Posted on 07/12/2002 2:02:14 PM PDT by TLBSHOW
Pentagon Paints Picture of Menacing China
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Defense Department has concluded that China is honing forces aimed at bringing Taiwan to its knees, if that is what is needed to unite it with the mainland, while keeping U.S. aircraft carriers at bay, Pentagon ( news - web sites) officials said Friday.
The assessment is detailed in a report to Congress on Chinese military power due for release late Friday. It represents the first such comprehensive U.S. look at the issue since President Bush ( news - web sites) took power in January last year.
"The report is factual and sober," said Navy Lt. Cmdr. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman.
Detailing what the survey calls Beijing's coercive approach, officials said China was on track to deploying 600 ballistic missiles opposite Taiwan by 2005.
Growing at a rate of 50 per year in recent years, these missiles appeared designed to sow fear and undermine Taiwan's will to fight if China opted to use force, said the officials, who spoke on condition they not be named.
Under President Bill Clinton, the Pentagon's annual assessments of Chinese military power emphasized China's inability to take and hold Taiwan by conventional force such as an amphibious invasion.
Bush's Pentagon, on the other hand, said China's submarine force gave it the potential to blockade Taiwan while using Russian-built "Sunburn" missiles deployed on Sovremmeny-class destroyers to deter any U.S. response.
In 1996, Clinton sent two U.S. carrier battle groups to the region to signal support for Taiwan after China fired missiles into the sea off Taiwan's two main ports. China regards Taiwan as a rogue province that must be united with the mainland, if necessary by force.
The first assessment of Chinese military power by Bush's Pentagon has been delayed repeatedly. It was initially due on March 1, 2001, before the Sept. 11 attacks sparked the U.S.-led war on terrorism in which China has cooperated.
Shirely Kan, an expert on China's military at the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service, said Beijing's growing military clout posed challenges for the region, not just for Taiwan.
"The challenge posed by a rising China and its military modernization has not changed despite the antiterrorism war after 9/11," she said.
Ditto that. Until a way is discovered to "cloak" a carrier, it will be visible by satellite observation.
stir in a little social unrest with a bit of economic manipulation, and, well....x factor.
We'll hand them their asses....
They might want to be.
They might dream of it...
But we'll kick their ass all over the map, if it comes to it.
You can bet a rat AG would do it if the situation was reversed.
The GOP is so clueless about how to fight to win.
Noisy diesel tin cans that would be destroyed in the first 24 hours....
Once spotted, the AEGIS system can engage it, but its no sure thing and there is little time to make multiple engagements. If enough of these missiles are launched, they could theeoretically saturate an AEGIS defense. That is why most carrier battle groups now have more than one AEGIS capable ship with them ... both Ticonderoga Cruisers and Arliegh Burk destroyers.
The SS-N-26 is equally dangerous with an even longer range (300 km vs 250 km) and it can be ship, air, land or sub launched.
The Russians have spent considerable effort in deigning weapons to counter our carriers. These missiles can do so if enough are fired, and (here's the big "if") if they can locate our CBG.
The closer we have to come to an engagement of the sort of Taiwan, the more easily our locations can be predicted. But even thn, the AEGIS defense system and the defense in depth provided for our carriers will be a tough nut to vrack for missile technology.
That is why in my book seriesthe Chinese put so much effort into the "super" supercavitating weapons technology. IN the books these more conventional methods are used as well by the belligerent nations. I have them using conventional version (most of these were deisgned to carry small nukes) because of the desire for these belligerent nations (which do not include Russia) to avoid playing to our trump card in any nuclear exchange.
Thanks Bill, U Illustrious Bastard .. Yur not Quite the AntiChrist but yur damn close
Wow. I'm stunned. It never ceases to amaze me how the neos and Bushies can give their guy a pass on every bit of bad news that hits this nations since January 21, 2000.
I won't bother reminding you that it was Bush, not Klinton, that gave China PERMANENT MFN TRADE STATUS and also approved of China's entry into the WTO. I guess you could come up with some bull$hit theory as to why it is Clinton's fault though.
But, strategically, from an overall perspective, I disagree.
I believe they will only come at us obliquely as we are seriously tied up elsewhere. Like the Mid East and Korea at the same time. If those things happen ... then watch for China to jump in and at that time, their added presence will be a serious threat.
I believe they will only come at us obliquely as we are seriously tied up elsewhere
That happened once before.
Ask the Japanese how they liked the results.
Well, China is satisfied with the result of Korean War.
I agree that China is a getting a bit too big for their pants....
But, We have other pressing issues... Like multiple million Muslims wanting us all dead.
China also doesn't have a great record outside their own borders. A fight really isn't in them.
Let them attack our Pacific fleet.
It'll be the last thing they ever do....
But they would pose a serious threat. We lost a lot of good people, and were seriously threatened while putting the Nazi and Imperial genies out of their misery.
I believe such an occurance would pose an even greater threat today, but would eventually have the same outcome. That's what the book series is all about.
And all this thanks to American Corporations giving them the capital to do it. Wonderful. I wonder how many are facing the US as of this minute?
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.