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Would the U.S. Still Lose the Naval War of 2015?
Real Clear Defense ^ | July 2, 2013 | Harry Kazianis

Posted on 07/08/2013 1:48:59 PM PDT by neverdem

Over the last few days I have begun the exhausting, yet wonderful process of moving. Considering the fact I have not moved in twelve years and I am relocating from a suburban single-family home to a small apartment urban setting in Washington D.C. I have some tough decisions to make on what to keep and what to trash.

In going through my endless collection of foreign policy, national security and defense articles (I print everything) I found quite the gem that needless to say made the save box. Instead of cleaning out our soon-to-be former home, I decided to take a small break (please don't tell my wife) and travel down memory lane.

The article in question is one you may know. From the Winter 2010 edition of Orbis, James Kraska's "How the United States Lost the Naval War of 2015" was always a piece that I have gone back to over and over again. In fact, the article was one that sparked my interest in anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) and the DF-21D. Several years back, myself and fellow CSIS:PACNET WSD Handa scholar Daryl Morini had planned to write a follow-up piece -- but alas -- other projects always seemed to get in the way (I am still willing if you are my friend!).

The article creates a fictional scenario where China "sinks" a U.S. carrier. The scenario itself is rather, well, interesting:

"Americans woke up to a different world the day after the attack. The war was over almost as soon as it had started. Outmaneuvered tactically and strategically, the United States suffered its greatest defeat at sea since Pearl Harbor. The incident—could it really be called a 'war'?—had been preceded by a shallow diplomatic crisis between the two great powers. No one in the West expected the dispute to..."...

(Excerpt) Read more at realcleardefense.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Politics/Elections; US: District of Columbia
KEYWORDS: china
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To: Iron Munro
What a great picture.

I'm calling it the "Scowl' reminiscent of the "Scream", one that portrays, projects, the true darkness that lies within.


41 posted on 07/08/2013 3:53:18 PM PDT by lbryce (BHO:"Now, I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds by way Oppenheimer at Trinity NM)
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To: lbryce

We would lose no war if we had leadership that wanted Victory!
War for the US is MONEY, young lives in WAR makes money for arms dealers and equipment manufactures and Military wares!
boots foods clothing, pork war bills, building yet another bridge to no where.etc!
Big War Business does not care about Victory just the status quo!
Oops there goes another Humvee! When we could have made a parkin lot!


42 posted on 07/08/2013 4:23:33 PM PDT by Conserev1 ("Still Clinging to my Bible and my Weapon")
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To: neverdem; Disambiguator

The only possible way for the US to lose a Naval War to China in 2015 is through out and ouit treason and criminal dereliction of duty.

I am not saying that is not possible, but come 2015, our quantitative and qualitative advantage over the emerging modern PLAN forces will still be far, far too great for them to possibly overcome.

When you add to that the Japanese, who are our close ally and who themselves have a more powerful Navy than the Chinese, the Koreans, who have a very strong and capable Navy, the Australians, who also have a strong presence, there is just no conceivable way in that time frame, short of what I described that the US would lose.

Now, as we project forces forward, there is a chance in the next 30 years that China could gain parity with us. That does not have to happen, and if we proceed forward with the newer technologies we are already working on, which the Chinese are decades away from deploying, and if we deploy them in numbers, that will also not happen.

Even if it does (which I hope and pray it does not) when you combine ourselves, the Japanese, the Koreans, Australia, and other smaller nations like Singapore, New Zealand, Indonesia, etc. who would most likely side with us, the Chinese are still far from overcoming that combined weight even in 30 years.

The real issue is, with someone like Obama at the helm, or someone of a similar ilk, will we have the will to use our forces to defeat such an enemy. That’s the question.

See all of the following:

The Rising Sea Dragon in Asia
http://www.jeffhead.com/redseadragon/

World Wide Aircraft Carriers
http://www.jeffhead.com/worldwideaircraftcarriers/

AEGIS and AEGIS-like Vessels of the World
http://www.jeffhead.com/aegisvesselsoftheworld/

US Navy - 21st century
http://www.jeffhead.com/USN21


43 posted on 07/08/2013 4:28:08 PM PDT by Jeff Head
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To: laplata; All
Thanks for the ping...

Here's the key sentence in the scenario as far as I can see: George Washington was conducting routine patrols off the coast of China to send a signal of U.S. resolve.

"Resolve"??

The only "resolve" THIS nation governed by THIS President, backed by THIS Congress has demonstrated is the one that has been determined to feminize, undermine, and otherwise sabotage US prestige and security in ALL branches of the military.

Anyone disagree?

44 posted on 07/08/2013 4:28:23 PM PDT by USS Johnston (Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be bought at the price of chains & slavery? - Patrick Henry)
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To: Yo-Yo; laplata

Must be the ‘USS Tea Party’ taking that hit.


45 posted on 07/08/2013 4:30:42 PM PDT by USS Johnston (Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be bought at the price of chains & slavery? - Patrick Henry)
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To: BwanaNdege
It depends on how independent and nasty individual Naval commanders get.

And the time of month.

46 posted on 07/08/2013 4:31:52 PM PDT by USS Johnston (Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be bought at the price of chains & slavery? - Patrick Henry)
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To: Ronin
The scenario discussed in this article is a bit far fetched, but not totally unreasonable.

The "resolve" of the CiC and the agenda of his minions make this scenario quite tempting for the ChiComs and not far-fetched at all.

What makes you assume the George Washington or ANY US Naval vessel would be ordered to defend itself? I could definitely envision the ship and its crew purposely sacrificed by the Marxist-in-Chief -- just to further humiliate the US and our military.

47 posted on 07/08/2013 4:42:16 PM PDT by USS Johnston (Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be bought at the price of chains & slavery? - Patrick Henry)
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To: USS Johnston

And the time of month.


Oh crap! You’re right.


48 posted on 07/08/2013 4:42:56 PM PDT by laplata (Liberals don't get it. Their minds have been stolen.)
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To: USS Johnston

And the time of month.


“Bull” Halsey and George Patton would be beyond pissed off if they saw all this.


49 posted on 07/08/2013 4:44:33 PM PDT by laplata (Liberals don't get it. Their minds have been stolen.)
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To: Resolute Conservative
Someone sinks one of our CVN’s I surmise they will get more than a proportional response (as soon as NObama leaves office that is).

HA! (but replaced with whom? It can only Hillary or another Dem because NO Republican will ever become President with The Fix permanently in as well as a demographic disaster awaiting us thru Amnesty.)

50 posted on 07/08/2013 4:49:56 PM PDT by USS Johnston (Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be bought at the price of chains & slavery? - Patrick Henry)
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To: laplata
Lol...I hate to be right about this one, but OUCH!

“Bull” Halsey and George Patton would be beyond pissed off if they saw all this.

Exactly my thoughts. And Patton -- he'd thought there was no difference between a woman and Monty at the time ;-)

51 posted on 07/08/2013 4:54:47 PM PDT by USS Johnston (Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be bought at the price of chains & slavery? - Patrick Henry)
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To: USS Johnston

You’re right. LOL!

Oh yeah, those old guys would be beyond themselves.


52 posted on 07/08/2013 4:59:36 PM PDT by laplata (Liberals don't get it. Their minds have been stolen.)
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To: Yo-Yo

if we are talking a mid-pacific war no. submarine vs submarine, not even a fair fight.if we have to close to 250nm of the chinese coast, possibly. that close and PLA shore based SSMs combined with submarines and land-based a/c attacking on a 3 axis front and initially going for the escorts would be difficult to defend against. politically YES because the gutless congress and the first moosie would surrender.


53 posted on 07/08/2013 5:01:26 PM PDT by bravo whiskey (We should not fear our government. Our government should fear us.)
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To: neverdem

Use a word processor. In MS products select Insert, Special Character (or Symbol) and a menu opens. Fonts are more than just letters; some have dozens or hundreds of other interesting things. You can also create your own shortcut but most common characters have something already. ALT+0162 yields ¢, for example.


54 posted on 07/08/2013 5:06:08 PM PDT by kitchen (Make plans and prepare. You'll never have trouble if you're ready for it. - TR)
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To: neverdem
As usual, the headline doesn't match the content. It's not a war, but a single battle... one with a sneak attack and zero opportunity for response. Tough to assess anyone's military strength based on such a scenario.

However, is we WERE to wax hypothetical about a protracted naval war against the US Navy, it certainly helps the opposition that the US President, the US media, and the US political Left would all be doing their level best to hold our Navy back... and the other side would still probably need the combined arms of a few navies to put up a good fight, along with asymmetrical attacks from those hiding behind/among/as civilians.

55 posted on 07/08/2013 5:08:52 PM PDT by Teacher317 (The public is being manipulated to fleece the taxpayer. That is the real industry in Washington.)
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To: warchild9
William Tell is a legendary character, which might be different from a fictional character.

IOW, he is placed far enough back in history that there is little or no physical evidence of his existence. This opens the door to the argument that "absence of evidence is not evidence of absence", John Locke's classic "argumentum ad ignorantiam" which has been used "in fields such as epistemology, medical research, archeology and criminalistics,"

Carl Sagan used it in regard to UFOs & E.T.s

"Argument from ignorance"

Legendary, historical or fictional, William Tell is, as you say, a good metaphor and a hero.

56 posted on 07/08/2013 5:14:27 PM PDT by BwanaNdege ("To learn who rules over you simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize"- Voltaire)
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To: Jeff Head
The only possible way for the US to lose a Naval War to China in 2015 is through out and out treason and criminal dereliction of duty.

BINGO!

I am not saying that is not possible, but come 2015, our quantitative and qualitative advantage over the emerging modern PLAN forces will still be far, far too great for them to possibly overcome.

Even considering our quantitative and qualitative advantage, why isn't a negative outcome trumped by treason and criminal dereliction of duty?

The real issue is, with someone like Obama at the helm, or someone of a similar ilk, will we have the will to use our forces to defeat such an enemy. That’s the question.

Yes -- that is the real issue and question. The CiC and his staff of like-minded zombies will still be calling the shots up and down the Food Chain.

Given this President's subservient behavior toward foreign leaders and disposition of purposely embarrassing American prestige and power; Given his subversive motivation and past and resentment of the USA -- I believe we're far more susceptible to the unthinkable should we be challenged militarily.

Thanks for your links and interesting research that will take some time to digest.

57 posted on 07/08/2013 5:15:05 PM PDT by USS Johnston (Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be bought at the price of chains & slavery? - Patrick Henry)
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To: Ronin
I have felt that the USN’s over reliance on supercarriers is an Achilles’ heel that the Chinese were bound to exploit. The scenario discussed in this article is a bit far fetched, but not totally unreasonable.

This stuff's been around forever. Forty years ago, the Naval Institute Proceedings was running articles that scenarized an "improved Forrestal" or Enterprise-class (yes, yes, class of one) CVA/CVAN falling victim, along with her escorting cruiser, to a lurking bad-boy 40-knot PT/PGM type element (two boats, say) nailing them both hard with anti-shipping missiles in a restricted seaway, then scooting away before escorting ships could respond.

The enemy asset that carrier battle groups have never, in any exercise, been able to deal with is a task group of SSN's and SSGN's opposing transit. Every year, for years and years, Atlantic Fleet admirals have run their LANTFLEX exercise on such scenarios, and the submarines have come out on top every time. Worry about that, because in the end power projection is what it's about, and a navy unable to protect convoys transiting contested waters can't get the strategic mission done.

58 posted on 07/08/2013 5:15:12 PM PDT by lentulusgracchus
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To: Teacher317
WERE to wax hypothetical about a protracted naval war against the US Navy...

Almost impossible these these.

I could see our CiC allowing few brief exchanges and loss of an American flag ship in order to further humiliate the US military, international prestige, and reinforce perception that America is a paper tiger with no heart. As you suggest, the media, and the US political Left would do their best to "kinda catapult the propaganda" in this contest.

59 posted on 07/08/2013 5:22:33 PM PDT by USS Johnston (Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be bought at the price of chains & slavery? - Patrick Henry)
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bump


60 posted on 07/08/2013 5:22:52 PM PDT by 0.E.O
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