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To: Jeff Head

Jeff, what is Combined Fleet doing to counteract the Chinese build-up, given the relative inattention of the U.S. to its Navy since the early Nineties.


44 posted on 12/22/2013 4:18:22 PM PST by section9
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To: section9
Well, 1st he US Navy has not been sitting still. v We have been building Arleigh Burke Class destroyers continually through the entire time and now have about 65 of them along with 22 Ticonderoga cruisers.

Those vessels are the best multi-role combatants on the planet...although some of our allies, with their own Burke builds have equally strong combatants.

In addition, the US has been building Virginia Class nuclear attack submarines, which outside Sea Wolf class, there are no other SSNs that can equal them either. Now, the Astutes the Royal Navy are building are very good too...but they only have two of them and will build no more than seven of them. We currently have ten of the Virginia's commissioned, and five more building, and another seventeen planned.

By comparison, the PLAN has seven nuclear attack subs, and four of those are very antiquated Han class boats,. The other four Type 093 boats are not even as good as the Los Angles class boats we still use...and we have about forty of them.

As t the Japanese Maritime Self defense Force, they are still very strong. They have fallen behind the PLAN in terms of new vessels and tonnage. They still hold an edge in experience which is very important...and they are not sitting on their laurels. They do not have the economic strength however to keep up with the Chinese. However, between ourselves and the Japanese, there is still overwhelming numbers, tonnage and experience. But the Chinese are pushing to try and match that.

The Japanese have six AEGIS destroyers, four Kongo class and two Atago Class. They are going to build two more Atago class. They also have 13 Murasami class DDGs, five Takanami Class DDGs, and are have now launched all four of their Akizaki Class DDGs which are very powerful. All of those have been built since the late 1990s.

Their Diesel/Electric subs are among the best in the world, particularly their AIP capably Soryu class. However, they cannot keep up with the build pace of the Chinese. The JSMDF has about 22 good diesel Electric subs. The Chinese have about 34...and their build rate is outpacing the Japanese.

The Japanese have commissioned two new, large Hyuga class DDH carriers. They are large, 20,000 ton flat deck carriers that are ASW oriented and principally carry ASW helicopters, though they could carry Ospreys, and probably a small contingent of Joint Strike Fighters if the Japanese ever buy any of the Bravo variant (the STOVL variant).

They have also just finished a larger, 30,000 ton vessel which is also a carrier, the Izumo and are building a second of those. These too are put forward as helicopter ASW carriers, but could clearly carry even more JSFs if they so desired. Here's a picture of the new Izumo.


IZUMO CLASS CVH

So, the Japanese are continuing to modernize and build up, just at a slower pace.

The South Koreans are doing the same and are themselves very strong, as are the Australians. Right now, China's [problem is that they have to catch up with and surpass and then maintain a lead over all of these nations combined. A very difficult task.

Or they will have to try and take them on piece meal, one at a time. We are there to make sure they do not do that.

Some good reference links:

World-wide Aircraft Carriers

AEGIS and AEGIS-like vessels of the World

The US Navy in the 21st Century

The Rising Sea Dragon in Asia

46 posted on 12/22/2013 5:02:30 PM PST by Jeff Head
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