Is China building a carrier?

Jane's Defence ^ | 12 August 2005 | Andrew Koch

[moose2004]

I was an XO on a Los Angeles class nuclear attack sub. Please believe me when I tell you the Chinese stand no chance against our fleet, none.

[Jeff Head]

My Dad was a CO on an LCI in World War II in the PTO. He indicated to me that before the war, a lot of people said similar things about the Empirial Japanese Navy.

In the end...they were right, but not until after those people who did not perceive them as a threat were moved out of the way and not until after a lot of tons of US Navy shipping was sunk by that supposedly impotent foe.

The Chinese are building a blue water Navy. Irrespective of what we think...or even know about our own capabilities (and we are in agreement regarding those capabilities), there can only be one point to such a navy in the Western Rim. Ultimnatley they plan to challenge us. We cannot take such a challenge lightly, or presume that they pose no threat and are incapavble of doing us harm.

That is my only point.

BTW, from my family to your...thanks for your service to our Republic.

[Jeff Head]

It may well end up there...but it, along with the rest of the very modern and very rapid buildup of their naval forces, also will pose a threat that we cannot take lightly. This is particularly true in the litoral waters near the Chinese mainland where they have massive air support available, air support which itself is also being increased and modernized very rapidly.

[Paul Ross]

I was an XO on a Los Angeles class nuclear attack sub. Please believe me when I tell you the Chinese stand no chance against our fleet, none.

As an argument, I am not impressed, although thank you for your service.

Consider THIS Irrefutable Retort: You don't what you don't know.

And the USN doesn't know a LOT in that neck of the woods as demonstrably proved by one of our attack submarines...the USS San Fransisco in January of this year...and the object it hit obviously wasn't moving...whereas a Chinese Air-Independent would be able to....

One sailor was killed when the nuclear submarine San Francisco hit an underwater mountain that was not shown on its charts. The crash 500 feet below the surface destroyed a sonar dome that formed the sub's nose and peeled part of the outer hull. The stronger inner hull held firm. Thank God.

The Chinese are watching all of this, the ramming of the Japanese training ship, the collission with the mountain that was clearly on the Russian's charts, but surprisingly, not ours, plus the GWB Administration's clear intentions to cut down to 28 Los Angeles class boats, and 9 carriers, and NO DDX, NO F-22's, and NO F-35s No S-3's, a Seriously and egregiously eroded ASW asset base... ....and these are the guys who have to be deterred. So please stop preening excessively about our naval omnipotence. I know it is important for esprit de Corps to feel the way you do, but frankly, for policy purposes, it is counterproductive. So stand down. It is necessary to maintain public support for the infrastructure and the forces to deter. We need to send a message that cannot be misunderstood...production. That was key among Reagans' moves in Defense in the '80's. Richard Fischer helped guide us then. And he will now, if people only listen.

It is "test of wills" stuff at the highest political echelons...which sometimes is far more critical than even the technology or bravery and courage of our men at the pointy end of the spear.

[moose2004]

Thank you for the message.

[OKSooner]

Hey - Is it okay if I ask you a question and can you answer it if only "generally"?

What's the maximum diving depth of our subs? (Attack subs and boomers.)

Inquiring landlocked minds want to know...

[ericthecurdog]

Actually...we have 12.

Well, then... it's true that we have seven. :)

[Jeff Head]

Never said it wasn't :)...just that we have twelve.

[ericthecurdog]

Wow. Too bad that paragraph breaks are

so

hard

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use...