The Rising Sea Dragon in Asia 2006 Update
Posted on 09/01/2006 6:36:27 PM PDT by Jeff Head
I have been keeping a major web site up regarding the growth of the Chinese NAvy for the last four years. This is the 2006 Update.
Throughout 2005 and 2006 the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has continued its unprecedented modernization and buildup, working on and procuring twelve seperate classes of major combatants. Increasing numbers of new guided missile destroyers, guided missile frigates, fast attack craft, very modern and quiet diesel/electric attack submarines, nuclear attack submarines, nuclear ballistic missile submarines, logisitic support craft, amphibious assault craft, and the infrastructure and aircraft to support them are being built. The PLAN has now settled on several classes of vessels to be built in serial production after several years of testing and evaluation of initial production runs of two each of those vessels.
By way of comparison, since 2000, the Chinese Navy has added an additional 72 new, major combatants...a net growth of 72 major combatants. In that same time the US Navy has built 39 major new combatants, but also decommissioned 45 major combatants, most of them with ten or more years service life remaining in them according to their original construction plans, for a net of -8 major combatants.
Now, while the overall numbers, technology, and strategies are still signifcantly in favor of the US Navy, the trend is disconcerting because future construction plans call for projecting similar trends.
Your take on their intentions are spot on IMO. Gonna hafta get ahold of your books one of these days. I appreciate your longevity and the "meat" in your posts.
I believe this is essentially correct. They are doing exactly what the Japanese did in the 1930s, knowing they need the oil and trying to secure the supply, both by sea and by land.
At some point, that need and desire will conflict with us and they know it and are preparing for it. Maybe over Taiwan, maybe over the Spratley's, maybe in conjunction with their relationship with some one like Iran or N. Korea.
I just ask folks if they like the ebook, then to tell other people and also to consider getting the printed book after you have read the ebook and like it.
Precisely! The Russians are working on wearing us down as well, using the proxy of the terrorist groups of the middle east and supporting (with materiel) those groups.
This way our forces get worn out, our supplies expended, and maybe even our government changed to one which will be more amenable to their goals (like the Clintons).
But the Chinese are not sitting still either. They are a very vibrant economy and have a lot of bright minds. As they continue to have more and more money to throw at the issue, the technology race will be just as critical as the arms race itself.
Thank you.
My thoughts as well. They get most of their oil from the Middle East while the US only gets about 17% of its imported oil from the Persian Gulf and that percentage is projected to decrease for the US in the future. Perhaps that is why we are not taking a harder stance against Iran. In 10-15 years, that part of the world may not be that strategically important to us, but it will be to the Chinese. The great irony is that the Chinese will then be facing a nuclear armed Iran, Pakistan & India for control of the region at a time when all 4 nations will be at state of industrialization where they will all need as much oil as they can get their hands on.
Meanwhile, big oil companies like Chevron & Exxon are currently partnering with Indian companies to build huge refineries along the coasts of India. One such project is currently employing over 150,000 people and is projected to take 2 years just to finish the 1st phase! Let China & India fight it out with mad mullahs while we deploy our forces closer to home.
Even without the new weapons, wouldn't JDAM's do a number on surface ships? If we can easily hit small buildings, wouldn't a much larger ship, even if it's moving, make an easy target also? Taiwan could be defended with just a few hundred of those JDAM kits to upgrade their current bombs.
You have a very good point there. That's why I think we can consider beyond that.
Barring a revolution in THIS country it is probably going to happen too.. How?... 30 million(or more) legal and illegal aliens voting are going to make it happen.. whether amnestyied or not..
In addition, guiding JDAM against a moving target would be difficult because it is not radar guided or heat guided...it is GPS guided. In addition, the CEP for the JDAM is something like 13 meters. The Navy is trying to improve that to 3 meters, but that is still against stationary targets.
The HARM (AGM-88), SLAM-ER (AGM-84K), the Penguin (AGM-119B), the Maverick (AGM-65), and the Standard (SM-2) missiles are what we have in inventory to attack ships with...of course in addition to our torpedoes from our submarines. missile
During the late 1940's and through the 1950's Senator and then Vice President Nixon was viewed as a anti-communist champion, fighting the good fight against Red China and then in the early 1970's President Nixon opens the door.
We were told 'they will change their ways' do to western influences.
To this day the communist dictatorship is still in control and growing more alarming thanks to the billions rolling in from the West.
I agree. Their totalitarian form of voernment has not changed, they've just adapted their economic model to avoid what the Soviets experienced...and what they were already experiencing at the time.
Now, with their more fascists model for economics, they represent a threat, IMHO, an order of magnitude greater than Nazi Germany of the 1930s. When you couple their growing world-wide influence, their growing military, and the radical Islamofascist threat, the situation is very acute.
...and , as you say, we are funding it.
Thanks for the ping
Think about all those COSCO container ships bringing all those Chinese goodies you buy at WAL*MART.
There must be thousands.
How long do you suppose it would take to unload the containers and turn those into transport ships - or even missile platforms?
Don't think for a minute Chinese don't think this way. We had better start taking them seriously.
Soon it will be too late to stop the inevitable, I fear.
It may be already.
You can download the whole thing for free as an adobe ebook at the following site:
You are welcome my friend. I hope and trust all is well with you and yours.
Martial arts. The umbrella being casually stepped along by the man as he walks - step one two three, the umbrella taps to the ground - then again, can also be a weapon at a moment's need.
Tai Chi, is slowly practiced fighting.
I've been to China, spent some time there. Chinese are almost without exception, focused on power, warfare and fighting. They're quite good at it.
All Asia seems militarized, ironically, compared with America. Typically here you can go for months without ever seeing any military vehicles - perhaps driving along the interstate with their lights on. In Asia, military is everywhere.
China is big, strong and military. PLA is everywhere, and society there is very carefully controlled. This poster thinks China is a (lot) like pre-war Germany.
Except they're a lot bigger, and have nukes.
Same attitude of wanting to right perceived historical grievances. Often the word "pride" is used by Chinese to describe their ascending power.
Problem is, in Chinese society there's virtually never a stable relationship between equals. We should not expect China to relate to us, the way we would relate to China if roles were reversed. Chinese "pride" will seem like something quite different, to us.
America, and Americans, tend to react positively to equality, and quite negatively to arrogance. Pride to an American, may lead to friendliness and generosity. Gloating is almost universally frowned upon.
China, and Chinese, are almost the exact opposite. All relationships are vertical. Either you are above, or below, others. If you are below them, you demur and act respectful.
If you are equal - that's just temporary.
If you are above others, you have "face", show off, gloat and pretty much act like a dictator. It's just the way it works. Power is used.
China, as it becomes stronger, will not become more moderate.
Moderation is for the weak. As China strengthens, it will become increasingly arrogant and confrontational.
Until eventually, it will attack.
That's the way it will be. I wish those in our government dealing with China, understood the Chinese.
We've become so PC and think everyone is the same, it may someday so hobble our ability to recognize danger, as to destroy our ability to protect ourselves.
We need to get past PC. Muslims are not like non-Muslims, and Chinese are not like Americans. Pretending we're all the same just makes things worse.
The sooner we are comfortable with those truths, the better for everyone.
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