This contract is unprecedented and even worse than the original Al-Yamaha weapons contract in history. Although the UK paid more for Typhoon fighter jets and Tiger helicopter gunships, these two made American weapons manufacturers viable.
Products in the shadow, but exchange rate issues must also be taken into consideration.
Historically, during the period when the Al-Yamaha arms contract was signed, the pound had depreciated several times, and its exchange rate with the U.S. dollar was almost the same. It is not like it is still firmly at 1:2.8 today.
Considering the exchange rate issue, the more than 100 Typhoons and Tigers that Britain paid for were not considered a loss. What's more, a military base was opened and Britain's influence on Saudi Arabia was restored.
Arms sales not only depend on making money, but also on diplomatic relations. If it were not for the contribution of the Israeli lobby, this large order would not have fallen into the hands of the United Kingdom.
The biggest beneficiaries of this large order are, of course, the Mountbatten Group, the manufacturer of the Typhoon fighter jet, and the British Aerospace Corporation, the manufacturer of the Tornado fighter jet. It is initially estimated that it can provide 80,000 jobs for the UK and bring significant benefits to the British economy.
Boosting effect.
For Saudi Arabia, this transaction is definitely not a loss. For Saudi Arabia, which holds the world's energy, the cash brought by oil exploration is of course important, but even more important is the sense of security.
Transactions like arms sales are never simple. The UK also has to pay a certain level of security commitment, otherwise it would not be enough for Saudi Arabia to bring out such huge benefits.
For the UK, setting up a military base in Saudi Arabia is much simpler than it used to be, because the UK's Middle East Joint Operations Command is still in operation, and its military power is still not far away from the Middle East. As long as it allocates a little military power, it can do this.
a little.
Of course, black-box operations also existed in this transaction. Pamela Mountbatten had prepared more than 100 million pounds in funds to thank the relevant people in Saudi Arabia who facilitated the deal of the century.
"What's the problem with this? Can it be more difficult to deal with than Indians?" When talking to his wife on the phone, Alan Wilson expressed his approval of the idea of giving benefits. There are so many tried-and-tested transactions, and taking kickbacks is normal.
Well, compared with big and powerful countries, the appetite of the Saudis is definitely not excessive.
This is truly called starting from a position of strength. If Britain had not fought a war against Argentina, how could the success of this arms sale have been achieved? Things are universally connected.
Saudi Arabia uses energy as a weapon. This weapon is also useful for the current United Kingdom. The labor unions are going on strike. The coal workers who are the main strikers rely on energy. With the input of Saudi oil, the government will be more responsive to strikes.
's with ease.
Alan Wilson is still wondering whether taking the initiative to break the window paper can make the coal union understand in advance not to put the idea of attacking stone into action? It is also good to be able to contain the strike in advance. After all, if it breaks out, the British economy will definitely be affected.
will be affected.
"I'm not in a hurry, I always have to balance public and private matters." During this period at the beginning of the year, Alan Wilson decided to take a vacation for himself to spend time with his wife and other ladies of the same status as his wife.
But the news of Andropov's death from illness had to free Wushang Authority from complicated private matters. After thirteen months of being in power and not appearing in public for half a year, Andropov finally did not defy the odds.
After changing his destiny and leaving the country he led, the Soviet Union once again had to prepare for national mourning after a year.
It was rare for Mrs. Thatcher to take the initiative to invite Alan Wilson to No. 10 Downing Street. Apparently she wanted to discuss Soviet issues and got straight to the point, "I can attend Andropov's funeral."
"What a surprising decision." Alan Wilson said with a surprised smile, "I believe many people will be surprised when the news is announced."
When Mrs. Thatcher entered British politics, she was always recognized as an anti-Soviet politician. Soon after she became the leader of the Conservative Party, her fierce anti-Soviet remarks attracted the attention of the world.
At that time, the Helsinki Conference on European Security and Cooperation had just opened, and the European continent was enveloped in an auspicious atmosphere of "détente." However, Mrs. Thatcher took the lead in questioning and attacking the Soviet Union's "détente" policy, believing that the Soviet Union's "détente" policy was not credible and blaming the Soviet Union.
Developing strong military power under the smoke screen of détente has increased pressure on the West.
When she first took office at No. 10 Downing Street, Prime Minister Thatcher took the lead in supporting the U.S. government's tough stance against the Soviet Union and stood firmly with the United States. All of this made Mrs. Thatcher the first Prime Minister during her two years.
Relations between the two countries have reached a freezing point.
When Mrs. Thatcher wanted to attend Andropov's funeral, she must have gone through a mental journey. Alan Wilson remembered that after the Soviet Union was really in chaos, Mrs. Thatcher showed a completely different attitude, especially
It was about hoping that the Soviet Union would prevent German reunification.
Obviously Mrs. Thatcher also knew that if the Soviet Union really failed, the value of the United Kingdom would be greatly reduced. She was able to speak nonsense internationally and still receive courtesy from the United States because of the Soviet Union's united front value.
"I am the Prime Minister and Secretary-General of the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister also has to serve the interests of the United Kingdom." Mrs. Thatcher said, "I am not what you think. I don't know my nationality."
A shrewd and courageous politician knows how to respond to advances and retreats. Mrs. Thatcher's policy towards the Soviet Union will never be rigid. She pursues a pragmatic Eastern policy that is in line with British interests in order to win Britain's position on the international stage.
There is a larger space for activities.
"I'm glad that the Prime Minister has such an understanding." Alan Wilson finally discovered the highlights of the female Prime Minister after Mrs. Thatcher had been in power for so many years. "This reminds me of many glorious deeds of Prime Ministers. Now I see
Prime Minister Lai still has the qualities of a great prime minister."
In this way, Alan Wilson took the initiative to attend Andropov's funeral with Mrs. Thatcher. In order to show that he had two brushes in diplomatic work, when Mrs. Thatcher asked who the zombie successor was,
, the supreme authority replied happily, "As expected, he is still an old man, but we can take a look at the next actions. For any country, always having a state funeral is not a good thing. I believe the Soviet Union should also realize this.
There’s a problem, maybe some new political faces will appear.”
Mrs. Thatcher agreed, and Alan Wilson began to arrange the work. First, he took out his notepad and asked Arnold to take care of the matter of the former Industry Secretary's visit to the court.
It's been some time since the last general election. Not only do politicians know how to counterattack when they win, and hold grudges when they lose, civil servants also understand this.
If Cecil Parkinson is forgotten, the former Industry Secretary may think that his political career is of no value, and even the Cabinet Secretary looks down on him. In order to prove the value of the former Industry Secretary, Alan Wilson must continue to be a political
Chase.
Andropov's funeral was a grand event with British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and US Vice President Bush both attending. As the British Prime Minister, Mrs Thatcher was undoubtedly the most famous guest this time, and Alan Wilson
He applied to inspect Moscow. After all, he had to inspect Moscow every time he came to Moscow.
It just had to add another burden to the old man. Alan Wilson looked around Lubyanka Square with great interest, "Alyosha, you are almost forty years old."
Alexeyev didn't answer. He really didn't understand why he asked about his age. He heard Alan Wilson say, "The age of cadres at all levels in the Soviet Union is generally older now. This was also the case under Brezhnev."
One of the consequences of coming here is that I heard that the chairman of the funeral committee is Chernenko, and that he is also in very poor health. Don’t expect me to come to attend the state funeral again next year. By the way, Defense Minister Ustinov doesn’t look like that either.
He looks very healthy, but it’s really hard to do.”
Normally speaking, there should be a group of younger important cadres in the Soviet Union. There were originally some, such as Shelepin, Semichasny, and Yegorachev. Unfortunately, these were all eliminated by Brezhnev.
, as a result, the entire cadre class is now in limbo.
"Does the Secretary-General want to criticize the Soviet Union at this time? Reagan is not young, right?" Alexeyev said, thinking that his old father was double standard.
"Of course he is not young. Not only is he not young, he also has Alzheimer's disease. But he is just one person. Now the Soviet Union's cadres are aging all over the country. This is much more serious than the United States." Alan Wilson shook his head.
, "I really hope that the Soviet Union will be safe and stable. After all, once the Soviet Union is in trouble, the value of Britain in the eyes of the United States will be reduced. There is still a gap between the national strength of the United Kingdom and the United States."
"Oh, one thing I would like to remind you is that the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant occupied an important position in the intelligence seminar. It needs to strengthen its protection. I don't know if the United States will take action, but be careful. The United Kingdom is
You can’t move out of Europe, unlike the United States, which is so far away.”
The supreme authority once again lied solemnly, as if such a thing was really happening. It is better to be safe at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. If this incident can be avoided, Alan Wilson will have more capital to bargain with God in the future.
With so little, it was possible to rescue Tito's opponents in Yugoslavia and avoid the collapse of the Indonesian Communist Party. It was listed as the three major conscience events in this life.
Almost at the same time, Mrs. Thatcher was also on her own visit. This was her first visit to the Soviet Union. She also used the occasion of the funeral to see what state Chernenko was in. Through a brief meeting with Chernenko
During the meeting, the sharp-eyed Mrs. Thatcher knew that the new leader, who was suffering from illness, had only a few days to live.