I, transformed into a vampire girl, sparked the Industrial Revolution.

Chapter 232 The Plan to Destroy the Holy Statue

"stand at attention!"

The guards saluted, and Alice returned the salute simply before stepping into an army base located south of De La Leyé. Smedley Base is one of the most modern military facilities in Amelansi, possessing an airport, underground bunkers, air search radar, and other modern military facilities.

Alice handed over her credentials, as did Raffarin Lowe beside her. The entire Army Command Center, built against the mountainside, was shrouded in a serious atmosphere, as this concerned the future of Amelansi.

The Church, this colossal entity clinging to the vast southern lands, presents Alice with a compelling reason to exact revenge on Archbishop Benito Sant'Achille Latti.

"Please come in, Miss President, Madam Vice President."

Alice was led to a war room where people came and went. Women in uniforms held up levers and pushed chess pieces to their corresponding positions according to the latest intelligence.

At the center of the command center is a huge sand table. After the success of the Grassland One space mission, the military obtained NASA's planetary images and combined them with data from the American National Geographic Society to create this high-precision sand table.

"BB-06 has arrived at the port of Brittany."

"Third tactical formation, respond at KC1!"

"Mrs. President, Mrs. Vice President, welcome to 'Chessboard Mountain,' which, as you can see, is the brain of the entire Army."

"How is Mr. Smedley?"

"He's doing well; retirement has improved his complexion considerably..."

Smedley Butler nodded. The young man was the son of the former Secretary of Defense. Unlike his father, Butler had a deeper understanding of modern tactics.

Most demons don't actually have long lifespans, about ten years shorter than the average human lifespan. The retirement of the older generation has left the hastily assembled army team teetering on the brink of collapse. Alice was initially worried that appointing Raffarin to a position like Minister of Defense might be too much, but with Smedley's retirement, there was no better strategic advisor in the country than Raffarin.

Therefore, in addition to being the Vice President and Deputy Administrator of NASA, Raffarin Low is also serving as the Secretary of Defense for America.

Although she didn't plan the church's actions herself, she did propose the general direction.

The highest command structure of the Amelansi Armed Forces is the Amelansi Central Military Council, which consists of seven members. As the older generation retires, many young people, such as Jack Reed, have emerged and become new members of the Military Council.

"Currently, our army's resources are mainly concentrated in the Southern Theater Command and the Eastern Theater Command. The combat readiness of these two theater commands is good. At present, we have reorganized 45 divisions and formed three army groups."

Jack Reed pointed to the western side of the Blue Line, where a flag symbolizing the 5th Army was planted. In the center, the Savoy Mountains were occupied by the 6th Army, while in the west, near the Balkan Emergency Control Zone and the border with the Church, lay the direction of the 7th Army.

"These three army groups are ready, but according to intelligence from spies, the Church has deployed at least 1.5 to 1.7 million troops along this line. Fifty percent of them are equipped with rifles, artillery, and war magic devices, twenty percent are equipped with breech-loading guns, and the rest are equipped with everything from swords to flintlock muskets."

The church was a large and powerful organization. Although its technology was outdated, it was still able to assemble equipment for dozens of divisions by means of maritime transport channels and its own industry.

"If the committee gives the order, can the army capture the holy city?"

Alice asked, and the others present were taken aback. Butler was the first to react: "Yes, but the casualties will be significant. The Church has been building up this defensive line for a long time. The Holy Light Wall on the other side of the Blue Line is not a simple medieval stone wall, but a combination of fortresses, tunnels, and artillery positions."

"In other words, we will have to pay a price."

"Not really."

A knock sounded at the door, and Admiral Yug Latto entered, accompanied by Viktor Gerasimov of the Aerospace Force.

"You're late."

"I'm very sorry, Miss President."

Alice nodded and pointed to the sea, saying, "Considering the geographical location of the Church's Sacred Peninsula, the help of the Navy and the Aerospace Force is indispensable if we want to attack the Church."

"If we send the navy to launch a landing operation in coastal cities such as the Holy City, the Church will not sit idly by. However, for a certain period of time, their command and control will be disrupted. We have considered that the Church's long-distance communication technology is not very advanced. Therefore, in a short period of time, the order to deploy troops to defend the Holy City and the order to be attacked at the front will not be transmitted to the corresponding places."

"Moreover, we don't need to occupy the entire church territory; we only need key areas, such as the eastern diocese and several oil-producing areas in the southern diocese."

"The Navy is ready at any time, but we need more battleships, Ms. President, Ms. Secretary of Defense. The North Carolina-class is indeed a masterpiece; its only downside is that there are too few of them."

"I know that this type of battleship is undoubtedly the most advanced capital ship in the navy at present. Before the operation against the church begins, I guarantee that the navy will have at least four such warships."

"Four ships, I think that's enough. You also have the Essex-class as the core of the fleet, and at least one each for the Western Ocean Fleet and the Southern Ocean Fleet."

Yog Lat did not respond. After all, opinions within the Navy were mixed regarding this expensive behemoth, with many saying that airplanes were just flashy gadgets and that only battleships and heavy guns represented the future.

Of course, apart from that, no one dares to question the role of the complex and expensive fleet command system and dispatch terminals on the Essex-class ships. Combined with the fleet surveillance network formed by the Fletcher-class ships, it will expose all ships approaching the fleet to their sight.

"As for the Aerospace Force, your project involves the National Aviation Corporation and General Dynamics Group. Of course, those are all top secret. I will find time to discuss them with you in detail."

Raffarin Low refers to the long-range strategic bombing program. At the aircraft test range north of Trian, the long-range bomber codenamed B-17 is slowly taxiing out of the factory. This huge machine is the largest fixed-wing aircraft built by Amerlane since the DC-4.

Of course, aside from these conventional equipment, the Aerospace Force's first official aerospace warship is about to be launched.

These are all weapons designed to target the church, but of course, the time is not yet ripe.