[JamesP81]

True. Their air force may be the reason why the USN and the USAF have been pushing to field the F-22. Against an air force so large, we will need a superior air-to-air combat aircraft.

This is mostly for show. It will not, initially, add any real substantive offensive power to their military since their large land based air force can reach Formosa anyway. This is little more than a political football for them. If hostilities start, we'll probably task a fast attack submarine or maybe a flight tactical aircraft to deal with it. That part of the battle will likely be anti-climactic. The part we need to worry about is defending our own carriers and air bases from their air power. And that brings us back to the F-22.

[Jeff Head]

The defending of the carrier would fall principally to the super-Hornets since the F-22 is not navalized. The F-18 will do the job very nicely though.

It will also fall to the escorts who will most likely have to fight off swarms of ASMs and Chinese subs...their newer Song and Yuan classes are capable diesle/electrics, as well as the 12 new Russian Kilos they have and are purchasing. I believe our escorts would be up to the task, particularly when we go in there with at least two carrier battle groups, maybe 3 or 4.