Chapter 326: Persuasion

The president of the small Italian aircraft manufacturing company understood that while they occasionally provided parts for the EU military, they were not on par with companies like Dassault in France, capable of independently designing and producing military aircraft. In recent years, he had been leading his team through a transition, and Gianna's invitation presented an opportunity to elevate his company to a leading position in the European drone market.

Particularly, after the afternoon's urgent delivery of the USB drive containing the semi-intelligent flight control system to his company in Italy, and its initial verification by his technical experts, the president realized that Gianna had indeed found a highly reliable path for them. Although the EU had been striving for military independence, the differing voices among member countries had slowed down progress. It was still 2009, and the Brexit turmoil hadn't begun, so the EU was still dominated by Germany, France, and the UK, with Italy in the second tier. But this didn't deter the president's big dreams. Everyone needs dreams, right? What if they come true?

Now was the best time for his dream to come true. Since the early 2000s, when the US military equipped itself with the Global Hawk, this formidable UAV capable of flying for over forty hours and covering more than 20,000 miles in one flight had been coveted by countries worldwide. However, the Americans had never exported the Global Hawk to any country, deploying it only at their military bases globally, like the K-55 Osan Air Base in South Korea. Even their European allies, like the UK, had been denied the purchase.

Europe was naturally envious but lacked the technical foundation and accumulation for such developments. Despite Dassault's claims of having the world's best flight control systems, even Boeing bought these for its planes, UAVs followed a completely different technical route. Successful military UAV development required constant satellite communication, a capability that only the US had, thanks to the globally covered GPS.

In contrast, Europe's Galileo global navigation system was still a mess. Even attempting to develop a UAV comparable to the Global Hawk was beyond their reach. The Eurofighter Typhoon, developed collectively by several countries, was already outdated before it entered service. While the US F-22 had been deployed, and China's J-20 was about to start trials in a couple of years, the EU's disjointed efforts had only produced the mediocre Typhoon.

Realizing this, the president understood the urgency of Gianna's connection, presenting a chance to acquire a UAV design and a semi-intelligent flight control system comparable to the Global Hawk. He had already received assurances from Gianna that once her friend reached an agreement with Northrop Grumman, they could offer similar terms to produce and sell the UAV in Europe, potentially catapulting his company into the EU military procurement lists.

His immediate task was to reassign his technical director in New York from verifying the authenticity of this opportunity to serving as a technical advisor to Gianna's friend, Mr. Castle, during negotiations with Northrop Grumman. He also needed to act as a price booster to ensure the terms were favorable.

Fully aware of the jackpot he had hit, the president readily agreed to Gianna's request, instructing his technical director to switch roles and support Mr. Castle in negotiations, making sure to increase the authorization price whenever Northrop Grumman offered a low bid. This was the only way to secure the UAV design and semi-intelligent flight control system authorization at an acceptable price.

Despite this, the president was content. No European company could design or manufacture a military UAV meeting the military's requirements. Whether it was a reconnaissance model or a strike-capable UAV, the EU military was increasing its investment in developing such technology. Based on the afternoon's demonstration video from Long Island, he was confident that acquiring the UAV design and control system would secure his company's bid for EU military contracts, leading to immense profits and growth.

Italy, often viewed as a comic relief during WWII, actually had significant prowess in aircraft manufacturing. The president aimed to restore this legacy, focusing on UAVs instead of fourth-generation fighters.

According to his intelligence, besides his company and Northrop Grumman, General Atomics, which attempted to kidnap the chubby operator, had urgently sent a VP to seek Castle's forgiveness and enter the competition. This was unacceptable. He couldn't let this opportunistic competitor in. Northrop Grumman's involvement indirectly protected the now highly sought-after Castle. The president was instructing his technical director in New York to treat Castle or his representative with utmost respect, ensuring they secured the UAV design and flight control system to bring back to Italy.

As these arms companies plotted how to win Castle's favor and secure authorization, the NYPD's 12th precinct was still bustling with activity. Captain Roy Montgomery was earnestly speaking to his trusted lieutenant, Kate Beckett, in his office.

"Beckett, I've just received confirmation that my time at the 12th precinct is winding down. Due to our excellent performance yesterday, I might soon be transferred to headquarters. When I leave, I want you to take over my position. However, to achieve this, we need some external support, like Mr. Castle's. So, I believe you should stop fixating on where his information comes from..."

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