164: With a spear, there must also be a shield.

It's no exaggeration to say that the comprehensive combat capability of this brigade can almost match that of a regular army division from US.

But a single brigade, after all, is just one tree trying to support a collapsing building.

"A brigade is a sharp knife, but what I want is a sledgehammer that can smash everything!"

David's eyes sharpened.

He lightly tapped on the 1st Armored Brigade template.

[1st Armored Brigade 'Template', Recruitment Price: 50 million US dollars/brigade.]

"Give me five."

David's tone was as casual as if he were buying cabbage at a market.

[Confirm recruitment of 5 1st Armored Brigade template units? Estimated cost: 250 million US dollars.]

"Confirm."

[Funds deducted successfully, 5 full-strength armored brigades have been generated and stored in the system warehouse, ready to be materialized at any time.]

Looking at the five additional brigade-level unit icons in the system warehouse, David nodded in satisfaction.

Not materializing them for now.

These five steel armies are his trump card hidden in the dark, a super gift prepared to be given to US at the most critical moment.

With the army sorted, next up is the air force.

This is the real big ticket item, and also key to confronting US.

David opened the "Air Force Equipment" list.

Currently, the Bolivian Air Force's assets consist only of those 12 JF-17 Thunder -3s.

This fighter jet, in the "novice village" of Latin America, is absolutely dominant, crushing all the old planes of surrounding countries.

But its opponent is US.

The world's number one air force, possessing F-22s, F-35s, and thousands of fourth and fifth-generation aircraft.

Using the JF-17 Thunder to confront US is like a praying mantis trying to stop a chariot.

"The JF-17 Thunder has too short a range and limited payload; it can only serve for homeland air defense and as a supplement."

David was perfectly clear in his mind.

He first ordered 15 more JF-17 Thunder -3s to complete the first squadron's full complement.

Even a mosquito is meat, and one more plane means one more point of strength.

Then, he began to browse the truly good items on the list.

Soon, his gaze locked onto a fighter jet.

The J-16, a twin-engine heavy multi-role fighter jet.

Its nickname, the "Bomb Truck"!

A combat radius of over a thousand kilometers, a terrifying twelve-ton payload capacity, and advanced active electronically scanned array radar.

This thing is truly an aerial beast born for beyond-visual-range combat.

Its combat philosophy is to utilize advanced avionics systems and long-range air-to-air missiles.

Sending the enemy back home before they even see it.

"You're the one."

David didn't hesitate.

"J-16, give me 25 of them."

This was almost the full complement of a regiment.

But he felt it wasn't enough.

Modern air combat isn't just about planes and missiles; it's also about information warfare and electronic warfare.

Whoever can gain an advantage in the electromagnetic spectrum can become a one-way transparent entity on the battlefield, inflicting dimension-reducing strikes on the enemy.

His finger continued to slide down the list, finding a derivative model of the J-16.

The J-16D, an electronic warfare aircraft!

The two iconic electronic warfare pods at the wingtips earned it the nickname "Roaring Dragon."

It can effectively jam, suppress, and even deceive enemy radar systems.

Providing a huge electronic protective umbrella for its own attack aircraft formations.

"The J-16 handles physical transcendence, and the J-16D handles electronic transcendence—perfect."

David ordered 15 more J-16Ds.

A J-16 attack regiment, paired with a J-16D electronic warfare squadron.

Such a combination is enough to build an aerial Great Wall over South America that would make any opponent look on in awe.

With a spear, one naturally needs a shield, and more importantly, one needs eyes.

An air force without early warning aircraft is a group of headless flies.

David switched to the "Special Support Aircraft" list.

The KJ-500 Early Warning Aircraft.

This guy with a "big disk" on top is the core of the entire air combat system.

Compared to US's E-3 Sentry and Polar Bear's A-50.

The KJ-500 is not only on par in radar technology but even surpasses them in some aspects.

Most importantly, its cost-effectiveness is simply outrageous.

For the same amount of money, one E-3 could buy several KJ-500s.

"This is it, give me five!"

David waved his hand and placed the order directly.

Five KJ-500s are enough to form a rotation, ensuring one to two are always airborne.

He had already planned the deployment in his mind.

One deployed in the administrative capital La Paz, monitoring the western plateau.

One deployed in Santa Ana in the north, guarding the entrance to the Amazon Plain.

One deployed in the eastern economic hub of Santa Cruz, overlooking the entire eastern lowlands.

Three early warning aircraft could form a huge, overlapping radar detection network.

Bringing Bolivia's airspace, and hundreds of kilometers around it, completely under control.

David looked at the rows of majestic fighter jet icons on the screen, smacking his lips in satisfaction.

The J-16 is responsible for kicking down the door, the J-16D provides electronic buffs, and the KJ-500 provides full map vision from the rear.

But he soon frowned again.

"No, something's still missing."

He muttered to himself.

Only having an offensive spear without a defensive shield, wouldn't that be a student who only focuses on one subject? If someone were to raid his home base, the consequences would be dire.

An air combat system emphasizes integrated offense and defense, and three-dimensional warfare.

His own air force flies out to bomb others.

He must ensure that his own airports, cities, and critical facilities won't be wiped out by other people's planes and missiles.

"Air defense systems must be put in place."

David's finger quickly slid across the system interface, switching directly to the "Ground Air Defense Systems" category.

A dazzling array of air defense missile models instantly filled the entire screen.

From man-portable "small needles" to weapons of mass destruction covering entire battle zones, everything was available.

David's goal was clear.

He needed a complete air defense system capable of building a three-layered firepower net: long-range, medium-range, and short-range.

His gaze was first drawn to a long-range air defense system called "FK-3."

"The export version of HQ-22? Excellent, this thing is good."

David took a liking to it at first glance.

The FK-3, known in the community as "Cheap and Plentiful," although it cannot compare to the most expensive models in terms of top-tier performance.

Its advantages lie in its extremely high cost-effectiveness and powerful anti-jamming capabilities.

It can simultaneously engage various targets such as aircraft and cruise missiles.

Using it as the main force for regional air defense, covering key cities and military bases, is perfectly suitable.

"Come on, let's get 20 sets first, and cover all the major cities for me."

David was unhesitating, placing the order directly.

With the backbone in place, a "big brother" is still needed to hold the fort.

David's gaze continued to move down, finally locking onto a household name.

S-400, "Triumf"!

This is Polar Bear's prized possession, and one of the world's top air defense systems.

Its extremely long range can intercept almost all aerial targets, from fighter jets to ballistic missiles.

One S-400 system can establish a huge no-fly zone with a radius of four hundred kilometers.

Expensive, but powerful!

"The FK-3 handles the small fry, and the S-400 handles the boss. This combination is perfect!"

David chuckled, feeling the thrill of card matching.

"S-400, give me 5 sets!"

He wasn't greedy.

This thing is too precious and too sensitive.

Five sets are enough to form a strategic level of deterrence in Bolivia's core areas, such as the administrative capital La Paz, the economic center Santa Cruz.

And several important air force bases.

After buying the missiles, he still needed to equip them with ammunition.

David then equipped both the FK-3 and S-400 with several basic loads of corresponding missiles.