It was not Liu Zunling who answered this question, but the latest battle report sent by Zhenbao Harbor.

At around 9 p.m. local time, the Keith Naval Aviation Base and the Ebony Air Base were bombed almost simultaneously, and the intensity of the raid was very high.

At the time of receiving the telegram, the bombing was not over.

The telegram also clearly mentions that the enemy mainly uses cruise missiles, or just cruise missiles, and the number of missiles is up to thousands.

In the first 15 minutes alone, more than 500 cruise missiles were fired at the Ebony airbase.

In order to destroy the air base, or rather, to paralyze it, more than half of the cruise missiles are equipped with a sub-parent warhead specifically to deal with the runway. Although the air defense forces guarding the base did everything they could, shooting down hundreds of cruise missiles, they were unable to secure the vital runway.

Fortunately, all the combat aircraft deployed at the Ebony base took to the air before they were hit.

In addition, none of the field airfields on the neighbouring islands were hit.

This is not surprising, since most field airfields are actually a relatively flat open field with a runway paved with cement at most. Because it is mainly used for combat aircraft to alternate landing, and when necessary, barrage nets can also be used, so the runway length of field airfields is often within 1,000 meters. Doing some more necessary camouflage, such as building some shacks on the runway that can be quickly demolished, would be perfect.

Relatively speaking, the Keith Naval Aviation Base is the key target.

Before the surprise attack, in addition to the more than 20 antisubmarine patrol planes that were dispatched in the early morning, only about 30 antisubmarine patrol planes on standby took to the air in time, and the remaining nearly 100 antisubmarine patrol planes were all destroyed, and all important facilities were hit by major attacks.

Cruise missiles against the Kies air base, most of which are equipped with semi-armor-piercing warheads designed to deal with permanent fortifications.

Mainly, there are more than 100 large aircraft forts reinforced with reinforced concrete at the Keith Naval Air Base.

In addition to providing services for anti-submarine patrol aircraft, these aircraft can also provide services for large early warning aircraft and strategic bombers of comparable size.

However, this round of strikes was clearly aimed at anti-submarine patrol aircraft.

This also illustrates a problem from the side.

It is likely that the Nuland fleet was active in the Guina.

After the loss of almost all reconnaissance satellites and the destruction of forward air bases, the Imperial Navy could rely mainly on patrol aircraft.

Although there are submarines, they are used differently than patrol aircraft.

Moreover, no commander would have assigned a large attack submarine to a reconnaissance mission, usually in passing on other missions.

In addition, the destruction of the anti-submarine patrol aircraft of the shore-based aviation of the Imperial Navy was also related to anti-submarine warfare.

As far away from the homeland of the Nuland fleet, apart from the small number of carrier-based antisubmarine patrol planes and antisubmarine helicopters with low combat efficiency, the only large attack submarines that can carry out long-range antisubmarine missions and drive away enemy submarines outside the aircraft carrier battle group are large attack submarines that accompany the aircraft carrier battle group.

Normally, when the task force is operating in the far sea, it will deploy one or even more large attack submarines 300 to 500 kilometers away to carry out long-range alert and expulsion missions. Because it is too far away from the task force and it is a covert operation, it is difficult to get cover from your own forces.

In the event of an offensive mission, the forward submarine is likely to be hit by the enemy's anti-submarine forces.

Crucially, in the Guia Ocean, submarines are also the most important, if not the only reliable means of long-range reconnaissance for the Nuland Navy.

Relying on the mainland, the long-range reconnaissance planes of the Nuland Air Force simply could not penetrate deep into the Guia Ocean.

In the case that the fleet had to go deep into the Guia Ocean, the Nuland Navy could only let the submarine go forward to carry out long-range reconnaissance and vigilance missions.

To put it more bluntly, it is to search for the Imperial Navy's task force.

It is precisely in this way that it is necessary to focus on striking at the Keith naval aviation base and destroying the anti-submarine patrol aircraft deployed there!

But the question is, is the Nuland fleet really in the North East Ocean?

In this regard, Bai Huawei and Liu Zunling are both skeptical.

The reason is simple: unless it is to attack the Aliu Islands and occupy Keith and Ebony Islands, there is no reason to send a fleet to the North and East Ocean.

But the problem is that there is not much point in capturing the Aliu Islands.

In addition, according to the battle reports already received, in the first round of engagement in the morning, there were no encounters with the fighters of the Nuland Navy.

In fact, on the side of the Aliu Islands, there was no air war at all.

Before the bombing, the AWACS planes deployed at the Ebony base had traveled less than 500 kilometers, while the cruise missiles had a range of more than 1,500 kilometers. At a distance of 1,000 kilometers, even if the AWACS aircraft detected the enemy's bombers, they could not let the fighters intercept them.

However, only about half an hour passed.

Towards 10 o'clock, the latest battle report came from Jumbo Harbor, and after the Aliu Islands, the military bases on the Khowaii Islands were also bombed.

If anything, that's the point.

The Nuland Air Force's key target is Jumbo Harbor!

By the time the war report was issued, Jumbo Harbor had become a sea of fire.

Although there are no specific statistics, at least 1,000 cruise missiles were detonated in the first 30 minutes.

On average, 1 cruise missile falls every 2 seconds!

Almost all of these cruise missiles are equipped with heavy semi-armor-piercing warheads.

The main targets of the attack were the infrastructure of the port, as well as the ships that did not have time to leave.

The loss was indeed huge, but it did not exceed Bai Huawei's expectations.

In fact, Bai Huawei was a little surprised, that is, the blow came a little later than he had predicted.

Based on the timing of the engagement, the Nuland Air Force was supposed to bomb Treasure Harbor after 9 o'clock and at 9:30 a.m. at the latest.

Of course, the difference of more than half an hour is not a big deal.

Subsequently, military bases on Honu Island, as well as on several nearby islands, were hit, mainly with cruise missiles.

It was very violent, and as for the impact of the blow, it was not too great.

Before 9 o'clock, that is, shortly after the start of the air battle, the garrison command sounded a combat alert, and all combat units were put into combat mode by 9:30. In addition to the emergency lifting of combat aircraft into the air and the departure of ships from port, all personnel entered the air defense bunkers.

As a result, only more than 1,000 officers and men were killed or wounded in the air raid, which lasted more than two hours and did not end until just after 12 o'clock. Although the infrastructure was severely damaged, the losses suffered by the combat units were not significant, with only a few dozen old aircraft and more than a dozen military auxiliary ships destroyed.

In addition, there are air defense forces deployed in advance.

Soon after the bombing began, two "Sharpshooter" air defense systems deployed on Honu Island were destroyed, and the field air defense battalion attached to the Marine Corps was also incapacitated.

It's just that the imperial army was not crushed.

At noon, a telegram came from Jumbo Harbor again.

It's not a battle report, it's a battle plan related to a counterattack.

The Imperial Air Force had already mobilized hundreds of strategic bombers in accordance with the operational plan, preparing to launch a counterattack on Nuland soil in the afternoon and at the latest at night.

The point is that at least half of the bombers will fly through the Guia Ocean from the air bases of the Imperial Empire.

It is precisely this that the Navy is required to confirm the situation in the Guia.

This is not a task for Bai Huawei.

Prior to this, the Navy Command had made arrangements to contact all submarines operating in the Guia Ocean to locate the Nuland Navy's task force.

In addition, anti-submarine patrol aircraft deployed in the Aliu Islands will be used for reconnaissance missions.

According to the inference of the naval command, there must have been a Nuland fleet operating in the Guia.

The question now is whether the Nuland Navy will send troops to attack the Aliu Islands, or whether it will distract the Imperial Navy by attacking the Aliu Islands.

In fact, this is also the issue that Bai Huawei and Liu Zunling are concerned about now.

According to the inference of the two men, there must have been a Nuland fleet in the Guia, but it was not the main force.

Well, where is the main fleet of the Nuland Navy?

At lunchtime, it was almost 3 p.m. to be exact, when the communications staff officer delivered the latest news, a piece of information forwarded by the Navy command.

Reconnaissance satellites controlled by the Military Intelligence Agency discovered the Nuland fleet.

Just south of the Aliu Islands, and there are 5 aircraft carriers, 3 of which are certainly supercarriers with flight decks of more than 330 meters!

As for the other 2, it is likely to be a large aircraft carrier of the "Newland" class.

In addition, 3 supercarriers are grouped in 1 fleet, and 2 large aircraft carriers are in 1 other fleet.

The Nuland Navy actually sent all five aircraft carriers that could be used to the North and East to look into the ocean.

Crucially, reconnaissance satellites also discovered a large landing fleet, the main force of which is six amphibious assault ships with direct access to the deck.

On the flight decks of these amphibious assault ships, AV-8B Harrier fighters are placed.

Although the AV-8B is not a fighter at all, at best an attack aircraft, but with such a fighter, it is no longer necessary to put carrier-based aviation on ground strike missions.

In regular amphibious landing operations, the amphibious assault ships undertake the strike mission, and the aircraft carrier battle group remains on the periphery.

In addition, inside the landing fleet there are dozens of landing ships of other types.

According to the MIA report, the landing fleet could project the strength of one Marine division, enough to take down one medium-sized island.

Keith Island or Ebony Island!

In fact, this is also all the landing ships of the Nuland Navy.

What exactly does the Nuland Navy want to do?

What is the point of storming the Aliu Islands?

While Bai Huawei was pondering, Liu Zunling took the other officers out and went to close the hatch.

Because of the battle reports received from Jumbo Harbor at noon, the lunch time was postponed by 2 hours, but all the restaurants on the aircraft carrier are open 24 hours. Besides, the fact that the personnel of the fleet command ate in the senior officers' cafeteria did not affect other officers and men.

"In retrospect, we may have misjudged the strategic intent of the Nuland administration from the beginning."

When Liu Zunling walked back, Bai Huawei only glanced up at him and did not answer.

Of course, he knew what Liu Zunling meant when he said this.

Although the Nuland Republic has never given up its claim to the Arras region, and even after the restoration of diplomatic relations, the Nuland authorities only agreed to put aside the dispute and did not recognize the Arras region as belonging to the Liangxia Empire, but in the past few decades, the empire has not attached much importance to this region, and does not believe that the Nuland Republic will send troops to attack the Arras region during the war, or focus here.

From a strategic point of view, even if the Nuland administration is unwilling to give up the Arras region, it will definitely take the more important Khowaii Islands first.

For a long time, the imperial authorities believed that the ultimate goal of the Nuland authorities was to recapture the Khowaii Islands.

The reason is also very simple, the Khowaii Islands do belong to Nuland, and there is no dispute. After defeating the flimsy Span Empire, the Nuland Commonwealth occupied the Howaii Islands, and subsequently gained sovereignty over the Howaii Islands through international treaties, which were recognized by many powers, including the Liangxia Empire. Even after winning the Second Global War, the Liangxia Empire did not seek sovereignty over the Khowaii Islands. The Empire only has troops stationed in the Howaii Islands, and the sovereignty of military bases belongs to the surviving Newland Federation.

Relatively speaking, the sovereignty of the Arras region has always been disputed, and even now, the Federal Republic of Raksha, also known as West Rossa, claims sovereignty over the region.

It is precisely for this reason that the battle plans drawn up before the war were all aimed at the Khowaii Islands.

In the worst-case scenario, in which the Imperial Navy loses the strategic initiative in the Guia Ocean, it may even consider abandoning the Khowaii Islands, or using the Khowaii Islands as a bargaining chip to try to reconcile with the Nuland Republic and avoid an even more catastrophic defeat.

If the Nuland authorities insist on talking about the Arras region, the empire will inevitably make a fuss about the Howaii Islands.

It can be seen that from any point of view, there is no reason for the Nuland authorities to send heavy troops to attack the Aliu Islands before taking the Khowaii Islands.

"If you want me to say, this issue should be looked at from a different angle."

Bai Huawei was stunned for a moment before he looked up at Liu Zunling again.

For this chief of staff, who is 3 years older than himself, Bai Huawei is very clear. If it weren't for Li Yunxiang, that is, Li Tianling's grandfather, who stepped into the threshold of the Bai family earlier, then Liu Bai Huawei's brother-in-law would probably be Liu Zunling, not Li Tianling, who was a generation shorter.

In a sense, the basis for the Imperial Navy to remain strong after the war and become the first branch of the military was to reconcile with Liu Xiangzhen in the White Stop.

Although Bai Zhizhan has always stood in the front, no one dares to deny Liu Xiangzhen's contribution.

If Liu Xiangzhen hadn't nodded, the Liu family would not have supported the reforms initiated by the White War after the war, so as to unite the navy.

Liu Zunling is talented and has a reputation for being level-headed.

"It seems to us that the Nuland authorities will treat the Arras region and the Aliu Islands as chicken ribs, but in the eyes of the Nuland authorities, this is our weakness."

Bai Huawei's brows jumped a few times, but he didn't rush to answer.

"Think about it, we can give up the Khowaii Islands if necessary, but what plan mentions that we can give up the Arras region?"

After Liu Zunshan finished speaking, Bai Huawei shook his head.

At least as far as he knew, none of the strategic plans mentioned the possibility of abandoning the Arras region.

The reason is also very simple, after Emperor Shiwu defeated the Luosha Empire, the empire claimed sovereignty over the Arras region, and it never compromised.

From a political point of view, the Arras region was indeed the soft underbelly of the empire.

Militarily, attacking the enemy and saving the enemy is one of the ways to seize the initiative.

Did the Nuland navy attack the Aliu Islands force the Imperial Navy to go to a decisive battle!?