Admiral Maharah kept a serious expression on his face. He had suffered a major embarrassment—right in front of the Russian Air Force, no less. He could only hope they didn't understand Malay.
Compared to Admiral Maharah's embarrassment, Minister of Defense Doolaman was staring intently at the four tanks in the distance. Then, in a deep voice, he asked Mavi, "Mr. Mavi, your Russian military exercise… you're not actually blowing up real tanks, are you?"
Seeing the Defense Minister ask so seriously, Mavi could only shrug and reply, "Pretty much, Minister Doolaman. After all, they're just four T-62 tanks."
Mavi's tone was calm and indifferent, but standing before him, Minister Doolaman was utterly shocked, looking at him in disbelief. His eyes practically screamed, As expected, military superpowers are on a whole different level! Just four tanks? You say it so casually...
To put things into perspective, the Malaysian Army only had a total of 28 tanks! Nearly a third of them were outdated light tanks that would break down after just a single hit. They were mostly for show—actually engaging in real combat? No chance.
And yet, the Russians were conducting a military exercise where they were about to blow up four main battle tanks—just like that! Doolaman couldn't help but want to say, Could you not blow them up and just give them to us instead?
Of course, for the sake of national dignity and pride, Minister Doolaman would never say such things out loud. But the longing in his eyes completely betrayed him.
As Minister Doolaman and the others sat inside the armored Mercedes G63, about ten minutes later, they vaguely heard the roaring sound of a jet overhead.
Before the officers in the vehicle could react, they saw a MiG-29 fighter jet rapidly approaching the four distant main battle tanks in a low-altitude, subsonic dive.
In a flash, four flames burst from beneath the MiG-29. The four air-to-ground rockets mounted under its wings shot downward at lightning speed, streaking toward the tanks.
Before anyone in the vehicle could even blink, the rockets found their targets with pinpoint accuracy.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM! BOOM!
All four tanks exploded in unison! Ferocious flames erupted from their hulls, and the sheer power of the explosions caused the T-62 tanks to shake violently before being utterly obliterated, black smoke billowing into the sky.
The shockwave sent dust, grass, and debris flying in all directions, forming a visible storm of destruction. The wreckage of the tanks, now in twisted and shattered pieces, looked like they had been ravaged by some monstrous force—beyond recognition.
Inside the armored Mercedes, Minister Doolaman, Admiral Maharah, and the others watched everything unfold right before their eyes.
At that moment, everyone had only one thought: A single fighter jet can take out four main battle tanks with such precision?! No matter what it takes—even if we have to borrow money—we need to buy these jets!
If Malaysia had these MiG-29s, none of the neighboring Southeast Asian countries would dare to provoke them. Their national defense would be rock solid.
As the smoke and fire gradually dissipated, Minister Doolaman and Admiral Maharah stepped out of the armored vehicle.
Wasting no time, Minister Doolaman immediately approached Mavi and asked eagerly, "Mr. Mavi, may I ask, how much does the Russian Air Force sell these MiG-29 fighter jets for? Malaysia is very interested in purchasing them!"
Mavi, who had just stepped out of the vehicle, caught a whiff of the lingering burnt smell in the air. He coughed lightly before turning to the Malaysian officials.
"Minister Doolaman, Admiral Maharah, the export price of our MiG-29 fighter jet is $36 million per unit. However, if your country is interested in purchasing multiple units, I can apply for a discount on your behalf."
Hearing that bulk purchases came with discounts, Minister Doolaman thought seriously for a moment before asking, "Mr. Mavi, how many jets would we need to buy to get a discount? And how big would the discount be?"
"If you buy 20 MiG-29s, I can probably get you a 5% discount. If you go for 30, the discount could go up to 15%," Mavi replied, skillfully leading the conversation.
In the previous timeline, the Royal Malaysian Air Force had purchased 18 MiG-29s from Russia in 1994. This time, Mavi wanted to see if he could push them to buy even more—ideally 30 in one go. That would be perfect.
Minister Doolaman and Admiral Maharah exchanged glances once again.
One MiG-29 cost $36 million. With a 5% discount for 20 jets, the total price would be $684 million. A 15% discount for 30 jets would bring the total to $918 million.
From a cost-effectiveness standpoint, buying 30 jets was definitely the best deal.
But… the problem was that Malaysia's government simply didn't have that kind of money. In short, they wanted the jets but were short on funds.
Mavi observed their expressions closely and then tactfully offered, "If your budget is tight at the moment, that's not an issue. The Russian government is more than willing to provide your country with a loan."
When buying weapons from Russia, financing was never a problem. The Russians would happily give out loans—stimulating sales while earning interest at the same time.
After all, when it came to international loans, a country couldn't just default like an individual could. If a nation failed to pay, there were plenty of ways to recover the money. Unlike personal debt, where if you had no money, the only thing left to take was your life.
After serious consideration, Minister Doolaman and Admiral Maharah were very tempted by the offer. However, they needed to return and discuss it further with Malaysia's Supreme Leader to determine the best course of action.
"Mr. Mavi, thank you very much for your proposal. We'll return and evaluate our options. I can assure you that within three weeks, we'll provide your country with a definite answer," Minister Doolaman promised confidently.
"Great! I'll be looking forward to your decision, Minister Doolaman, Admiral Maharah," Mavi responded, feeling optimistic about the deal. The only question remaining was how many jets Malaysia would end up purchasing...
(End of Chapter)