Chen Yu could actually have Akagi and the Kaga return directly to the Necromantic Space after completing their modifications in the United States, but he didn't do that. Instead, he had them return by sea, and they even had a standoff with the JMSDF and U.S. military offshore.
This move by Chen Yu puzzled not only the JMSDF and the U.S. Forces in Japan but even Akagi and Kaga themselves felt it was strange.
"Commander, why do you want the existence of me and Akagi's ship bodies to be known to the outside world?" Inside the hull of the Kaga, Kaga was accompanying Chen Yu as he checked and accepted her ship body.
Because this was Chen Yu's private ship and Kaga didn't like others boarding her ship, only she and Chen Yu were present, while Akagi was on her own ship.
Hearing Kaga's question, Chen Yu turned his head to look at Kaga and smiled: "As expected of Kaga? Akagi probably hasn't even thought about this question, right?"
"Akagi's personality is rather straightforward. It's not that she doesn't think, she just often expresses her emotions directly instead of dealing with problems in a more rational way." Standing next to Chen Yu, Kaga watched as he inspected the nuclear reactor inside her ship body with great interest, explaining to Chen Yu: "As for me, I might have the habit of thinking more due to my personality."
Chen Yu patted the shield door of the nuclear reactor in front of him and smiled: "It's good to think more! Thinking more allows you to understand problems more clearly."
While saying this to Kaga, Chen Yu looked at the reactor in front of him and asked her: "How many reactors are installed in your ship body?"
"Altogether there are four reactors, providing 35,000 shaft horsepower, and the total power generation of the whole ship is 20,000 kilowatts. Additionally, there are 2 emergency diesel auxiliary generators with a power of 30,000 horsepower." Kaga hurriedly reported to Chen Yu.
"Such a powerful output is too much for a medium-sized aircraft carrier. The first U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the USS Enterprise, had just such power." Chen Yu found it a bit strange when he heard it; Kaga's nuclear reactor's power was too large.
For a medium-sized aircraft carrier of less than seventy thousand tons like this, conventional power is the first choice. Although nuclear power reactors look good, they come with many problems and are very troublesome to maintain.
Of course, for a ship-girl, this is no problem at all. The maintenance is only troublesome compared to a real warship. For a ship-girl, eating well and sleeping well is considered maintenance.
Moreover, enough power to propel a large seventy-thousand-ton aircraft carrier to thirty knots is provided to a medium-sized aircraft carrier of just over fifty thousand tons. Without special reasons, designers would definitely not waste this much.
"An electromagnetic railgun is installed under the front deck." Kaga explained to Chen Yu about her large weapon: "To activate that gun, at least one reactor must be dedicated to supplying it power, so I carry four high-power reactors."
Hearing Kaga's explanation, Chen Yu nodded his head in understanding. If an electromagnetic railgun was installed on Kaga, having such a powerful power system made sense.
The two continued walking inside the hull of the Kaga, eventually arriving at the hangar.
Because it's a nuclear-powered type, the Kaga's hull saved a lot of space originally used for fuel storage, and the saved space was used to reinforce the hangar's capacity.
"The hangar can carry a maximum of 74 aircraft of various models, and it's currently fully loaded, including fighters, AWACS, helicopters, and transport planes, with fighters consisting of two squadrons." Kaga pointed out the fully packed planes in the hangar and proudly introduced them to Chen Yu: "If there are fighter losses or damage, I can directly replenish and repair them within the hangar, although it will consume my strength.
When necessary, I can also replenish directly after the planes in the hangar take off, forming an attack group twice the carrier's loading capacity. Although doing this would result in a batch of planes being unrecoverable, it can turn the tide in critical moments."
Hearing Kaga say this, Chen Yu shook his head and said: "There's no need. Modern warfare is no longer like it was in your time, and large-scale deck takeoffs are rarely seen in naval aviation nowadays. Under normal circumstances, one flight squadron is sufficient to execute any mission."
However, just after saying this, Chen Yu remembered the upcoming Deification Ritual and thought that Kaga's ability would become useful then.
So he changed his tone and said: "However, this ability can be a trump card, and when needed, it can indeed play a critical role."
Hearing Chen Yu say this, Kaga nodded and didn't say anything more.
The two took the hangar's elevator to the aft deck of the Kaga. Seeing the JMSDF soldiers and U.S. Forces in Japan soldiers still watching the Kaga on the pier, Kaga suddenly asked: "Commander, are you employing force deterrence by having us and Akagi return by sea from the United States?"
"Force deterrence? Why would you think that?" Chen Yu turned his head and looked at Kaga with surprise, then chuckled: "It's just two nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. You don't have an escort fleet, no logistical support, and not even an integrated air-space combat network. Although two aircraft carriers can indeed do a lot, and many small countries can be flattened or destroyed by you two alone.
But for truly powerful nations, two medium-sized aircraft carriers without an escort system are merely matters of a few anti-ship missiles."
"This..." Kaga had to admit that what Chen Yu said was true.
Without an escort fleet, just two aircraft carriers have very low survival capability. After all, their designs were made based on American nuclear-powered carriers, unlike Kiev-rank, which had survival capability akin to that of a cruiser, making them somewhat inferior.
"However, you don't have to worry. I will have the 6th Destroyer Squadron and Aquya operate with you two in the future. Plus, with the four Kirov-rank sisters still in Russia, a complete carrier combat group can be constructed." Chen Yu explained his thoughts and plans to Kaga: "If I were to use force deterrence, having you act as such a group would truly have a deterrent effect."
With the ship-girls I currently possess, it's indeed possible to form a powerful aircraft carrier battle group.
Two medium-sized nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, four nuclear-powered missile cruisers, four missile destroyers, and one nuclear-powered attack submarine; such a carrier battle group is enough to intimidate any country in the world, and even the Five Great Hooligans would not dare to underestimate it.
"Then why do you still want us to do it this way?" Kaga seemed determined to get to the bottom of it.
"Because I want to hide the fact that you can use the Necromantic Space for transit and can appear anywhere in the world at any time." Facing Kaga's pursuit, Chen Yu finally disclosed his intention.