Is the U.S. Navy ready for the China challenge?
Norah O’Donnell of CBS News interviewed Admiral Samuel Paparo. The interview focused on events occurring in the Indo-Pacific region, specifically Southeast Asia and Taiwan. Her questions focused on the potential of China’s invading Taiwan, the Navy’s readiness to address such an invasion, as well capabilities for both the People’s Liberation Army and the US military. The Chinese reportedly have warned the United States that if it did not change its course regarding its actions in this region, conflict will become inevitable.
From CBS News/60 Minutes:
Norah O’Donnell: When you talk about ships, what’s the most powerful in the U.S. Navy?
Admiral Samuel Paparo: It’s an aircraft carrier and its airwing is capable of 150 strike or air-to-air sorties per day, with at its surge levels, the ability to deliver 900 precision-guided munitions every day, and reloadable every night
Norah O’Donnell: So even though China now has the largest Navy in the world, they don’t have anything like this in terms of aircraft carriers.
Admiral Samuel Paparo: They do not. But they’re working towards it. And they have– they have two operational aircraft carriers right now.
That’s China’s two diesel-fueled carriers, to the U.S.’s 11 nuclear-powered ones that can carry a total of about a thousand attack aircraft… more than the navies of every other nation on earth, combined.
Lt. Cmdr. David Ash: I’ll tell you this: we are here to stay, right, in the South China Sea, and in this part of the world. And I think that’s the message that we really want to convey to not only China, but the entire world. We will sail wherever international law allows.
Norah O’Donnell: Do you get briefed on China’s growing military threat and the progress that their navy is making?
Lt. Cmdr. David Ash: Absolutely. Yeah, absolutely we do. And they are making great progress in a lot of key areas.
Norah O’Donnell: The Chinese?
Lt. Cmdr. David Ash: The Chinese are, from a military standpoint.
This video, from weapons systems officer Lt. Cmdr. Matthew Carlton, shows his F/A-18 strafing ground targets with a machine gun on a U.S. weapons range near Guam.
The pilots on the Nimitz also conduct air-to-air combat or dogfighting drills daily.
CBS News/60 Minutes has the rest of the interview and segment here.
Here is a video of the interview:
In my day, I’d say we’d beat them like they owed us money.
Today, the technology is certainly there, but the leadership is what I question. Certainly, there are many fine CO’s in the fleet, but there might just enough “zampolits” pushed though to fuck shit up. Just an old sailor’s opinion.
Gilday talks he has a talking points memo stuck up his ass. You literally see him thinking; “stay on script… stay on script..”
Honestly, no. Right now, that is.
We’re going to have to come back from behind and beat them like we did in World War II versus the Japs. It’s how we always do it.
When this happens because it seems inevitable our Navy will be tested beyond anything our generation has ever seen. There will be loss of life and assets that we have not seen since WW2. Our bird farms will be targeted in the first wave of assaults from under the sea. China has a proficient Sub Force. I anticipate if they move on Taiwan North Korea will attempt a move on South Korea. Iran will take opportunity to attack Israel pulling us into conflict on two sides of the world. I hope I am wrong. Maybe it is my old age seeing the worst in the world and no faith in our leadership to navigate the shift in world power.
I don’t see how any of those wars can be fought without one or more sides going nuclear.
Certainly Israel isn’t going to mess around with a nuclear armed Iran. They will 100% turn Tehran and several other cities into glowing powder and mist. Now that they have ballistic cruise missiles on submarines there won’t be much chance of air warnings, just a bright flash as the military complex, oil fields and cities vaporize.
China will almost have to nuke or otherwise bomb the hell out of Guam and several other US Military bases in the region to have any hope of success in seizing Taiwan. Guam is US territory and killing tens of thousands of US citizens would set off a cataclysm. Their only hope is to install or buy a pacifist president (who stays bought); who will then simply let them do whatever they want. Clearly Biden didn’t stay bought.
The Norks will launch a nuke simply because it is Tuesday.
Oh….Biden’s bought alright, but he wasn’t cheap.
A Multi Front War should also consider the 15 to 30 Million Illegal Aliens on the home front, with lots around military age too.
Like they said in Red Dawn (we sure the Chicoms ain’t seen it?):
Lt Colonel Tanner: “Infiltrators came up illegal from Mexico. Cubans mostly. They managed to infiltrate SAC bases in the Midwest, several down in Texas and wreaked a helluva lot of havoc, I’m here to tell you. They opened up the door down here, and the whole Cuban and Nicaraguan and Latin American armies come walking right through, rolled right up here through the Great Plains.”
The PRC is extremely aggressive. Their actions and rhetoric against Taiwan. Their nine dash line in the SCS. Their very confrontational actions in the SCS. Their Belt and Road initiative around the world. The rhetoric coming out of the CCP leadership’s mouths.
We do not respond in kind. That needs to change. The PRC is the biggest bully on the block and the only way to stop them is to stand up to them and poke them in the eye at every opportunity. One of the best ways to do that is to use those naval assets to have multi-national naval exercises in the SCS inviting all regional players…except for the PRC. Wash…rinse…repeat. FONOPS here and there by one ship is not going to cut it. We have to dedicate many ships and often.
The documentary First Strike about our preparediness in ’79 is coming to mind (relevant) again:
It’s been a hot minute since I’ve seen this!
Thank you for providing it to all.
Ascots and bad acting, what’s not to love?!
Both ADM Paparo and LTCDR Ash need to check the talking points and get their stories straight.
Carlos Del Toro said recently that the Navy’s focus is global warming, NOT the Chinese.
Warming to the Chinese on a global basis.
Fixed it.
A very short and very bloody end of the world as we know it. Seems like somebody wrote a song about this…and somebody else wrote some chapters in a book. Prepare accordingly.
Plus, there’s a Johnny Cash song:
The final scene of Generation Kill makes that song even more hardener of a listen.
Great series that nailed both that conflict and the universal truths in all war, imvho.
Remember, the question is not whether God is on your side. The question is, are you on His?
Chicoms all butthurt we did a freedom of navigation (FON) operation though the South China Sea… oh boo-hoo, mofos.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/china-accuses-us-of-undermining-its-peace-and-sovereignty-after-destroyer-illegally-intruded-south-china-sea/ar-AA18XYRG
All I have to say is Ling Ting Tong by the five Keys 1955 on the Capital label.
Any 4-Star that cannot tell me their service’s carbon footprint is not fit to serve.