"Actually they have no operational boomers yet. They had one, but the missiles were removed a few years ago and it's sitting at the dock. They may have their first one this year."
Good pronouncment. Incidentally forget to say your DE1038 pic sure looks nice, in earlier exchanges.
Yes, as you indicated, the Chicoms understand that as they produce boomers, we shall be right on their tails. It will be as easy as with the Russkies as you mentioned. They don't have the means for a long time to build stations elsewhere, at least I hope not. Guess South America is going to come into play as is Cuba, but then Cuba would be a ridiculus choice being only 90 miles from Key West NAS, and so close to our east coast in general. They would be boxed in from day one. Surely the POTUS and crew are working out these issues, and the South American Trade agreements take certain things into account. Nothing just happens by chance.
Chasing subs was what DE-1038 did for a living. Quite often above the artic circle. Was fun stuff. Very heady for a young kid to be in CIC helping out.
Sadly the McCloy was an in between boat. It was a transitional boat to the 1052 class. We had the older 600PSI boilers, but the most advanced sonar at the time the sqs-26. She rode really bad. My bunk was up forward right under the asroc launcher. Anytime we had any kind of bad weather we'd have sea water slopping around the deck. You'll notive the bow was kind of narrow, and not sloped up and out like other ships (called a hurricane bow). We used to drive right into big swells rather then lifting over them.
My last year on board we actually had the first SURTASS in the Navy installed in the hangar bay. We were a mobile SOSUS station. Very interesting adventures.
One thing about the ChiComs is they have just completed a major naval base in Pakistan. That is troubling. It's meant to give them a presence in the Indian Ocean and protect their supply of oil. But then we have Diego Garcia. Checkmate