Navy 'Too Weak' For Big Role In Korea Blockade (UK)

The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 10-16-2006 | Thomas Harding - Damien McElroy - Richard Spencer

[unspun]

Britannia's water broke?

[Thud]

Who said anything about calling it a blockade?

[denydenydeny]

Rule Britannia,
Britannia Rules Some of the Waves....

[Dog Gone]

I think when you lay mines outside a nation's harbors, that's a blockade. Am I missing something?

[Wolverine]

Thanks. I'm a VICTIM of a fast read. LOL

[COEXERJ145]

North Korea has a massive army. That is where almost all of their food, fuel, and money goes to.

[an amused spectator]

I've become very leery of news stories that are almost completely crafted around an anonymous source.

You and me both, brother.

Thanks for the heads-up. So they're trying to take the Royal Navy out of the equation with a few strategically placed "news" stories [aka the fevered fictions of the fearlessy facetious fourth-estaters]?

[Thud]

Same as a police action not being a war. Diplomacy is the art of lying for your country.

[Thud]

If saying something makes it true, I say:
You will give me all your money.

And the Chinese army reinforcements sent to Manchuria are only bank guards because they keep starving North Korean soldiers from crossing the Yalu, with weapons they've taken off base, to rob Manchurian banks so they can buy food.

What you call an army is three foodless days away from mutiny.

[dk/coro]

Regrettably, the United States Navy has let its mining capability falter to the point of virtual extinction.

Strategically, this is NOT a credible option -- even were the international diplomatic environment conducive to it.

Fini this drill.

[Jeff Head]

the USS Kitty Hawk, a nuclear powered aircraft carrier

Idiots at the telegraph can't even get the most basic facts straight. The Kitty Hawk in NOT nuclear powered.

My guess is, that despite the cuts, the Royal Navy will find a way to take an active and effective part. They tried to count them out in the Faklands and they proved that wrong...they will prove this wrong as well.

[Thud]

What do you mean, WE, white man?

Look at my No. 17. We don't have the only navy in the world.

By the way, what happened on December 7, 1941? Might that country have a navy?

[Dog Gone]

True, but we're several developments, I think, from mining the harbors.

We have international support at present, grudging perhaps, to inspect all cargo ships for contraband. Sinking vessels simply for entering or leaving NK ports isn't in that mandate.

[Strategerist]

We have air and submarine laid mines.

[Thud]

I agree that talking is all that is going on. It probably will be the only thing which happens. NK will go down in 12-18 months if we keep the economic pressure on. Faster would require either military action of some sort or closure of the Chinese border.

[oyez]

I would think the United Kingdom learned in 1941 that is was folly to go screwing around in Asian water without air-cover. With out the Harrier or other interceptor A/C ther Royal Navy is worthless on the sea frontier. The Falkland's War proved this. To this observer, Britain seems to be happy with a part time Navy.

[jiggyboy]

"Not a bit of it, I say! Ready for service!"

[Eaker]

North Korea has a massive army.

Please update us as to numbers and effectiveness.

Please be specific with cites as numbers pulled from one's arse are of no help.

Thanks,

[GonzoGOP]

"Navy taskforce will be forced to rely on France and America

So in other words, blam, we're on our own."

No if the French are involved we are much worse off than if we were alone. If the French are involved how much do you want to bet that any arms shipments to Iran will happen to exit through an area controlled by French warships. Probably right after a large deposit in Chirac's bank account from an unknown Middle East source.

If there is a Quarantine Line like there was in Cuba then its going to be the South Koreans for inshore work, whatever the USN can scrape together in the Pacific and Nihon Kaigun. That should be more than enough considering the pitiful state of the North Korean Navy. Even if China decides to risk all out nuclear war with the US and break the line by force, their navy would be swept from the seas by Japanese land based air and US Carrier aircraft. Given the quality and training of the Peoples Liberation Army Air Force, the close proximity of Japan's phenomenal airfields and swarms of F15 and J2 fighters we have the home field advantage despite being off the enemies coast.

While having the Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy would be great, especially due to the fact that the RN is probably the best trained fleet in the world, we don't need them. So far as the French are concerned we not only don't need them, we don't want them closer to Korea than the Bay of Biscay.

[Thud]

Congratulations! You today's WINNER of the Unclear On The Concept award!

If an army's conscript enlisted can so frequently take their personal weapons off base to rob banks in ANOTHER COUNTRY that the other country has to send 75,000 - 100,000 more troops to the border to stop them, i.e., the conscript enlisted do not fear disciplinary action, what does that say about the effectiveness of that army?