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Taiwan’s Quadrennial Defense Review
U.S. Naval Institute ^ | September 3, 2021 | The Republic of China

Posted on 09/06/2021 1:59:17 PM PDT by Retain Mike

Overviewing the current strategic situations, mainland China, aspiring to become an international superpower, is eager to undermine the international order and regional stability. It has been particularly imposing coercive means of verbal intimidation and saber-rattling, intrusion and provocation by aerial and maritime assets, cyberattacks, and cognitive warfare-forcing us to succumb to their will. Amidst the rapid-change external situations with full of severe challenges, the ROC Armed Forces is absolutely responsible for defending Taiwan. Only by improving ourselves and striving forward, accelerating force buildup and focusing on defense reform without fear of any difficulties, can we protect the country by our own strength and create a prosperous future for the nation.
The QDR is a guiding document that directs the future development of the ROC Armed Forces. “Striving Forward and Creating a New Prospect” is the motive of the 2021 QDR. The 7 chapters are summarized as follows.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.usni.org ...


TOPICS: Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: prc; roc; southchinasea; taiwan
The below report I recently posted to Free Republic gives the best description I have found about what the PRC is up to. Granted the report is really long, but making use of the table of contents and the go to function helps. Pages 99 and 100 show just how outrageous their claims are. Looks like it is time to reinstitute Yankee Station from Vietnam days.

Report on U.S.-China Competition in East, South China Sea https://news.usni.org/2021/08/10/report-on-u-s-china-competition-in-east-south-china-sea-9?utm_source=USNI+News&utm_campaign=a13aadeb6a-USNI_NEWS_DAILY&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0dd4a1450b-a13aadeb6a-230377553&mc_cid=a13aadeb6a&mc_eid=c8807e97f8

1 posted on 09/06/2021 1:59:17 PM PDT by Retain Mike
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To: Retain Mike
Looks like it is time to reinstitute Yankee Station from Vietnam days.

Some of us aren't cool enough to know what that is.

2 posted on 09/06/2021 2:17:47 PM PDT by ClearCase_guy (China is like the Third Reich. We are Mussolini's Italy. Weaker, a Jr partner good at losing wars.)
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To: KC_Lion

Ping.


3 posted on 09/06/2021 2:18:10 PM PDT by Army Air Corps (Four Fried Chickens and a Coke)
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To: ClearCase_guy

Coordinates in the Gulf of Tonkin where aircraft carriers would launch strikes against targets in North Vietnam.


4 posted on 09/06/2021 2:25:54 PM PDT by shadowlands1960 ("...some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again... " CSL)
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To: Retain Mike

“Yankee Station (officially Point Yankee) was a fixed coordinate off the coast of Vietnam where U.S. Navy aircraft carriers and support ships loitered in open waters over a nine-year period during the Vietnam War. The location was used primarily by aircraft carriers of Task Force 77 to launch strikes over North Vietnam. While the coordinate’s official designation was “Point Yankee”, it was universally referred to as Yankee Station. Carriers conducting air operations at Yankee Station were said to be “on the line” (in combat) and statistical summaries were based on days on the line. Yankee Station was initially located at 16° 00′ N, 110° 00′ E,[1] however with a massive increase in operations over North Vietnam in 1966 the station was moved about 145 miles (230 km) northwest to 17° 30′ N, 108° 30′ E,[2] placing it about 90 miles (145 km) from the North Vietnamese shore.”

Placing aircraft carriers in a location where they can be easily found in today’s threat environment would be, to say the least, not sound military thinking. Vietnam didn’t have subs, but China has about seventy of them. Also, China can launch long range antiship missiles and deliver mines from a variety of an estimated 1,000 dual use “civilian” ships.


5 posted on 09/06/2021 2:26:17 PM PDT by Gen.Blather (W-w-wait a minute. Did I do that?!)
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To: shadowlands1960

Thanks


6 posted on 09/06/2021 2:29:04 PM PDT by ClearCase_guy (China is like the Third Reich. We are Mussolini's Italy. Weaker, a Jr partner good at losing wars.)
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To: Gen.Blather

Indeed. If we are as reliant on aircraft carriers strategically as it appears we are (ie, a carrier group sent off at every crisis) it could very likely prove to be our Achilles heel. I doubt they are as defensible as we wish them to be.


7 posted on 09/06/2021 2:30:37 PM PDT by shadowlands1960 ("...some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again... " CSL)
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To: Retain Mike

I fear that there is little in the LEFT to restrain Biden’s fecklessness in ‘simplifying’ foreign relations as he just demonstrated with the Afghanistan fiasco. Thus, so long as Peoples Republic of China (PRC) maintains commercial operations, Joe would likely have little objection to the PRC ‘reabsorbing’ its lost island of Taiwan. It would be to his advantage in reducing the number of memory cells he has to use.

Its impact on Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore and Australia can be trusted to his crack(ed) staff, Cabinet, (woke) Military and associates in the CCP revenue stream. After all, it is likely that this will be a net positive on the Biden Administration’s top international goal, ‘Climate Uncertainty’! Why, Joe could even get his very own Piece Prize out of this!


8 posted on 09/06/2021 2:33:26 PM PDT by SES1066 (Ask not what the LEFT can do for you, rather ask what the LEFT is doing to YOU!)
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To: shadowlands1960

“I doubt they are as defensible as we wish them to be.”

Every “nuke puke” (submariner) I ever knew, quite a few, had a story about how they “killed” a carrier during war games and it got rescored later as just a bit of damage.

Having some exposure to military politics, I can say that the sacred cows never get harmed. But, they’re not so sacred to our enemies.


9 posted on 09/06/2021 2:37:34 PM PDT by Gen.Blather (W-w-wait a minute. Did I do that?!)
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To: Army Air Corps

Thank You!


10 posted on 09/06/2021 2:55:21 PM PDT by KC_Lion
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To: Retain Mike

With Xoe Xiden puppet of Xi usurping power Taiwan is sadly ikely on her own.


11 posted on 09/06/2021 3:32:35 PM PDT by ProfessorGoldiloxx
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To: Gen.Blather; ClearCase_guy
I was OOD on the Westchester County as we went through Yankee Station on the way back to Yokosuka. We had just finished up formation steaming with an amphibious ready group for five months, because their 1179 class LST had broken down continually. Here I thought the pressure was off, but as I assumed the watch there were aircraft carriers, destroyers, and replenishment ships all over.

I sorted it out to one carrier and escorts doing unrep and the duty carrier and escorts launching and recovering planes. The duty carrier passed on my starboard side and made a 180 degree turn hull down on the horizon. Soon I saw his starboard bow, but his bearing was about 10% relative. The plan guard destroyer was not visible. By the rules of the road, I should execute a port-to-port passage.

However, there were special rules for Yankee Station. Basically, the admiral in charge could to whatever he pleased, and your job was to stay out of the way and crossing his bow was definitely not staying out of the way. So, I made a sharp turn to port toward the unrep carrier, and the duty carrier passed down my starboard side launching aircraft.

Later we passed through the Taiwan Straits as all navy ships did on trips to and from Japan and Vietnam. It was a much simpler world and we fell asleep in years to come.

12 posted on 09/06/2021 3:36:29 PM PDT by Retain Mike ( Sat Cong)
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To: ProfessorGoldiloxx
Feeling a little rumbly in the tummy.
13 posted on 09/06/2021 4:00:16 PM PDT by Qout
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