84: This weakness must be addressed.

Minister of Defense Oliver, Chief of the General Staff Mateo, Army Commander Elijah, and Air Force Commander Leonardo—all the core figures were present.

Upon seeing David, everyone froze for a moment before standing up in unison.

"Boss!"

"Sit."

David waved his hand and walked over to the massive sand table on his own.

On the sand table, the terrain and troop deployments around La Paz were clearly simulated.

"It's good that you're all here."

David scanned the sand table and asked straightforwardly.

"Has the final tactical plan for the attack on La Paz been decided?"

Chief of the General Staff Mateo stepped forward, pointed at the sand table, and reported in a deep voice.

"Boss, we have formulated an operational plan codenamed 'Blossoming from the Center'."

"The general strategy is: multi-faceted encirclement, breakthrough from the center!"

"The first step is a surprise attack by the Air Force." Leonardo took over, his face filled with strong confidence.

"We will dispatch all fighter jets and attack aircraft within the first hour of the war."

"We will take out all of La Paz's air defense radars and missile sites! At the same time, we will paralyze their military airfield!"

"We must completely seize air superiority!"

Mateo continued, "After the Air Force completes its mission, our Special Operations Regiment will parachute directly onto the enemy airfield!"

"Like a sharp knife, they will pierce the enemy's heart, quickly seize the airfield, and establish a solid drop zone for follow-up troops!"

"Once the airfield is under our control, the transport fleet will immediately follow up, airlifting the main force of the Army to the front line in full formation!"

Army Commander Elijah slammed his fist into his palm, his eyes full of excitement. "Then, we'll have them trapped like rats!"

David listened and nodded.

This plan was simple, crude, but highly effective.

The prerequisite was having absolute air superiority and a highly capable elite force.

And he happened to have both.

"What about the strength of the La Paz garrison?" David asked.

"According to the latest intelligence, the total force in and around La Paz is approximately 21,000."

Mateo pointed to several red markers on the sand table.

"The main force is a brigade from the Government Army's 5th Division, about 5,000 men."

"In addition, there is a 3,000-man Quick Reaction Brigade and a 2,000-man Special Operations Brigade."

"The rest are local garrison forces and police units, which are not very strong."

"Over 20,000 people, most of whom are light infantry."

David rubbed his chin, a playful smile appearing on his face. "Does our Special Operations Regiment have the confidence to take the airfield?"

Elijah grinned, revealing a set of white teeth.

"Boss, don't you worry!"

"Those boys in the Special Operations Regiment are using all our best equipment; they've nearly fired half an arsenal's worth of training ammunition!"

"If they can't take an airfield, I, as Army Commander, will resign on the spot!"

"Very good."

David's gaze swept over everyone present.

"How is the unit's training going? Are the new recruits ready for the battlefield?"

Minister of Defense Oliver stepped forward, his tone firm.

"Report, Boss! All thirty combat brigades in the army have completed their basic training!"

"The integration of veterans and new recruits is also complete! We are ready to enter combat at any time!"

"Good!"

David slammed his hand on the edge of the sand table, making a sharp sound.

The atmosphere in the entire command room instantly froze.

Everyone's eyes were focused on him, and their breathing became cautious.

They knew the final order was coming.

David's eyes became incredibly sharp. His voice wasn't loud, but it reached every corner of the command room.

"Orders!"

"The entire army will immediately enter Level 1 combat readiness!"

"All personnel on leave are to return to their units within twenty-four hours!"

"The war has begun."

After the order was given, the group did not disperse but instead gathered around the sand table, continuing to simulate every detail.

David's gaze moved back and forth between the blue flags representing his own troops and the red flags representing the enemy on the sand table.

His brow furrowed slightly.

"Wait."

He spoke suddenly.

Everyone stopped what they were doing, their eyes once again focused on him.

"This plan has a loophole." David's finger tapped on the sand table, tracing a line from his controlled area toward La Paz. "The distance is too great."

"Our Army Aviation Brigade relies mainly on helicopters. To take a full-strength Special Operations Regiment, plus the follow-up main forces..."

"...and project them directly across several hundred kilometers to the La Paz airfield..."

He looked up at Army Commander Elijah.

"Can the transport capacity keep up? How many round trips will it take?"

Elijah's expression became serious. He made a calculation and answered with some hesitation.

"Boss, if we only count the first wave of the Special Operations Regiment, our mixed fleet of Z-8s and Mi-17s..."

"...will need at least two waves to get everyone there. If we need to transport the main brigade, then..."

He didn't continue, but the meaning was clear.

Relying on helicopters to airlift thousands or tens of thousands of troops hundreds of kilometers away wasn't tactical airlifting; it was like ants moving house.

"Two waves?" David shook his head, his tone brooking no argument.

"Too slow!"

"The core of the 'Blossoming from the Center' tactic is one word: speed! We must act before the enemy's command system can react."

"We must plunge the knife into their heart! By the time your second wave arrives, the enemy will have already surrounded the airfield like an iron barrel!"

"At that point, it won't be us trapping them; it will be them catching us in a jar!"

The command room was silent.

This was indeed a fatal problem.

They possessed absolute air superiority but lacked the ability to rapidly project ground forces to decisive locations.

"What about the Air Force's transport planes?" David turned to Air Force Commander Leonardo.

Leonardo gave a wry smile. "Boss, we only have a few Y-7s and Y-12s. Their payload capacity is small, and their range is limited."

"They're fine for transporting some supplies, but trying to use them to airlift combat units in full formation is simply unrealistic."

"So, we have first-class fighter jets, but no first-class transport planes?" David rubbed his chin, muttering to himself.

This shortcoming must be addressed.

And immediately, right now!

"Follow me, everyone."

David dropped this sentence and turned to walk out of the command room.

Oliver, Elijah, and the others looked at each other. Although they didn't know what the Boss was going to do, they followed him immediately.

The group took a military vehicle directly to the apron of El Trompillo Military Airfield.

The night wind blew across the empty runway, carrying a hint of chill.

David stood in the center of the massive apron and said to the group behind him, "Wait here."

After saying that, he closed his eyes.

In a field of vision invisible to others, a virtual interface full of a technological feel was unfolding before his eyes.

【great nation manufacturing system】

He skillfully opened the "Air Force Equipment" category and jumped directly to the "Strategic/Tactical Transport Aircraft" column.

A dazzling array of models appeared before his eyes.

Y-20 "Kunpeng", Il-7

His gaze finally locked onto the icon of a behemoth.

C-17 "Globemaster III" Strategic Transport Aircraft!

Maximum takeoff weight of 265 tons, maximum payload of 77 tons, capable of carrying a main battle tank.

Or three armored vehicles, or over a hundred fully armed Soldiers. Most importantly...

It possesses super-strong short-takeoff and landing capabilities, with extremely low requirements for runways.

It is simply the perfect tool tailor-made for this operation!

"This is it!"

"System, purchase 10 C-17 transport aircraft."

"Also, recruit 50 related pilots and technical support personnel for me, the most experienced ones!"