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Thousands Of Ships, Millions Of Troops: China Is Assembling a Huge Fleet For War With Taiwan
https://www.forbes.com ^ | Jul 27, 2021 | David AxeForbes Staff

Posted on 07/27/2021 7:14:19 AM PDT by RomanSoldier19

To have any chance of conquering Taiwan, China might need to transport as many as two million troops across the rough 100 miles of the Taiwan Strait and land them under fire at the island’s 14 potential invasion beaches or 10 major ports.

That’s a lot of people—far, far more than the People’s Liberation Army Navy can haul in its 11 new amphibious ships. To transport the bulk of the invasion force, Beijing almost certainly would take up into naval service thousands of civilian ships.

To that end, the Chinese Communist Party has created a legal and bureaucratic framework for taking over control of commercial shipping. Meanwhile, naval engineers have begun modifying key vessels to make them better assault ships.

All that is to say, the vast flotilla that would be both the vehicle for China’s assault on Taiwan—and the biggest target of Taiwanese forces and their allies—is taking shape.

“If the PLA invasion force was a million or more men, then we might expect an armada of thousands or even tens of thousands of ships to deliver them, augmented by thousands of planes and helicopters,” Ian Easton, an analyst with the Project 2049 Institute in Virginia, wrote in a recent report.

The PLAN’s eight modern Type 071 landing docks and three Type 075 big-deck assault ships together can haul around 25,000 troops. A drop in the bucket. To transport the balance of the invasion force, the Chinese navy can take up around 2,000 large commercial vessels crewed by around 650,000 mariners.

(Excerpt) Read more at forbes.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: ccp; china; invasion; taiwan
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To: Erik Latranyi

Our ground pounders are probably terrifying. They have so much combat experience.
But when was the last the USN actually fought someone, had strikes and anti-ship missiles incoming?


141 posted on 07/27/2021 10:40:50 AM PDT by Little Ray (Civilization runs on a narrow margin. What sustains it is not magic, but hard work. )
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To: Former Proud Canadian
So, you think the USN would stand aside if the Chinese blockaded?

No question about it.

The idea of the US defending Taiwan has been a fantasy since 1973.

The Congress doesn't support it. The President doesn't support it. And the people don't support it.

142 posted on 07/27/2021 10:41:36 AM PDT by Jim Noble (Extremism in the defense of Liberty is no vice)
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To: BroJoeK

I don’t see the DF-21D or DF-26 as being mythological - just untried.


143 posted on 07/27/2021 10:41:59 AM PDT by Little Ray (Civilization runs on a narrow margin. What sustains it is not magic, but hard work. )
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To: ShadowAce

China will send such capacity, similar to how the allies used Mulberry ports on D-Day.


144 posted on 07/27/2021 10:42:00 AM PDT by Kevmo (Right now there are 500 political prisoners in Washington, DC.)
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To: Kevmo

Cargo container ships filled with civilian migrants armed with cameras and CNN uplinks. PR nightmate for America.

They are saving the container ships for the main battle with the US Navy, since they have twice proved irresistible magnets for Aegis destroyers; the rest of the fleet will be helpless before the massed armada of fully laden container ships.


145 posted on 07/27/2021 10:46:43 AM PDT by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now its your turn)
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To: BroJoeK

I’m REAListic. Your exaggerated “100%” straw point is a good example of the LACK of realism in these assessments.

Let’s say the Chinese Thermal ICBM Anti-Aircraft Carrier missile is only 33% accurate. Then they would only have to fire off 3 of them. And they have hundreds.


146 posted on 07/27/2021 10:49:14 AM PDT by Kevmo (Right now there are 500 political prisoners in Washington, DC.)
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To: Kevmo

You neglect ...

Taking Mainland US is their primary goal - the others will fall in line once the CCP moves millions of Han to the US - after completing their genetic warfare by killing 200 million or more Americans - covid was just the data gathering stage.


147 posted on 07/27/2021 10:50:17 AM PDT by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now its your turn)
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To: blam

Sure they will. By sending in a first-wave of 15 million civilian internal migrants armed with cameras, megaphones, and CNN uplinks.


148 posted on 07/27/2021 10:51:30 AM PDT by Kevmo (Right now there are 500 political prisoners in Washington, DC.)
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To: BroJoeK

That’s just it. That third who are ethnic chinese are very reluctant to fire upon other chinese. They are far from being nationalists.

They are more likely to side with the ethnically chinese invaders/migrants.


149 posted on 07/27/2021 10:54:48 AM PDT by Kevmo (Right now there are 500 political prisoners in Washington, DC.)
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To: Tai_Chung

That’s basically horseshiite.


150 posted on 07/27/2021 10:55:53 AM PDT by Kevmo (Right now there are 500 political prisoners in Washington, DC.)
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To: BroJoeK

Those weapons are not mythological, they are DEMONSTRATED. And they don’t need AI. Simple thermal targetting will do.


151 posted on 07/27/2021 10:57:43 AM PDT by Kevmo (Right now there are 500 political prisoners in Washington, DC.)
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To: Gnome1949

1588, Spanish Armada blown off by WIND.

I don’t think your historic analogy holds water [to mix metaphors].


152 posted on 07/27/2021 11:02:21 AM PDT by Kevmo (Right now there are 500 political prisoners in Washington, DC.)
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To: Mariner

All those standoff weapons wiping out civilian barges and cargo ships on CNN. PR disaster for America.


153 posted on 07/27/2021 11:04:35 AM PDT by Kevmo (Right now there are 500 political prisoners in Washington, DC.)
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To: Jim Noble

Taiwan is all of thise and more
Poland 1939
Austria 1938
Fort Sumter 1860
Falkland Islands 1982
Iran/Iraq 1980s
Suez Canal 1956

Etc.

Each contributes some elements.


154 posted on 07/27/2021 11:08:30 AM PDT by Kevmo (Right now there are 500 political prisoners in Washington, DC.)
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To: 17th Miss Regt
Taiwan probably has quite a few teams to be delivered or already in place to start killing off the Red leadership if the Reds try to invade...

True; with that in mind, I imagine Feinstein may be expanding her security detail...

155 posted on 07/27/2021 11:09:22 AM PDT by Who is John Galt? ("He therefore who may resist, must be allowed to strike." - John Locke)
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To: PIF

Sinking all our Aircraft Carriers with thermal-targetted ICBMs is more than a strongly worded letter.

It would save face.

Arming thise missiles with conventional warheads keeps it conventional.

A 12 year old could target a 60kt thermal target in a cold ocean especially since the missile is travelling 100x faster.


156 posted on 07/27/2021 11:13:16 AM PDT by Kevmo (Right now there are 500 political prisoners in Washington, DC.)
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To: Jim Noble

Hell, even about a third of the current inhabitants of Taiwan don’t support it.


157 posted on 07/27/2021 11:15:10 AM PDT by Kevmo (Right now there are 500 political prisoners in Washington, DC.)
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To: RomanSoldier19
Hi.

Who's to say Taipei doesn't have nuclear capabilities?

Dont they have a Breeder reactor?

Xi, if it was me, I wouldn't fu@k with Taiwan (Formosa).

5.56mm

158 posted on 07/27/2021 11:15:21 AM PDT by M Kehoe (Quid Pro Joe and the Ho need to go.)
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To: adorno

There won’t be a war.\/

I agree.

Why would there be?

Joe has a
made in CCP
surrender white flag
in his back pocket he can wave.


159 posted on 07/27/2021 11:17:17 AM PDT by cuz1961 (USCGR Veteran )
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To: PIF

I highly doubt that taking mainland USA is China’s goal. They have always been interested in regional hegemony.


160 posted on 07/27/2021 11:17:38 AM PDT by Kevmo (Right now there are 500 political prisoners in Washington, DC.)
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