ships, which has also caused an uproar around the world, and for some countries, it has been even more stimulated.
Island country.
“In order to deal with the threat of Da Mao, we must build a larger helicopter carrier. Our Dayu class is no longer enough. Next, we must build a helicopter destroyer with a larger displacement!”
The Dayu class is the island country's first attempt. It has direct access to the deck and an island on the side, just like an aircraft carrier. After it was built, we tested the reactions of neighboring countries and found that there was not much reaction. Now, they are stimulated and want to Build larger displacement helicopter destroyers.
Although they keep saying they are helicopter destroyers, with slight modifications they can carry American vertical take-off and landing fighters.
Southern Kimchi Country.
“It is not enough that we only have KDX-1 and KDX-2. In order to protect our maritime rights and interests, we need to build the latest KDX-3. We can’t wait any longer! Fund us, fund us immediately!”
(End of this chapter)