[Stonewall Jackson]

The Chinese have spent the past twenty years studying the old ex-Australian carrier Melbourne and I believe they also purchased another old flattop a few years ago. Their engineers have undoubtedly been using these older models as hands-on classrooms for the repair of the Varyag and the construction of some homegrown carriers of their own (rumors have been persisting for the past several years that they might have already begun construction, but I haven't seen anything definite, yet).

Anyone who doesn't believe that China will not be a major threat to the United States in the next few years needs to take a major dose of reality and consider the fact that China has been wooing Mexico and many of our southern neighbors for the past few years. A build-up of several million Chinese troops on our southern border could very well be in the cards in the next decade. This carrier, and any future brethren, would go a long way toward securing a supply corridor between China and Mexico. Capture a few small islands in the Central Pacific and the Chinese will have a series of airbases to provide air cover for their convoys.

Yes, our fleet could possibly stop this scenario, or at least put a damper on their plans, but a Pearl Harbor-style assault on the US bases at Pearl Harbor, San Diego, and Bremerton would cripple the US Pacific Fleet long enough for the land war to be decided one way or another.

[Polybius]

......The Chinese have spent the past twenty years studying the old ex-Australian carrier Melbourne

The Australian plans to decommission Melbourne were delayed and it remained inactive till 1985. It was finally towed from Sydney to be broken up in south China. The Chinese showed special interest in equipment such as catapults, arrestor wires and aircraft lifts / elevators. The flight deck was dismantled and put ashore and PLA navy pilots undertook deck landing practices on the removed deck. Melbourne was in existence till as late as 1994.

The demise of the West will be.......its own stupidity.

[grey_whiskers]

Yes, our fleet could possibly stop this scenario, or at least put a damper on their plans, but a Pearl Harbor-style assault on the US bases at Pearl Harbor, San Diego, and Bremerton would cripple the US Pacific Fleet long enough for the land war to be decided one way or another.

They do that, we nuke. End of story.

No sarcasm intended, I am in earnest.

[Reagan Disciple]

What most people don't know is that Hutchinson Whampoa (controlled by Li- Kashing - multi-billionare with strong ties to the Red Army command) owns the east and west ports in the Panama Canal.

Further, earler this year in defense of buying MiGs from Russia, the Venezeulan air defense minister stated that the purchase was made to "defense the Panama Canal." Why? So China has a clear path to the Atlantic and the Caribbean. Chavez keep moving toward Socialism with Chinese encouragment.

China is the gathering threat, but some here think they are simply an emerging capitalist society. Scary.