Given Prince Andrew's past as a naval pilot—he had just been awarded the title of Honorary Captain of the Royal Navy two years earlier—it's no surprise that he recognized the Tornado F3 fighter jets still in service with the Royal Air Force.
When the new Kolo government was first established, it contracted national defense and security to the Kolo Corps.
The Kolo Corps' equipment at the time consisted largely of "lost" equipment purchased from the US-UK coalition during the Iraq War, and it was all army equipment, with only a few helicopters and a few speedboats for coastal defense. The
Kolo military government's so-called air force consisted of little more than two outdated fighter jets.
After the discovery of oil in Kolo, the government became increasingly generous, hoping to increase national defense while also seeking ways to limit the Kolo Corps. Last year, the Kolo government signed a new defense agreement with the Kolo Corps. The agreement stipulated that the Kolo government would fund the purchase of some equipment to strengthen national defense, including the newly established air force and navy.
This defense force would be jointly led by the Kolo Corps, with personnel trained by the Kolo Corps and equipment provided by the government.
In fact, this new agreement, also proposed by Barron's think tank, would facilitate the Kolo Corps' heavy equipment development, with the Kolo government covering the costs. As for its use, given that Kolo's defense minister appointed only "own men," would it really matter?
Regardless, the equipment would be used by Kolo Corps personnel.
This coincided with the Royal Air Force's planned downsizing: it planned to disband one Tornado F3 air defense fighter squadron and retire all three Jaguar fighter/ground attack aircraft squadrons by 2007.
The number of Nimrod MR2 maritime patrol aircraft would also be reduced from 21 to 16, and the Royal Air Force's personnel would be reduced from 48,500 to 41,000 by 2008.
So, with Barron's military connections and the help of the Duke of Westminster, Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff, Colo purchased 12 Tornado F3 fighters (half ground-attack and half air-defense models) from the reduced equipment, forming a fighter squadron.
Five maritime patrol aircraft were also purchased for offshore oilfield defense, along with 10 G115 trainer aircraft.
The resulting Colo Corps Air Force employed retired Royal Air Force personnel to train instructors and maintain various aircraft types, thus addressing the needs of the RAF's personnel reductions.
Some might argue that the cost of purchasing retired British military equipment is better than purchasing more cost-effective equipment elsewhere.
In reality, military equipment purchases by any country are never purely economic; they can also be seen as a continuation of political considerations.
To put it more bluntly, for some smaller countries, purchasing equipment from abroad is akin to paying "protection money" to major arms-selling powers.
Kolo is a Commonwealth nation, with connections to Barron. Furthermore, the Kolo Corps' instructors and core personnel are all from the British Army. It would be foolish not to target Britain as their primary military procurement target.
A small West African nation like Kolo lacks any major powers nearby. The Kolo Corps' current capabilities are more than sufficient to maintain national defense.
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Since the airport near Britta, Kolo's capital, is under construction and not yet operational, the Devonshire aircraft landed at Loti International Airport, located in the old capital and currently Kolo's largest city. The runway there has been expanded and renovated, making it significantly longer than their previous visit. As Prince Andrew and Barron disembarked from the plane, the presidential guard played music on both sides of the red carpet at the airport.
Korlo President Jammeh Bongo personally arrived from Britta with a group of officials to greet them.
Prince Andrew was delighted by the grand welcome. As members of the royal family, they are responsible for representing the royal family and the country on foreign missions, which is part of their job description.
In 2004, after the new Korlo government completed the general election, Jammeh Bongo began his presidency.
Korlo's new constitution stipulates a four-year presidential term, so elections will be held the following year. Jammeh naturally hopes to be re-elected. Although Korlo has achieved significant development and success during his tenure, Jammeh understands that, beyond the people's vote, the most crucial factor in his reelection is the support of the people.
After a short break and some talks, Jammeh Bongo took them on a tour of Loti.
Even though Kolo has relocated its capital from Loti to Blita in central Kolo, Loti remains Kolo's largest city. After all, Blita is only partially completed and its population is still relatively small.
In fact, at the same time as the capital relocation plan was announced, Kolo also launched an urban renewal project in Loti. After all, although Loti was once Kolo's most prosperous city, its slums remained squalid and shabby, comparable to Indian slums.
Therefore, to the east of Loti, a new urban area, led by Golden Africa Real Estate, a subsidiary of the West Africa Group, has been under construction.
Several companies have already settled in the new area, including Kolo Petroleum and its employee housing. Compared to the old city, the new area boasts a much better appearance and more scientific planning.
The new area is expected to be completed by 2010, and renovation of the old city will begin.
In Kolo, Barron saw a vibrant vitality that hadn't been apparent on his previous visit. Since the establishment of a new government in 2004, Kolo's economic growth has been on a tear, with an average annual growth rate exceeding 20%, a truly astonishing figure. Of course, this is also due to their already weak foundation; in other words, there's enormous room for improvement...
Especially in the surrounding areas of Loti, per capita income has tripled since 2004. With the steady development of Kolo's offshore oil fields, Kolo has officially left the ranks of underdeveloped countries.
Of course, it's not just the oil fields; Kolo's own investment has also been growing strongly. This is thanks to the numerous technical schools that have been established since 2004, with the support of the Kolo government and the West African Group. Government subsidies, supplemented by loans from the United Bank of West Africa, have enabled ordinary Kolo residents to attend these schools for short-term training (more like pre-job training) to help them acquire the skills to work as screwdrivers in factories.
The Primark clothing chain, and later Fast Retailing, gradually expanded its production base in Kolo. Factories for deep processing of agricultural products, including coffee and cocoa, were established one after another. Infrastructure development in Kolo, along with the booming transit trade and the increasing handling volume of the Loti Port, also led to a thriving transportation industry.
These factors all contributed to Kolo's economic growth.