Posted on 11/11/2019 4:51:20 PM PST by Zhang Fei
This is probably not an issue directly for us as we can bring a very sizable air and sea force against them should they attack, however, it could be a big deal in South America or Africa where China is aggressively interested. Also the Philippines.
Aircraft carriers are great for pounding smaller/weaker countries due to their ability to effectively project force. This means that China intends to be able to project force to smaller/weaker countries.
Think Quality... not quantity!
Bill Clinton allowed the PLAN unlimited access to US naval operations of all sorts - PLAN officers were on our CVNs during most of his Presidency.
Most of the shipyards closed or are in bankruptcy due to the huge budget cuts and Navy brass penchant for super expensive toys - most of which are failures like the CVN Ford (which may never be combat certified). But they are going to build three more. I think there are only 2 or 3 remaining US shipyards
We no longer have the mills to process it. We cannot even make the armor plate used on WWII battleships.
Satellites will be the first to go.
The Type 2 and 3 will be EMALS - no wire. Vertical takeoff planes like the F-35C (?) cannot carry as much ordnance as catapult or EMALS plane can, plus decks need special plate to take the heat adding topside weight which limits the CVN in other respects
“What China invested in when we were wasting trillions in the Mideast for 20 years.”
These carriers will be used mostly to guard the sea lanes between China, the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf/East Africa. So ultimately it’s part of China’s effort to waste trillions in the Mideast for the next 50 years.
The cheat money swindled from America used against America
“I thought aircraft carriers were siting ducks and not part of the latest military naval technology.”
Well, yes and no. We could argue about the survivability of carriers in an all-out war using ICBM’s and maneuverable reentry vehicles. We would both probably agree the losses would be horrendous. But the US is China’s least concern. They have had several wars with Vietnam since our war ended in the seventies. Each time, Vietnam has handed them a defeat. China is rapidly building infrastructure to correct the reasons for their loses. In addition, with the US’ gradual withdrawal from the peace keeping role in the Persian Gulf, China will need to protect oil shipments from there all the way to China. Those shipments will need to pass several choke points and hostile countries who could hold the oil for ransom. The faster the US withdraws from its role as World Police, the faster China must ramp up its navy to take up the slack.
On another tact, China has the most over-leveraged big economy in the world. I would argue that their navy build-up will never be completed before their economy implodes.
Alibaba breaks Singles Day record with more than $38 billion in sales
From what I have read the EMAL is only used for launch, not recovery. If Chi a will use standard T&L aircraft they will still need pilots trained in wire landings and deck crew trained in landing procedure.
There is a difference between observing and doing.
Here's what lets me sleep at night: Nuclear-armed Trident submarines. The world knows they exist, but no one knows where they are at any given moment. That and the nuclear processing signature will tell us where those weapons are built and who to retaliate against.
However, I can see a conventional naval war with China if they move on Taiwan. We will lose a lot of sailors, but they will lose the war due to our training and experience. They can build as many platforms as they like, but our Naval Aviators are second to none.
The MAD theory still applies if we’re attacked by an identifiable nation. What happens when a missile is fired from a container on a Monrovian registered ship in the gulf? What nation do you turn to glass, Monrovia? Where’s the deterrence for a non state terrorist or a third party terrorist state. I don’t worry about China or Russia, as they’ve much too much to lose. That’s what’s so terrifying.
If I'm wrong, let some nuke experts correct me. Plus, if suitcase nukes were so available, why don't you think the black market arms dealers s have not provided Iran or other rogue nations with them? Many went missing after the fall of the USSR. They take a lot of maintenance to remain viable.
Bottom line: They all know about our Tridents and the USA is the only nation to ever use nuclear weapons, and we would do it again. Sleep in peace, and thank our submariners on those subs.
I simply don’t believe, suffering from the effects of an EMP attack, we’d have the ability to find the remnants of a scud delivered nuke somewhere over thousands and thousands of square miles of middle America. I will also need more than your assurances that we have the ability to identify a nuke from, say early 60’s Soviet Union or a renegade construct. Regardless, if some ISIS type group launched it, what would they care how we retaliated. Scuds are easily available, a non descript freighter in the gulf with a scud is easily done. Don’t fool yourself in believing that nukes or the material to construct one aren’t available. I envy your ability to whistle past the graveyard on this.
Do some research. It would take more than a Scud to go high enough for an EMP attack. Yes, China, Russia, and maybe Norks have ICBM's. We would see them upon launch and figure the trajectory. No, they don't have the capability as yet to take out are satellites. Plus, simple Aegis class cruisers can see them upon launch. Then you have redundant radar at so many Air Force bases and SAC. Please, no one is going to attack us with nukes knowing America has already nuked Japan, twice.
FYI: Isotope identification devices are usually quite compact and very sensitive radiation isotope identification device, which enables detection, localization and identification of radioactive and nuclear materials. Isotope types are detected by their neutron and gamma radiation along with their amplitude gamma spectra.
We now have such devices in every port of entry. You're behind the curve. I'm not whistling past the graveyard. I will say again, once the isotopes are identified from their origin, Tridents will obliterate with nukes and/or massive cruise missiles any nation or terrorist group that nukes us. The world knows they are out there and that's why we haven't been nuked. Sleep in peace, Sir. The Silent Service is out there on patrol everywhere.
You’re wrong, but I really don’t care. Nice talking to you.
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