[hchutch]

The PRC has as many as 19 Ming-class subs to go with 38 Romeo-class subs in active service - with about two dozen Romeos in reserve (according to globalsecurity.org), but the total could be higher. I'm not sure about the total of the Kilo-class subs and Song-class subs (call it six to eight Kilos and four Song-class subs), but they also have five Han-class.

We're looking at upwards of ninety hostile subs, possibly upwards of a hundred. How many subs would be we be able to get to the theater of operations?

[judicial meanz]

Of those 90 submarines, the chinese cant have the all available to service because of the material condition of the ships, crews, etc.

The US could get well over 50 submarines there if they needed to. We have a total of 129 first rate submarines, counting the SSBN fleet. We outnumber them greatly. There are also submarines in fleet reserve that can be recommissioned, that could add to our numbers currently in service.

Kilos and Romeos are pieces of junk too. They are so old and well known to the US Navy they would be extinct very quickly. Its like putting a Mig 15 up against a F-22. It wouldnt work, no matter how large their numbers are.

They could inflict losses, no doubt about that, but they would not be a long term threat. They would be eliminated very quickly.

[Steel Wolf]

Well, we have 50 or so Los Angeles class subs, and a couple of Seawolfs.

The Kilo / Song variants are serious submarines, but are badly outclassed by LA or Seawolf classes. The Romeo / Mings would be all but helpless, and should not be considered any more of a threat than a T-55 or T-62 tank against an M1A1.

As far as how fast could we get to Taiwan, I'd say that if most subs travel in the 20-25 kt per hour range, we could have the bulk of the fleet there within two weeks. (Figure 3,000+ miles per week. and given the locations of the subs.) I would assume that the bulk of the surface fleet, which travels faster and has ASW capabilities, could be there in similiar time.

That having been said, I'm not a squid, and I don't even know that we'd send subs into shallow water to dig out other subs. We may just use ASW helicopters and planes to drop torpedoes on them. Subs, as I understand it, are like shooting fish in a bucket when they're trapped in shallow waters.