Although the French are unlikely to publicly release the blueprints of their most advanced ironclads, as long as there is new information to be accessed, these experts are surely able to learn something new.

What Carlo hopes for is that they can absorb France’s valuable experience and unique design concepts in shipbuilding, allowing Spain to advance further in warship design, at least reaching the level of the Great Powers.

There’s no helping it; due to Spain’s smaller population, the domestic talent pool surely cannot compare with the Great Powers.

Not to mention that Spain’s educational conditions were quite poor ten years ago, with the majority of the population being illiterate, outstanding talents are indeed rare.

In contrast, the educational conditions in other great powers are much better, along with much larger populations than Spain, which has resulted in talent reserves that far surpass Spain’s.

Especially Germany’s educational conditions, which are definitely among the top in European countries.

Historically, many outstanding physicists and chemists have come from the German Region, including the renowned Einstein.

After successfully reaching cooperation with the French Government, Carlo was not satisfied and proceeded to reach related cooperation with Italy and the Austro-Hungarian Empire successively.

The Austro-Hungarian Empire is not notable in terms of naval power, but it cannot be said that the Austro-Hungarian Empire has no capability in naval matters at all. Spain and the Austro-Hungarian Empire’s naval research is mainly concentrated on medium and small-scale warships, especially those under 3500 tons.

Relying on the industrial scale of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Spain’s naval strength, developing designs for medium and small warships around 3500 tons is absolutely no problem.

A country’s navy cannot completely consist of ironclads; even one ironclad requires many medium and small warships to form a complete fleet.

Therefore, the role of these medium and small warships is quite important. Whether it’s cruisers capable of engaging in ocean-going operations or competing with capital ships, or gunboats only suited for coastal defense and patrol, they are all relatively scarce for Spain.

After all, Spain’s colonies span the globe, which means Spain requires a large navy to protect its homeland and colonies.

According to Carlo’s plan, Spain will form two fleets in the future: the Home-Africa Fleet and the Philippine Fleet.

All of Spain’s miscellaneous wooden warships and some relatively outdated warships will be transferred to the Philippine Fleet, and these warships are sufficient to ensure the safety of the Philippine Colony.

The Home-Africa Fleet, on the other hand, will be equipped with more powerful ironclads and new warships to significantly enhance the fleet’s combat effectiveness.

As the design of navies develops in various countries, those old-fashioned sailing warships of Spain are essentially rendered useless.

Although they can enhance the Spanish Fleet’s nominal numbers, when facing enemy ironclads directly, the sailing warships and some wooden warships can only await their demise obediently.

Whether in terms of firepower, defensive capabilities, or speed, the differences are worlds apart, and this isn’t something that sheer numbers can change.

The situation in the Philippine Colony is different. The Philippine Colony primarily faces the Dutch fleet and some pirates, and sailing warships are more than sufficient.

Although the Netherlands was once a famed European power, at this time, its area is too small to support any substantial fleet.

The Dutch navy, like Spain’s, is more superficial in scale but is actually made up of old fleets with new ironclads being few, and the Dutch are even less likely to station ironclads in the colonies.

This means that Spain’s old fleets will still be able to play a significant role once they reach the Philippines, ensuring relative stability for a long time.

Carlo has yet to make a decision regarding the Philippine Colony.

The Cuban Colony is definitely to be dealt with, traded off at a high point in the short term.

The Philippine Colony likewise is a colony far from Spanish homeland, but it has already taken shape, and the dispatched Spanish forces are enough to ensure its stability.

Under such circumstances, it becomes extremely difficult to deal with the Philippine Colony. The public would not accept the loss of the Philippine Colony without any unexpected event, unless it could be exchanged for a larger and more prosperous colony.

But this is impossible. The great powers are not fools; they would not exchange a better colony for a worse one.

Though the Philippines has a large indigenous population, these local natives are generally quite lazy, yielding limited colonial revenues.

In this light, the Philippine Colony seems like a chicken rib: tasteless to eat but a pity to discard.

Fortunately, Carlo still has ample time to make choices; both Cuba and the Philippines are firmly in Spanish hands for now.

If collaboration with the Austro-Hungarian Empire is viewed as valuing its foundations, then collaboration with Italy is purely optimistic about Italy’s future.

Although Italy is a newly emerging great power, it is nonetheless a nation at the level of the great powers. Coupled with a weak land army, since the rule of Carlo’s father, Vittorio Emanuele II, Italy has focused its development primarily on the Navy.

Currently, the King of Italy is Carlo’s brother, Umberto, an unabashed nationalist and imperialist.

Historically, Italy joined the arms race and expanded the army and navy under King Umberto’s leadership.

It must be admitted that Italy indeed has a certain capability in naval design. During the pre-dreadnought battleship era, Italy even designed Europe’s most advanced battleship, which is not something an ordinary great power could accomplish.

At least in the aspect of the Navy, the benefits of cooperating with Italy now may even surpass those of cooperating with the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Luckily, Carlo is an adult and can choose both. Spain can cooperate with both the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Italy.