Firstly,I don't really foresee big US involvement in any cross-straits conflict,unless the Chinese flip their lids & attack US forces or Japan first.The reasoning is that China will plan & implement an attack on Taiwan at it's time of choosing & that most possibly well be when the US is tied up somewhere-maybe an Iraq or an Iran.If you can remember,did the Chinese posture like the way they are doing now before the US attack on Iraq??The US military may certainly be light years ahead,but the will to send them to conflict is going to come from a politician.As far as I've seen,nothing solid has emerged on plans to sell Taiwan the Aegis system(which is all American) which is crucial for Taiwan to have a chance against a fraction of Chinese ballistic missiles or airpower.The same goes for 8 D/E subs(which may never be sold given the need for European cooperation).
Actually the US is going to build the 8 D/E subs. Personally I would save years and just give Taiwan some Los Angeles class submarines and the training to use them. As for China choosing a time when the US is "preoccupied" well the Navy has nothing to do and it would primarily be a Navy and Air fight. Just a few months back all SEVEN of the US carrier groups were parked near Taiwan to show the ChiComs that the US was not as preoccupied as they thought. And I really wish the US would give them the d**m Aegis warships. Japan has them, South Korea has them. With 96 SM2s each, just 4 of them and the patriots would render the PRC ballistic missile arsenals obsolete. Back when a Taiwanese delegation visited Pearl Harbor in last April, the US hinted at selling them. Infact the Taiwanese delegation toured more of the Arliegh Burke class than anything else before going to Texas to look at the P3 Orions.
Hmmmm.
If we wanted to defend Taiwan against China it would be a NAVY/AF fight. We have enough Naval power to take them on any day.
In a ground war we'd have issues (Example: Korea if the Chinese were to get involved). But a naval/Air fight? I think we'd take their lunch money from them even with Iraq, Iran, Libya, Philippines....... Our Navy and AF is far from tapped out.
Red6