U.S. Navy's Largest Destroyer Ever Heads Out to Sea for First Time

[super-bee_ski]

Yes, eliminate the TPP (Trans Pacific Partnership)

 

[Budnicks]

Yes, eliminate the TPP (Trans Pacific Partnership)

Amen to that note...

 

[super-bee_ski]

Regardless what anyone thinks, this So China sea is a serious issue
I know personally guys like Bruzilla tried to mitigate the issue back when I first brought it to fruition,,,
But mark my words...this issue is heating up and some one is going to make a mistake and there will be lives at stake!
it is a deeper issue socio/politically than the average individual realizes!
China IS closing off the South China sea...period!
Each and every potential voter out there...do a little research on this matter!

 

[polywideblock]

its in my back yard , trouble is china is our largest export market for coal , iron ore etc. and the wankers that just got back into power (only by a slim margin) only see dollar signs . their not going to jeopardise the mining industry ( or any multimillion dollar industry for that mater ) to make a point .they've all got their heads up their asses

 

[Budnicks]

the OP is better than this honoring our lack of leadership

 

[MarPar]

here ya go Mark (@super-bee_ski)...but im sure you already knew this. lol

Chinese Navy holds live-fire drills in East China Sea
by Jesse Johnson, The Japan Times

Aug 2, 2016

The Chinese Navy held live-fire drills in the East China Sea on Monday, the Defense Ministry said in a short statement posted to its website.

The drills, the statement said, involved firing dozens of missiles and torpedoes and was aimed at bolstering “the assault intensity, precision, stability and speed of troops amid heavy electromagnetic influences,” an apparent reference to electronic warfare.

“An information technology-based war at sea is sudden, cruel and short, which requires fast transition to combat status, quick preparation and high assault efficiency,” the statement said.

The drill involved naval aviation forces, including submarines, ships and coast guard servicemen.

The statement did not specify where in the waters the military exercises were held.

The East China Sea is home to the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands, which are also claimed by China, where they are known as the Diaoyus.

China has ramped up its military and coast guard activity in the waters in recent months, with the Japanese Defense Ministry reporting early last month that fighter jets had been scrambled a record 199 times between April and June in response to Chinese aircraft approaching Japanese airspace...

more

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/20...avy-holds-live-fire-drills-in-east-china-sea/

 

[super-bee_ski]

Yeah, I (we) had a "Brief" on this Monday
A joint effort between Russia and China
Also, now the last reef, Scarborough is being converted into an Island.
1. Subi Reef.
2. Mischief Reef
3. Scarborough Reef
Yes, militarization has been accomplished

 

[super-bee_ski]

Latest on south China sea buildup:

Photos suggest China built reinforced hangars on disputed islands: CSIS

 

[super-bee_ski]

Have you seen these "islands" they are building? Let's look at one...

First, it's not an actual island. It is a sandbar, and as us Navy guys learn, sandbars come and go. They aren't made out of a base rock like a real island is, so wind, rain, wave action, and heavy weather can destroy them rather quickly. Plus they're built in the Pacific volcanic region and one minor tidal wave that would do nothing to a real island would return that whole area back to ocean in seconds. So the reality is their little bases could be there ten years from now, or wiped out tomorrow.

Second, since the base has no real underlying structure, all its logistics is either above the surface or under sand, which makes it very susceptible to attack. A base with aircraft but no fuel, ordnance, potable water, or even food isn't much good. A couple of cruise missiles would make this base unusable in short order.

Third, given the instability of the foundation, how long do you think that runway is gonna stay useable? You're a wing wiper right? What's the life expectancy of a concrete runway on terra firma? I know we have to overhaul ours every five or six years and they aren't built on sand.

These bases don'y worry me in the least. The only thing the Chinese have that I worry about is their growing submarine force. Now that is a threat.

As for pursuing new systems, I agree we need newer and better ones. The problem with that is we used to design and build our own newer and better systems, but that's no longer the case. Everyone is getting pushed more and more into finding COTS solutions instead of GOTS, so we're taking more and more system hardware, software, cabling, and other components that were designed to function in offices or factories and sticking them into combat vehicles that are going to be subjected to shocks, damage, and environmental conditions that they were never designed to withstand. That's a recipie for disaster.

This SURE looks like an Island to me:

Beijing's 'island fortresses': China's aggressive militarization of diusputed South China Sea is revealed in new photos showing the communist nation's 'unrestrained' show of power

 

[MarPar]

We need a tsunami to barrel through there and wipe the place out. (underwater nuke perhaps? )

 

[super-bee_ski]

When will China bring in the SAMs?

 

[super-bee_ski]

Bump

 

[Budnicks]

Report from Global Securities:
-There are a few basic facts about China's claims in the South China Sea that are centrl to understanding the dispute. China has declared the South China Sea to be a "core interest" worth fighting for, along with Taiwan and Tibet, but it only discovered this fact in 2010. China claims the entire South China Sea, but only discovered this ownership in 1949. China's claim to the entire South China Sea is unique in maritime law, and contravenes the fundamental principle of the Law of the Sea that requires maritime claims to be based on land features, not arbitrary lines on the water on a map. There is no basis for a "split the difference" compromise. China is building new islands in the South China Sea by dredging up reef material. China appears to claim territorial waters for these artificial islands, violating a fundamental principle of maritime law that such artificial creations cannot acquire territorial waters.

The United States called in late 2015 for a halt to China's artificial island-building, and in recent weeks has tried to signal its determination to challenge Beijing over the disputed sea by sending military ships and planes near the islands.

you were 100% spot on about China's threat in that region
prior to 2015 & well into 2016
& for the USA, NATO or the world for that matter...

weak & feckless admin. at the time
let this happen, they are at it again too

didn't help they stripped much of our military
down to pre-WWII levels, lowest levels in some 70 years

we will pay dearly for it now,
especially now in TODAY's political climate

 

[super-bee_ski]

you were 100% spot on about China's threat in that region
prior to 2015 & well into 2016
& for the USA, NATO or the world for that matter...

weak & feckless admin. at the time
let this happen, they are at it again too

didn't help they stripped much of our military
down to pre-WWII levels, lowest levels in some 70 years

we will pay dearly for it now,
especially now in TODAY's political climate

It is getting SCARY!
The attempt to shut down all shipping lanes.