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2005-05-21 Home Front: Politix

Committee OKs funds for aircraft carrier

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Posted by Steve White 2005-05-21 00:45|| || Front Page|| [6 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 There was a terribly bitter commentary in the May 2005 issue of 'Proceedings', published by the U.S. Naval Institute, which is the premier naval journal in the world. It begins, "The United States is headed for a naval war with China. We are going to lose. The combination of inadequate shipbuilding and procurement of the wrong types of ships sets us up to be run out of the Western Pacific in five to ten years..." This is scary stuff, published in a magazine whose contributors are almost exclusively senior U.S. naval officers and retired officers, many of flag rank.

Posted by Anonymoose 2005-05-21 10:50|| 2005-05-21 10:50|| Front Page Top

#2 Looking forward to see what a CVN-21 can do. If we do get into a serious conflict with any major navy (China's for example), the schelduled delivery in 2014 might be postponed. I wouldn't worry too much over what "Proceedings" says, it's no different than any other opinion that America will lose against China.

Posted by shellback 2005-05-21 13:34|| 2005-05-21 13:34|| Front Page Top

#3 China's major navy, huh? LOL

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2005-05-21 13:48|| 2005-05-21 13:48|| Front Page Top

#4 I used to read Proceedings quite often, it is a good source as long as you understand that its writers will consitently promote increased naval spending. During the Cold War the military establishment consistently exagerated the capabilities and quality of the Soviet threat.

I disagree with their theory of a naval war with China. It is my opinion that large scale naval spending by the Chinese would only result in improvements to the reef structure around the coast of the PRC in the event of a shooting war with the US.

Posted by Super Hose 2005-05-21 17:30|| 2005-05-21 17:30|| Front Page Top

#5 In other words, Super Hose, it doesn't matter how good China's ships are, so long as our missiles continue to be better and more numerous?

Posted by trailing wife 2005-05-21 18:14|| 2005-05-21 18:14|| Front Page Top

#6 China's projection of power is via the boots of the PLA and the threat of thermonuclear war via their missiles. Their navy couldn't currently take Japan. You don't build a (competent) blue-water navy like that *snap*

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2005-05-21 18:54|| 2005-05-21 18:54|| Front Page Top

#7 You don't build a (competent) blue-water navy like that

Germany did. In the end, it wasn't quite good enough to beat the RN, but it was close.

Posted by Jackal">Jackal 2005-05-21 22:43|| home.earthlink.net/~sleepyjackal/index.html]">[home.earthlink.net/~sleepyjackal/index.html] 2005-05-21 22:43|| Front Page Top

#8 but Germany had qualified naval servicemen, no? I'm under the impression that, like the USSR, China deepwater would be overburdened by political control vs competence. Would like to hear different if evidence shows....?

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2005-05-21 22:48|| 2005-05-21 22:48|| Front Page Top

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