Chapter 837: Total War 13 (Patreon)

Transformers Begin : Table of Content/Chapter List

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When the news of the near-total annihilation of the mechanized infantry brigade sent by Great Canada to cooperate with the U.S. Military reached the neighboring countries, the situation on the American side became increasingly precarious.

A group of high-ranking United States defense officials and generals, who had recently issued a comprehensive counterattack order against the Decepticons, sat in a highly classified meeting room, engulfed in an uncomfortable silence and an unspoken awkwardness.

After a considerable pause, General, serving in the North America Anti-air Command, was the first to speak up. "Great Canada has suffered a massive explosion, perhaps the most devastating loss they have endured since the end of World War II, and it happened on their own soil. In the past half hour, the North America Anti-air Command has received calls from the Deputy Commander, the Minister of Defense of Great Canada, and even the Prime Minister of Great Canada, all demanding an explanation from us!"

The North America Anti-air Command (NORAD), established during the Cold War by the United States and Great Canada to defend against the Soviet Union, primarily focused on creating a joint aerial defense perimeter spanning the Pacific Ocean, Arctic Circle, and Atlantic Ocean. Over time, its responsibilities expanded into various other military defense areas.

Typically, a senior U.S. Military officer was appointed as the commander of NORAD, while the deputy commander position was filled by a Great Canadian representative. Despite being considered an economic colony of the United States, Great Canada was still one of the world's industrial nations, and when the deputy commander of NORAD on the Great Canadian side demanded an explanation, the United States had to take it seriously.

This time, with the total annihilation of a mechanized infantry brigade from Great Canada and the personal involvement of three senior military and political officials, even the officials within The Pentagon, who were accustomed to asserting their authority, felt exceptionally challenged.

"Based on satellite intelligence, we can confirm that Great Canada has suffered losses of at least five thousand soldiers, making it the highest casualty count since World War II," the General continued.

Before World War II, Great Canada was a colony of the United Kingdom and had contributed greatly to the war efforts of its colonial master in both World War I and World War II, enduring significant sacrifices. Additionally, post-World War II, Great Canada had participated in several wars initiated by the United States to maintain good relations with its neighbor. However, the scale of losses experienced today was unprecedented for Great Canada since World War II.

The near-total destruction of a mechanized infantry brigade, even though the adversaries were extraterrestrial, was a result of their cooperation with the U.S. Military. Even the United States, known for its arrogance, recognized the need to provide an explanation to Great Canada in this situation, or else it would be challenging to maintain their close alliance in the future.

Another moment of silence enveloped the meeting room, occasionally interrupted by the sound of documents being opened or suppressed coughs.

No one dared to break the silence at this critical juncture, as it now involved two nations, and it was evident that the United States would have to make significant concessions to compensate Great Canada.

After a prolonged silence, the newly appointed Secretary of Defense finally took the initiative. "I will report the situation honestly to Mr. President regarding Great Canada. There's no need to discuss it further here."

With his statement, the tension in the meeting room eased. Everyone knew that this newly appointed Secretary of Defense was a trusted confidant of the new president. Since he had taken the most troublesome political issue off the table, the military aspects of the situation would be more manageable.

Following his lead, a senior officer immediately continued the discussion. "Our satellite data has been processed. The previous missile bombardment clearly inflicted significant damage on the extraterrestrial forces. Based on the satellite images, we can confirm that at least three to fifty extraterrestrials were destroyed by our missiles."

This intelligence? Many in the conference room were already aware of it, and someone immediately concurred, "Clearly, these invading extraterrestrials aren't as formidable as we had feared."

"No, no, no. Although nearly half of the invading extraterrestrials have been eliminated by our missiles, the intelligence from the rapid collapse of the Great Canadian mechanized infantry brigade suggests that we don't have much advantage in ground combat against the extraterrestrials."

Great Canada's military development? It's almost entirely modeled after their neighboring country.

In some sense, in terms of numbers and weaponry, one of United States' mechanized infantry brigades is not significantly superior to Great Canada. At most, their soldiers might have more combat experience due to constant warfare and involvement in foreign conflicts.

So, if U.S. Military were to deploy ground forces in response to the near-total annihilation of the Great Canadian mechanized infantry brigade by the Decepticons, the outcome might not be significantly better.

"The extraterrestrials have already suffered significant losses, but their aerial combat capabilities remain intact."

"Yes, the feedback from Great Canada indicates that the nearly wiped-out mechanized infantry brigade was attacked by several Decepticons that closely resembled our F-16/F-15/F-18, and even F-22 fighter jets!"

This was a grim revelation. Even before the attack on the frontline units of the air force, they had learned that among these invading Decepticons, there were those capable of transforming into U.S. Military aircraft.

During the time when U.S. Military still cooperated with the Autobots, they had already learned from them that cybertronians could fully utilize the combat capabilities of a scanned machine and its weaponry.

Their state-of-the-art military technology had been easily stolen by the enemy.

It was easy to imagine how frustrated the U.S. Military generals and officials from the Hawk Faction of the Department of Defense felt.

However, decisions still needed to be made quickly.

"Relying solely on our aerial combat capabilities will make it difficult to deal with these extraterrestrials. But if we deploy ground forces, we may end up in a situation similar to Great Canada's right now."

"But what if those extraterrestrials decide to leave New Providence and attempt to enter the United States?"

"I don't think we need to worry about that. Our satellites have been monitoring Africa and South America, and these extraterrestrials have been mining everywhere since their arrival on Earth. It's evident that these machines require more metal ores to replicate more machines."

"But we are not extraterrestrials, and no one can guarantee that those robots will obediently stay put according to our wishes!"

Like any typical military conference, this discussion on dealing with the invading Decepticons quickly devolved into chaos.

Fortunately, all the invited generals and Department of Defense officials knew that time was of the essence. Despite the continuous arguments, they eventually reached a decision through ongoing discussions and compromises.

"The Navy is fully prepared. Two Ticonderoga-class cruisers and five Arleigh Burke-class destroyers have set sail. We also have four submarines that have already entered Hudson Bay, each carrying more than two hundred Tomahawk cruise missiles!"

"Let's instruct the Air Force to prepare. This time, we'll mobilize at least three aviation squadrons. It's said that the extraterrestrials are highly susceptible to electromagnetic weapons, so deploy a batch of electronic warfare aircraft."

"Also, inform Tombwind to get ready. They should prepare as the vanguard unit for ground combat against the extraterrestrials!"

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