Posted on 10/10/2005 10:17:52 AM PDT by Jeff Head
The old foreign carriers are learning-curve ships; we need to watch for their home grown Akagis, Shokakus, Hiryus to appear.
BTW, something else to watch for is development of fast fleet oilers or their merchant marine equivalent.
We shall see. It is clear, that even if peace holds, that it will be years before the PLAN is proficient in her use in any case.
I believe that is EXACLTY one of their strategies...hoping to win a political victory where they could not win a military one.
Both good posts, and I totally agree that a carefully executed geo-political attack would be a challenge.
This is really what all American conflicts boil down to, don't they? Vietnam or even Iraq today is a war of wills against an American public opinion that is regarded as weak-willed by our most dangerous enemies.
I'm just not convinced that the Comm. Party is really anymore in complete control of the PLA than the US President is really in charge of public opinion. I just am not confident that a "Chinese Attack" from out of the blue will be some brilliant coordinated and organized operation that will leave the USN drifting.
Nor can I see the power cadres within China pushing for confrontation as it will totally disrupt their worldwide business distribution models, both on supply and demand.
Do you suppose this sitting duck is a decoy, and a modern fleet of carriers is being assembled else where?
And it will complicate matter in the even of a Taiwan conflict. We will go after it if it is anywhere near or is used in anyway to try and shield or support such a venture.
Yes using Taiwan as a land shield for our own carriers is a great advantage for our carriers. And definitely, underestimation can REALLY get you killed. That's sure what nailed the krauts and japs to the wall in WWII after we came in, and before really. They did so many audacious things so certain that we were weak and wouldn't or couldn't stand up to them. Then reality knocked them down. The Chinese carrier/s should be treated as a serious threat that can defeat a powerful Nimitz carrier task force, even if it's known that it would be defeated before sinking any of our ships. It's still a good idea to treat it as though it could beat you to stop any complacency before it happens.
The JSF is a true multi-role, multi-force fighter. Lots of money and expertise invested in it. Some believe it is ill spent because attempts at the same in the past have been such failures. We shall see.
On thing is clear to me, the VTOL version of the aircraft will make every LPH Wasp or Tarawa class ship in the worlkd a potentially potent jeep carrier.
Chinese PLAN have 0 experience in carrier ops. It would take
them decades to build up the expertise to effectively operate this. They only have the one. This tells me that have intimidation of their maritime neighbors (the island
claims on the Spratlys come to mind).
Either that, or its really a casino and that island is really just a huge buffet steam table.
Agree 100%.
Diesels are quiet but they have so many major drawbacks, size, speed, range, having to surface for snorkels, etc. I'd put any three or four of the Chinese best Kilos or other diesel electric subs against the Seawolf any day, and I'd bet all my money on the only Chinese subs that left that battle were the ones that the Seawolf chose not to send to the bottom. I wouldn't give those diesels a real shot at getting close enough to our Carriers either. The Nimitz's classified speeds match or exceed many torpedos, and that's no small matter. It is a real threat that has to be taken serious, but I don't believe in the final analysis they would have any major victories.
I also believe they hope that they can convince a future US administarion (ala a demo one) that the cost of taking this thing out in the middle of turning back a Taiwan take over are just too great and thereby score a political victory that they could not achieve militarily.
Again, we cannot underestimate them there either. They know of their disadvantages...and they are not going to play to them.
Yes Sir....the threat is within at this point. Agree with your position on the ability of any nation to take us down by force. I don't think that a foreign power could defeat an American force composed of Bubba's from the bayou much less our current military forces.
Stay safe !
What we sub sailors call a big target.
We could blockade their ports and have WalMart on their knees in a hurry.
If they want to do that, we can set our own trap using our new converted Ohio class SSGNs which have absolutely enormous firepower. Our navy always trains to these cold war cat and mouse games. Its the nature of modern naval warfare.
Unfortuantely, all of those Tomahawks are land attack varieties. We need to get the TASM production back.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.