Upon hearing this, Ferdinand's interest was piqued: "How much are you planning to add?"
Ernst: "According to East Africa's development path, we won't be investing too much in the military in the coming years, but the navy is an exception. In light of the increasing pressure on East Africa's coastal defenses, I plan to build the East African Navy into a world ninth naval power by 1880, right after the naval powers of Britain, France, America, Russia, Spain, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and Germany."
Apart from the countries Ernst mentioned, the Netherlands currently ranks ninth, followed by Italy in tenth place. Before the Italo-Austrian war, Italy was ranked fifth.
The Ottoman Empire's naval strength cannot be underestimated, as since 1860, Sultan Abdullah of the Ottoman Empire has been vigorously developing its navy, purchasing multiple ironclad ships.
Spain, though weakened, still remains among the world's powerful navies, much stronger than neighboring Portugal.
