US Pacific Fleet smaller, even as China's military grows

[webfact]

US Pacific Fleet smaller, even as China's military grows
By AUDREY McAVOY

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (AP) — The U.S. Pacific Fleet is shrinking even as the U.S. and its allies are facing challenges posed by China's growing military power.

U.S. Navy officials say the more advanced ships of today make up for the decline in numbers. But the Navy has also had to lengthen deployments and postpone maintenance to maintain its presence with fewer ships.

Peter Jennings, an expert at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute think tank, said the issue in peacetime is whether there are enough American vessels to reassure friends and allies.

"I think this is emerging as a serious long-term problem," he said.

The Pacific Fleet currently has 182 vessels, including combat ships like aircraft carriers as well as auxiliary and logistics vessels, said spokesman Cmdr. Clay Doss. That compares to 192 nearly two decades ago.

The Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy has more than 300 surface ships, submarines, amphibious ships and patrol craft, according to the Pentagon's Asia-Pacific Maritime Security Strategy report released in August.

This all comes as China has grown more aggressive in asserting claims to islands also claimed by U.S. allies, including the Philippines in the South China Sea and Japan in the East China Sea.

China sees the U.S. military presence in Asia as an attempt to contain it, said Denny Roy, a senior fellow at the East-West Center in Honolulu. Beijing sees itself as returning to its rightful and historical role as the pre-eminent cultural and political power in the region, he said.

Since December 2013, China has built what the U.S. estimates to be 3,000 acres of artificial islands in disputed areas of the South China Sea using sand dredged from the ocean floor.

China has said the islands are meant to help ships, fishermen and disaster relief.

Questions about whether the Pacific Fleet has enough resources are more of a reflection of regional anxieties than the Navy's actual capability, said its commander, Adm. Scott Swift.

"I'm very comfortable with the resources I have," Swift said.

He pointed to the USS Benfold, a guided missile destroyer upgraded with new ballistic missile defenses, as well as three new stealth destroyers, the DDG-1000, in the pipeline, as examples.

One consequence of a smaller fleet has been more time at sea. Retired Adm. Zap Zlatoper, who commanded the Pacific Fleet in the 1990s, said deployments longer than six months made it harder for the Navy to retain sailors. Ships now deploy for an average of seven to nine months, though the Navy plans to lower this to seven.

Ship conditions have also suffered. The USS Essex left an exercise with Australia early in 2011 and skipped another with Thailand the following year because it developed mechanical problems after delaying maintenance to stay at sea.

Bryan Clark, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, a Washington think tank, said these are signs the status quo is unsustainable.

In a November report, Clark outlined alternatives: build more ships, though this would require money Congress may not give the Navy, or deploy less, though the Pentagon has been reluctant to accept less of an overseas presence.

The other choices: keep more ships at overseas bases where they would be closer to where they operate or mix up how ships deploy. One example would be to send fewer escorts with an aircraft carrier.
___

Associated Press writers Matthew Pennington in Washington, Rod McGuirk in Canberra, Australia, Jim Gomez in Manila, Philippines and Kim Tong-hyung in Seoul, South Korea contributed to this report.


-- (c) Associated Press 2016-01-06

[OMGImInPattaya]

Did the Chinese every spring for some airplanes for that refurbed "aircraft carrier" they picked up cheap from the dying Soviet Union?

[Rob8891]

How much of the PLAN stock is littoral S opposed to blue water ships?

[sungod]

How much of the PLAN stock is littoral S opposed to blue water ships?

Exactly, I'm sure if the US deployed all its 'patrol craft' from the decks of their mother ships the numbers would look more equal.

[Cynical Sailor]

The author compares the US Pacific Fleet's 182 ships to the Chinese navy's entire 300 ships. He's comparing apples with oranges.

When the firepower, professionalism and experience of the said navies (and their allies) are considered I know which side I'd rather be on (hint - not China's).

[OMGImInPattaya]

The Japanese learned the hard way not to mess with the USN, and they were a naval power. The Chinese are arguably, or may one day be, a continental power ala Russia and Germany, but they have no modern history or experience as a naval power.

[bangkapi]

18 trillion dollars debt and an unlimited budget can buy some nice ships and other impressive toys for a dying empire.

[Publicus]

Japan Maritine Self-Defense Force (navy) is much smaller in total tonnage than is the PLA Navy (PLAN), yet the assessment of the US Naval War College is that in a full scale war, Japan would at the least fight the PLAN to a standstill. And that if Japan rose to the occasion of using brilliant strategy focused on positioning and deployment (formally called Order of Battle), as its commanders are capable of accomplishing with their quality ships and crews, Japan could defeat the CCP Chinese in their near seas.

Japan moreover with US Navy control the Miyako Strait between Okinawa where 30,000 US forces are based and the Ryukyu Island chain to Taiwan. The strait is the only direct route PLAN have to the open seas of the Pacific. With this strait closed off to the PLAN, its entire naval force to include submarines is trapped in its near coastal waters. This would make the entire PLAN a sitting duck for US Naval and Air Forces in the Pacific. This includes the small confines of the South China Sea as an alternative route to waters only slightly more away from the CCP (south) coastal areas.

Beyond the US and Japan, there are the allied naval forces in the immediate region to be deployed against a warmaking PLAN. Taiwan is not openly discussed because of the sensitivities of the Taipei-Beijing relationship. Taiwan has formidable air and sea defenses against CCP missile or waterborne assault or attack. It has significant cyberwarfare capabilities and close-in intelligence gathering of the CCP that are never publicly discussed. The island country has its own navy and coast guard forces which are obvious and well known.

Australia and New Zealand are formal defense treaty allies with the United States. Add their skilled, trained, well led and equipped naval and air forces to the mix. Indonesia whose SCS island group of Natuna are in the sights of the CCP late last year doubled its naval presence at the islands off Brunei and Singapore to 40 warships. Singapore which hosts USN aircraft carriers and recon planes has its own small but highly skilled, competent and formidable naval and air forces. South Korea has significant and powerful armed forces to check North Korea and the CCP north of the Miyako Strait as well as to reinforce Taiwan.

India is no longer trying to be tolerant or polite to the CCP. Recently elected PM Modi has signed strategic defense agreements with Japan, Australia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, United States. As its recent "Move East" policy, India recently completed new large naval and air force facilities in the Andaman islands at the northern end of the Malacca Strait.

SecDef Ashton Carter has initiated new interoperability between the 7th Fleet of the western Pacific together with the 3rd Fleet which operates in the eastern Pacific. Both fleet commanders in September visited Japan to participate in the annual review of the Maritime Self-Defense Force outside Tokyo Bay and to have strategy coordination conferences.

PLAN would need to pull a rabbit out of a hat to break through the Miyako Strait into the open western Pacific where it would anyway be met by a line of US attack submarines and other US naval and air forces. The PLAN's ASW, which is anti-submarine warfare, is almost non-existent. PLAN is a sitting duck no matter what it tries to do.

CCP has no allies and it has no friends in either war or peace and CCP knows it.

Edited January 6, 2016 by Publicus

[Enoon]

Did the Chinese every spring for some airplanes for that refurbed "aircraft carrier" they picked up cheap from the dying Soviet Union?

Although the SU-30s (they have 24) were for the Chinese navy they were for operation from land bases.

They build their own for the carriers (another one on the way):

China flies J-15 fighters from lone carrier in demonstration ...

[Publicus]

Did the Chinese every spring for some airplanes for that refurbed "aircraft carrier" they picked up cheap from the dying Soviet Union?

Although the SU-30s (they have 24) were for the Chinese navy they were for operation from land bases.

They build their own for the carriers (another one on the way):

China flies J-15 fighters from lone carrier in demonstration ...

CCP bought its current first and only aircraft carrier from Ukraine, which sold the PLA Navy only the hull. They're still laughing about it in Kiev. PLAN has only just begun building its own aircraft carrier. In other words, PLAN is doubling its number of aircraft carriers .

CCP sent its current carrier to Syria to join Putin's somewhat shot down air forces. No planes on it, in it, over it; near it. Coming soon .

An aircraft carrier needs ships to complement and enhance its defensive and offensive capabilities. Force multipliers. Typically a couple of destroyers, another couple of cruisers, some frigates, a couple of nuclear powered fast attack submarines which are never seen while at sea, supply and support ships. That is why each carrier is the flagship of a Battle Group, more recently called a Strike Force.

US has eleven aircraft carrier strike forces.

The United States Navy has approximately 430 ships in both active service and the reserve fleet, with approximately 70 more in either the planning stages or under construction, according to the Naval Vessel Register and published reports. This list includes ships that are owned and leased by the U.S. Navy; ships that are formally commissioned by way of ceremony, and non-commissioned.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_current_ships_of_the_United_States_Navy

USS George Washington (CVN-73) Carrier Strike Group formation sails in the Atlantic Ocean

India is constructing its third and fourth carriers. Japan has three "helicopter transport ships" that identically resemble aircraft carriers in their size, shape and capability.

US Navy has five fleets plus one (Fleet Cyber Command).

• United States Third Fleet (HQ San Diego, California) - East Pacific
• United States Fourth Fleet (HQ Mayport, Florida) - South Atlantic
• United States Fifth Fleet (HQ Manama, Bahrain) - Middle East
• United States Sixth Fleet (HQ Naples, Italy) - Europe
• United States Seventh Fleet (HQ Yokosuka, Japan) - West Pacific
• United States Tenth Fleet (HQ Fort Meade, Maryland) - Reactivated as Fleet Cyber Command.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fleets

The OP might be a little bit on the hysterical side.

[Cynical Sailor]

Australia has also recently commissioned two LHDs (Landing Helicopter Docks), bigger than even our previous aircraft carriers.

[craigt3365]

China is downsizing their military.

http://www.businessinsider.com/r-xi-says-chinese-military-will-cut-forces-by-300000-2015-9

BEIJING (Reuters) - President Xi Jinping announced on Thursday he would cut troop levels by 300,000 as China held its biggest display of military might in a parade to commemorate victory over Japan in World War Two, an event shunned by most Western leaders.

[Enoon]

Japan Maritine Self-Defense Force (navy) is much smaller in total tonnage than is the PLA Navy (PLAN), yet the assessment of the US Naval War College is that in a full scale war, Japan would at the least fight the PLAN to a standstill. And that if Japan rose to the occasion of using brilliant strategy focused on positioning and deployment (formally called Order of Battle), as its commanders are capable of accomplishing with their quality ships and crews, Japan could defeat the CCP Chinese in their near seas.

Japan moreover with US Navy control the Miyako Strait between Okinawa where 30,000 US forces are based and the Ryukyu Island chain to Taiwan. The strait is the only direct route PLAN have to the open seas of the Pacific. With this strait closed off to the PLAN, its entire naval force to include submarines is trapped in its near coastal waters. This would make the entire PLAN a sitting duck for US Naval and Air Forces in the Pacific. This includes the small confines of the South China Sea as an alternative route to waters only slightly more away from the CCP (south) coastal areas.

Beyond the US and Japan, there are the allied naval forces in the immediate region to be deployed against a warmaking PLAN. Taiwan is not openly discussed because of the sensitivities of the Taipei-Beijing relationship. Taiwan has formidable air and sea defenses against CCP missile or waterborne assault or attack. It has significant cyberwarfare capabilities and close-in intelligence gathering of the CCP that are never publicly discussed. The island country has its own navy and coast guard forces which are obvious and well known.

Australia and New Zealand are formal defense treaty allies with the United States. Add their skilled, trained, well led and equipped naval and air forces to the mix. Indonesia whose SCS island group of Natuna are in the sights of the CCP late last year doubled its naval presence at the islands off Brunei and Singapore to 40 warships. Singapore which hosts USN aircraft carriers and recon planes has its own small but highly skilled, competent and formidable naval and air forces. South Korea has significant and powerful armed forces to check North Korea and the CCP north of the Miyako Strait as well as to reinforce Taiwan.

India is no longer trying to be tolerant or polite to the CCP. Recently elected PM Modi has signed strategic defense agreements with Japan, Australia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, United States. As its recent "Move East" policy, India recently completed new large naval and air force facilities in the Andaman islands at the northern end of the Malacca Strait.

SecDef Ashton Carter has initiated new interoperability between the 7th Fleet of the western Pacific together with the 3rd Fleet which operates in the eastern Pacific. Both fleet commanders in September visited Japan to participate in the annual review of the Maritime Self-Defense Force outside Tokyo Bay and to have strategy coordination conferences.

PLAN would need to pull a rabbit out of a hat to break through the Miyako Strait into the open western Pacific where it would anyway be met by a line of US attack submarines and other US naval and air forces. The PLAN's ASW, which is anti-submarine warfare, is almost non-existent. PLAN is a sitting duck no matter what it tries to do.

CCP has no allies and it has no friends in either war or peace and CCP knows it.

Very good, an excellent description as to why a "force the straits", "breakout" plan, would not work for China.

Very comforting to know that such a plan, which has never been part of Chinese strategy, would fail.

All that is needed now is a counter to their actual plan, if countering it is considered to be a necessity.

[TPI]

Japan Maritine Self-Defense Force (navy) is much smaller in total tonnage than is the PLA Navy (PLAN), yet the assessment of the US Naval War College is that in a full scale war, Japan would at the least fight the PLAN to a standstill. And that if Japan rose to the occasion of using brilliant strategy focused on positioning and deployment (formally called Order of Battle), as its commanders are capable of accomplishing with their quality ships and crews, Japan could defeat the CCP Chinese in their near seas.

Japan moreover with US Navy control the Miyako Strait between Okinawa where 30,000 US forces are based and the Ryukyu Island chain to Taiwan. The strait is the only direct route PLAN have to the open seas of the Pacific. With this strait closed off to the PLAN, its entire naval force to include submarines is trapped in its near coastal waters. This would make the entire PLAN a sitting duck for US Naval and Air Forces in the Pacific. This includes the small confines of the South China Sea as an alternative route to waters only slightly more away from the CCP (south) coastal areas.

Beyond the US and Japan, there are the allied naval forces in the immediate region to be deployed against a warmaking PLAN. Taiwan is not openly discussed because of the sensitivities of the Taipei-Beijing relationship. Taiwan has formidable air and sea defenses against CCP missile or waterborne assault or attack. It has significant cyberwarfare capabilities and close-in intelligence gathering of the CCP that are never publicly discussed. The island country has its own navy and coast guard forces which are obvious and well known.

Australia and New Zealand are formal defense treaty allies with the United States. Add their skilled, trained, well led and equipped naval and air forces to the mix. Indonesia whose SCS island group of Natuna are in the sights of the CCP late last year doubled its naval presence at the islands off Brunei and Singapore to 40 warships. Singapore which hosts USN aircraft carriers and recon planes has its own small but highly skilled, competent and formidable naval and air forces. South Korea has significant and powerful armed forces to check North Korea and the CCP north of the Miyako Strait as well as to reinforce Taiwan.

India is no longer trying to be tolerant or polite to the CCP. Recently elected PM Modi has signed strategic defense agreements with Japan, Australia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, United States. As its recent "Move East" policy, India recently completed new large naval and air force facilities in the Andaman islands at the northern end of the Malacca Strait.

SecDef Ashton Carter has initiated new interoperability between the 7th Fleet of the western Pacific together with the 3rd Fleet which operates in the eastern Pacific. Both fleet commanders in September visited Japan to participate in the annual review of the Maritime Self-Defense Force outside Tokyo Bay and to have strategy coordination conferences.

PLAN would need to pull a rabbit out of a hat to break through the Miyako Strait into the open western Pacific where it would anyway be met by a line of US attack submarines and other US naval and air forces. The PLAN's ASW, which is anti-submarine warfare, is almost non-existent. PLAN is a sitting duck no matter what it tries to do.

CCP has no allies and it has no friends in either war or peace and CCP knows it.

Well thought out and very well written, thank you Sir!!

[ggt]

This is in keeping the the Obama Administration's foreign policy to make the US a kinder, gentler, humble, and wimp of a nation...(Do not cross that line...please...pretty please...)

[Publicus]

 

This is in keeping the the Obama Administration's foreign policy to make the US a kinder, gentler, humble, and wimp of a nation...(Do not cross that line...please...pretty please...)

 

CCP Dictators in Beijing are different as the glib and rote carpers against the 44th POTUS have no clue of. This goes beyond petty minded repeated recitations of partisan politics.

Syria, Lybia, Iran, even the Chekist Putin and his Tsarist-Soviet Russia, do not believe they are destined to rule and lord over all the world of nations.

The CCP Chinese Dictators in their fantasy eternal Middle Kingdom mentality and mindset are certain it is their rightful destiny to do exactly they. It are the CCP Chinese Dictators in Beijing who need to be shut down, period.

That is what is happening and the contest to preclude CCP realising its malevolent designs will be successfully concluded.

Period.

Google fenqing.

Edited January 6, 2016 by Publicus

[ggt]

 

This is in keeping the the Obama Administration's foreign policy to make the US a kinder, gentler, humble, and wimp of a nation...(Do not cross that line...please...pretty please...)

 

CCP Dictators in Beijing are different as the glib and rote carpers against the 44th POTUS have no clue of. This goes beyond petty minded repeated recitations of partisan politics.

Syria, Lybia, Iran, even the Chekist Putin and his Tsarist-Soviet Russia, do not believe they are destined to rule and lord over all the world of nations.

The CCP Chinese Dictators in their fantasy eternal Middle Kingdom mentality and mindset are certain it is their rightful destiny to do exactly they. It are the CCP Chinese Dictators in Beijing who need to be shut down, period.

That is what is happening and the contest to preclude CCP realising its malevolent designs will be successfully concluded.

Period.

Google fenqing.

The Chinese seem to be more focused on raping 3rd world countries of their natural resources than they are fighting anyone's war or expanding into other sovereign countries...While the US has been busy chasing the Taliban around Afghanistan...the Chinese have been quietly mining in Afgan...happy to have the US do all the dirty work while they reap the economic benefits....

They are in S. America...Africa...taking their resources...and while the US argues the benefit of assisting Canada to move oil thru an American pipeline...the Chinese have been reviving the Silk Road in the form of a railroad that links China with Europe...all manner of economic benefits have already been realize by the economic aggressive Chinese even through the RXR is incomplete.

They have the second largest army in the world...have been hording gold and buying gold like there is no tomorrow...jocking for a prominent position in world trade...positioning the Yuan to first rival and then replace the US dollar as the worlds reserve currency...

They have been snookering the world by offering copies of products at a fraction of the normal retail price for generations...they have time and tenure on their side...consider the US to be a flash in the pan to be used up and bought up...

The Chinese are a threat more to the US and the world as an economic and cyber force to be reckoned with...than a military aggressor at this time...IMHO

Edited January 6, 2016 by ggt

[Publicus]

 

This is in keeping the the Obama Administration's foreign policy to make the US a kinder, gentler, humble, and wimp of a nation...(Do not cross that line...please...pretty please...)

 

CCP Dictators in Beijing are different as the glib and rote carpers against the 44th POTUS have no clue of. This goes beyond petty minded repeated recitations of partisan politics.

Syria, Lybia, Iran, even the Chekist Putin and his Tsarist-Soviet Russia, do not believe they are destined to rule and lord over all the world of nations.

The CCP Chinese Dictators in their fantasy eternal Middle Kingdom mentality and mindset are certain it is their rightful destiny to do exactly they. It are the CCP Chinese Dictators in Beijing who need to be shut down, period.

That is what is happening and the contest to preclude CCP realising its malevolent designs will be successfully concluded.

Period.

Google fenqing.

The Chinese seem to be more focused on raping 3rd world countries of their natural resources than they are fighting anyone's war or expanding into other sovereign countries...While the US has been busy chasing the Taliban around Afghanistan...the Chinese have been quietly mining in Afgan...happy to have the US do all the dirty work while they reap the economic benefits....

They are in S. America...Africa...taking their resources...and while the US argues the benefit of assisting Canada to move oil thru an American pipeline...the Chinese have been reviving the Silk Road in the form of a railroad that links China with Europe...all manner of economic benefits have already been realize by the economic aggressive Chinese even through the RXR is incomplete.

They have the second largest army in the world...have been hording gold and buying gold like there is no tomorrow...jocking for a prominent position in world trade...positioning the Yuan to first rival and then replace the US dollar as the worlds reserve currency...

They have been snookering the world by offering copies of products at a fraction of the normal retail price for generations...they have time and tenure on their side...consider the US to be a flash in the pan to be used up and bought up...

The Chinese are a threat more to the US and the world as an economic and cyber force to be reckoned with...than a military aggressor at this time...IMHO

Here is some reading material for you....

http://dprogram.net/2009/03/05/war-is-not-far-from-us-and-is-the-midwife-of-the-chinese-century/

http://www.wired.com/2008/01/inside-the-chin/

http://www.wired.com/2008/01/inside-the-ch-1/

http://www.wired.com/2008/01/inside-the-ch-2/

Edited January 6, 2016 by Publicus

[tonbridgebrit]

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/commander-loses-job-grounding-submarine-111918787.html

"A US submarine commander has lost his job after he grounded an Ohio-class guided missile submarine as it returned to port.

The nuclear-powered USS Georgia hit a channel buoy and then grounded as it headed for Kings Bay, Georgia, on 25 November, causing at least $1m in damages."

I really do hope that this type of error is very rare in the US Navy.

[wabothai]

 

This is in keeping the the Obama Administration's foreign policy to make the US a kinder, gentler, humble, and wimp of a nation...(Do not cross that line...please...pretty please...)

 

CCP Dictators in Beijing are different as the glib and rote carpers against the 44th POTUS have no clue of. This goes beyond petty minded repeated recitations of partisan politics.

Syria, Lybia, Iran, even the Chekist Putin and his Tsarist-Soviet Russia, do not believe they are destined to rule and lord over all the world of nations.

The CCP Chinese Dictators in their fantasy eternal Middle Kingdom mentality and mindset are certain it is their rightful destiny to do exactly they. It are the CCP Chinese Dictators in Beijing who need to be shut down, period.

That is what is happening and the contest to preclude CCP realising its malevolent designs will be successfully concluded.

Period.

Google fenqing.

The Chinese seem to be more focused on raping 3rd world countries of their natural resources than they are fighting anyone's war or expanding into other sovereign countries...While the US has been busy chasing the Taliban around Afghanistan...the Chinese have been quietly mining in Afgan...happy to have the US do all the dirty work while they reap the economic benefits....

They are in S. America...Africa...taking their resources...and while the US argues the benefit of assisting Canada to move oil thru an American pipeline...the Chinese have been reviving the Silk Road in the form of a railroad that links China with Europe...all manner of economic benefits have already been realize by the economic aggressive Chinese even through the RXR is incomplete.

They have the second largest army in the world...have been hording gold and buying gold like there is no tomorrow...jocking for a prominent position in world trade...positioning the Yuan to first rival and then replace the US dollar as the worlds reserve currency...

They have been snookering the world by offering copies of products at a fraction of the normal retail price for generations...they have time and tenure on their side...consider the US to be a flash in the pan to be used up and bought up...

The Chinese are a threat more to the US and the world as an economic and cyber force to be reckoned with...than a military aggressor at this time...IMHO

Here is some reading material for you....

http://dprogram.net/2009/03/05/war-is-not-far-from-us-and-is-the-midwife-of-the-chinese-century/

http://www.wired.com/2008/01/inside-the-chin/

http://www.wired.com/2008/01/inside-the-ch-1/

http://www.wired.com/2008/01/inside-the-ch-2/

I wonder what Prajut's ideas are on this material. Or is he not aware?

[willyumiii]

The U.S. Air Force is the largest air force in the world. The second largest airforce in the world is the U.S. Navy.

Naval and land battles are mostly fought from the air.

I don't think the U.S. is worried.

[Publicus]

 

 

This is in keeping the the Obama Administration's foreign policy to make the US a kinder, gentler, humble, and wimp of a nation...(Do not cross that line...please...pretty please...)

 

CCP Dictators in Beijing are different as the glib and rote carpers against the 44th POTUS have no clue of. This goes beyond petty minded repeated recitations of partisan politics.

Syria, Lybia, Iran, even the Chekist Putin and his Tsarist-Soviet Russia, do not believe they are destined to rule and lord over all the world of nations.

The CCP Chinese Dictators in their fantasy eternal Middle Kingdom mentality and mindset are certain it is their rightful destiny to do exactly they. It are the CCP Chinese Dictators in Beijing who need to be shut down, period.

That is what is happening and the contest to preclude CCP realising its malevolent designs will be successfully concluded.

Period.

Google fenqing.

The Chinese seem to be more focused on raping 3rd world countries of their natural resources than they are fighting anyone's war or expanding into other sovereign countries...While the US has been busy chasing the Taliban around Afghanistan...the Chinese have been quietly mining in Afgan...happy to have the US do all the dirty work while they reap the economic benefits....

They are in S. America...Africa...taking their resources...and while the US argues the benefit of assisting Canada to move oil thru an American pipeline...the Chinese have been reviving the Silk Road in the form of a railroad that links China with Europe...all manner of economic benefits have already been realize by the economic aggressive Chinese even through the RXR is incomplete.

They have the second largest army in the world...have been hording gold and buying gold like there is no tomorrow...jocking for a prominent position in world trade...positioning the Yuan to first rival and then replace the US dollar as the worlds reserve currency...

They have been snookering the world by offering copies of products at a fraction of the normal retail price for generations...they have time and tenure on their side...consider the US to be a flash in the pan to be used up and bought up...

The Chinese are a threat more to the US and the world as an economic and cyber force to be reckoned with...than a military aggressor at this time...IMHO

Here is some reading material for you....

http://dprogram.net/2009/03/05/war-is-not-far-from-us-and-is-the-midwife-of-the-chinese-century/

http://www.wired.com/2008/01/inside-the-chin/

http://www.wired.com/2008/01/inside-the-ch-1/

http://www.wired.com/2008/01/inside-the-ch-2/

I wonder what Prajut's ideas are on this material. Or is he not aware?

 

Ninety-nine percent of governments are aware. Their intelligence agencies and their military leaders are attuned.

It's not like when the Nazis were seen initially and for a time as tending to domestic affairs. Nor is it like when the Soviet Russian CCCP and Stalin then Khruschev boldly and stridently pronounced they were the "wave of the future" and declared to the US and Nato that "we will bury you." Hitler, Stalin, Khruschev their political parties and systems are in their graves and we're still going strong.

Most governments and their elites are simply going forward allowing events and developments to occur as the US and the CCP progress in their relationship, which is based on mutual peaceful and low key interaction in trade and economics. Each Washington and Beijing are avoiding as much as possible things unpleasant with only some naturally occurring exception, such as cyber theft, the SCS, CCP brutality against the human rights of its own people. Then there are the positive mutual cooperative efforts that were inconceivable during the Soviet Russia Cold War Era, such as amicable participation in the UN P5+1 Iran nuclear negotiations etc.

The only possible present equivalent of the 1962 Cuban missile crisis is Taiwan but that remains small and remote, not foreseeable or anticipated. SCS is a direct rather than a proxy confrontation but it remains low key.

While the pro-CCP fanboyz do boast and pump out nonsense about CCP establishing a global currency based on gold, overwhelming the USA by economic then military expansion, eventual dominance based on having big bucks forex reserves which is supposed to allready have given CCP control over the US economy, CCP cleverness and becoming globally dominant without its ever firing a shot etc etc blah blah, the USA is well aware, active, in control of its own destiny.

CCP for example has had to deal with its crashing economy by selling more than $600 billion of its US forex reserves during recent months, without the much and loudly proclaimed by CCP fanboyz bust of the US economy. Some estimates at this point are that CCP has sold up to $1 Trillion of its US forex money; others estimate a slight difference of $900 billion sold, which is no significant marginal differentiation either way.

Washington makes its policies across the board within the framework of its awareness of CCP unannounced and undeclared malevolent Grand Designs. Brics have gone bust already. CCP partner Russia is in particular going bust. India has broken with many decades of non-alignment and toying with Brics to openly ally with Washington and its allies and partners in the region.

CCP malevolence is being checked, frustrated, dissipated. Washington is pursuring the tried and true strategy sustained against the Soviet Union of taking and utilising time, events, developments to allow the fundamentally flawed predicates of the CCP to necessarily self-devour itself.

It had been expected CCP would begin to show systemic wear and tear starting in 2016. It's turned out 2015 was the radical turning point of the CCP's fortunes and fates. Looking at the first week of 2016, events in the CCP unmistakably indicate 2016 will be a year of rapid decline rather than be the turning point. CCP is already past the point of no return.

[Publicus]

 

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/commander-loses-job-grounding-submarine-111918787.html

"A US submarine commander has lost his job after he grounded an Ohio-class guided missile submarine as it returned to port.

The nuclear-powered USS Georgia hit a channel buoy and then grounded as it headed for Kings Bay, Georgia, on 25 November, causing at least $1m in damages."

rtr4av1u-1-2048x1152-20160106-114520-306.jpg

I really do hope that this type of error is very rare in the US Navy.

 

Russian submarines have themselves sent more of their sailors to the deep six than all of Russia's military adversaries during the history of Russian submarine forces.

CCP navy subs make more noise than than a Thai longboat engine which is the death of any submarine force since silence (stealth) is the most effective defense a sub has.

In fact some people would do well to be more stealthy lest they sink themselves by a constant rattlling on.