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2008-02-21 China-Japan-Koreas

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Posted by lotp 2008-02-21 09:49|| || Front Page|| [3 views ] Top

#1 Japan resumed its refueling mission in the Indian Ocean on Thursday in support of U.S.-led antiterrorism operations following a nearly four- month hiatus, with a Maritime Self-Defense Force ship providing fuel to a Pakistani destroyer.

Welcome back. Much appreciated.

Posted by swksvolFF 2008-02-21 10:39|| 2008-02-21 10:39|| Front Page Top

#2 This is a big thing when considering 'projection' to sustain operations beyond your local littoral. Think China and her growing dependency on the sea lanes. China either defaults to the US to protect the sea lanes [which means playing nice], or had better start pumping real money into the means to protect those lanes themselves.

Posted by Procopius2k 2008-02-21 10:51|| 2008-02-21 10:51|| Front Page Top

#3 Proc, problem is that a true blue-water navy takes time and money - and lots of intellectual freedom - to develop and run properly. The Chinese have none of these in their favor now; they still follow the old Soviet style in tactics and design. So they are stuck with the Soviet Unions approach which was necessarily based in denial, since all they needed to do was cut off resupply and commerce. What they need is nearly the polar opposite: clearance of sea lines and maintenance of maritime lines of communications.

That takes a sustainable Navy at sea, emphasis on individual action, command, and accountability, and things like innovation in tactics and so on. And ships built for sustaining themselves, and crews well trained in damage control.

Posted by OldSpook 2008-02-21 11:18|| 2008-02-21 11:18|| Front Page Top

#4 They don't, as a society seem to have a flair for that Old Spook. They have more of an "every man for himself" mindset from the chinese I have known.

Posted by bigjim-ky 2008-02-21 15:30|| 2008-02-21 15:30|| Front Page Top

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