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Not sure you are all comparing apples with apples.
A Gurkha battalion would be in a different league to almost any other option, in terms of demonstrated loyalty, esprit, fighting spirit, tenacity, and courage. They were recognised since 1814 when British had a war with them, as being almost unique. Pacific island troops are rugged and tough but not always as biddable as the Gurkha troops seem to be. |
Taiwan Confirms US Troops on Front-Line Islands Near China (newsweek.com)
Taiwan has confirmed there are U.S. troops stationed on its islands in the Taiwan Strait on a permanent basis, including an island just over a mile off China's southeast coast. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in 2023 paved the way for their arrival to conduct training programs for troops on Taiwan's front line. |
And the signaling continues alongside the arms race.
The US Air Force tested a new hypersonic missile on one of its oldest bombers, the B-52H, in the Pacific this past weekend, a major moment for the weapon. The recent test is the first of its kind by the US in the Western Pacific, a demonstration of strength in an often-tense region, particularly due to increasingly aggressive behavior by China. An Air Force spokesperson told Business Insider on Wednesday, that "a B-52 Stratofortress conducted a test of the All-Up-Round AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon." "This test," the spokesman said, "launched a full prototype operational hypersonic missile and focused on the ARRW's end-to-end performance. The test took place at the Reagan Test Site with the B-52 taking off from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, on March 17, 2024, local time." Andersen Air Force Base in Guam is a key US military position in the Pacific and regularly hosts Air Force bombers for regional operations. This launch of the ARRW marks the first time the US has tested a hypersonic weapon in the Pacific. I have been singing this song on the way to work of late: |
Note all. Many users cannot see hyperlinks if they are using Firefox, Edge or Google as their browser. If you put the hyperlink inside a quote, it appears. It's a feature of the website that has been reported but not fixed.
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Originally Posted by Ninthace
(Post 11620884)
Note all. Many users cannot see hyperlinks if they are using Firefox, Edge or Google as their browser. If you put the hyperlink inside a quote, it appears. It's a feature of the website that has been reported but not fixed.
Is it the link to a YouTube video? |
Originally Posted by Ninthace
(Post 11620884)
Note all. Many users cannot see hyperlinks if they are using Firefox, Edge or Google as their browser. If you put the hyperlink inside a quote, it appears. It's a feature of the website that has been reported but not fixed.
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https://www.twz.com/air/first-known-...r-sea-of-japan
China’s WZ-7 High-Altitude Drone Makes First Known Flight Over Sea Of Japan The WZ-7 joined-wing drone very possibly flew through Russian or North Korean airspace to get to the Sea of Japan and back. |
The Prime Minister of Japan announced a "turning point" against the backdrop of Russia's war against Ukraine.
He said that the events on the international arena are pushing the world and Tokyo to decisive and unexpected actions. In particular, Japan decided to change its defense position. "As we witness Russia's aggression against Ukraine, the ongoing situation in the Middle East, as well as the situation in East Asia, we are facing a historic turning point," PM said. |
Buff Barksdale to South China Sea and back
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Originally Posted by havoc
(Post 11633671)
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Originally Posted by ORAC
(Post 11631823)
The Prime Minister of Japan announced a "turning point" against the backdrop of Russia's war against Ukraine.
He said that the events on the international arena are pushing the world and Tokyo to decisive and unexpected actions. In particular, Japan decided to change its defense position. "As we witness Russia's aggression against Ukraine, the ongoing situation in the Middle East, as well as the situation in East Asia, we are facing a historic turning point," PM said. |
Currency devaluations??
https://www.newsweek.com/china-may-p...option-1894985
stockpiling resources and potential currency devaluation, another factor in a global economy as tensions rise. |
Economic warfare, perhaps. It's one tool in the kit. (currency devaluation).
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Only a matter of time before either the Chinese or the Russians do something stupid and cause an escalation. Missile fired at an RAF AWACS. Russian fighter hits US drone etc. It does highlight the lack of discipline on China and Russia's part.
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Marles knows full well the PLA pilot was carrying out orders so the act wasn’t “unprofessional” - orders and the mission were well executed and typical of CCP grey zone warfare.
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Originally Posted by Gnadenburg
(Post 11650541)
Marles knows full well the PLA pilot was carrying out orders so the act wasn’t “unprofessional” - orders and the mission were well executed and typical of CCP grey zone warfare.
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Originally Posted by DogTailRed2
(Post 11650608)
Whether ordered or not endangering an aircraft from another nation is not only poor airmanship but unprofessional in my opinion.
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China has always played it rough - remember the EP-3 with the midair…
https://www.pprune.org/rumours-news/...n-chinese.html |
They shot down a Cathay Pacific DC-4 airliner back in 1954, off Hainan.
Nice people. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1954_C...DC-4_shootdown |
A number of countries have shot down airliners of course - it's not just the Chinese & the Russians :(
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https://asiatimes.com/2024/05/chinas...hina-sea-ante/
US alarmed by China plan to deploy some 20 floating nuclear reactors to its increasingly militarized features in contested sea. China’s controversial plans to deploy floating nuclear reactors in the South China Sea could recalibrate the region’s power dynamics while sparking dangerous new tensions with the United States and its regional partners and allies https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....f36b46f17f.png |
"US alarmed by China plan to deploy some 20 floating nuclear reactors to its increasingly militarized features in contested sea."
"The Nimitz class is a class of ten nuclear-poweredaircraft carriers in service with the United States Navy." :cool: |
Originally Posted by Asturias56
(Post 11651831)
"US alarmed by China plan to deploy some 20 floating nuclear reactors to its increasingly militarized features in contested sea."
"The Nimitz class is a class of ten nuclear-poweredaircraft carriers in service with the United States Navy." :cool: |
well that would depend on your point of view I'd guess.
To most people a Nuclear reactor is a nuclear reactor whatever vessel you put it in. |
One suspects that the concern relates to possible placing of "civilian" nuclear reactors on military facilities in disputed waters, which also limits the freedom of action to counter them from an environmental PoV,. Something which won't be a consideration for the PLAN attacking a warship.
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Chinese Incursion Near #Taiwan's Kinmen Islands
Around a dozen Chinese coast guard ships and other vessels entered waters near Taiwan’s outlying Kinmen Islands, with some breaching territorial waters. A very serious escalation. Via TaiwanPlus News. |
Originally Posted by Asturias56
(Post 11652129)
well that would depend on your point of view I'd guess.
To most people a Nuclear reactor is a nuclear reactor whatever vessel you put it in. |
I agree - N power is very good for baseload operations
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Reports coming out that Japan is offering to do a joint development of the FFM (enhanced / follow on mogami) with australia as part of its teir 2 combatant program. Its certainly a better option than the actual mogami, as I think the mogami is a complete non starter design for australia
This new variant could be what Tokyo offers Canberra for joint development, not just because of its enhanced capabilities but also because the successive production timelines could trigger economies of scale and lower costs. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....22bfbb47ba.jpg |
China is clearly on to building artificial islands at the Escoda Shoal just 75 nautical miles from the coast of Palawan in the Philippines EEZ. It has been observed that crushed corals were dumped and it is highly likely that the maritime features were altered.
The dumping of dead and crushed corals on the sandbars of Escoda Shoal was similar to the "island-building activities" done in Sandy Cay in the Kalayaan Island Group (Spratly Islands) in September 2023. Escoda Shoal is the point where resupply boats of AFP meet their escort vessels from the PCG to bring supplies for troops onboard BRP Sierra Madre. PH's access to BRP Sierra Madre could be lost if China succeeds in building the artificial island. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....5b2ee4f4f5.png https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/tops...a-shoal/story/ PCG: Dumping of crushed corals in Escoda Shoal may be preps for China island-building |
Let them build.............and waste their money. Ot will only take one big typhoon to make the island disapear.
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China is sending a huge force to blockade Scarborough Shoal ahead of the Atin Ito civilian convoy setting sail from the 🇵🇭#Philippines Tuesday. By this time tomorrow at least 4 coast guard & 26 large maritime militia ships on blockade (not counting "dark" vessels).
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....0fb7bedffd.png https://maharlika.tv/no-retreat-no-s...huge-blockade/ ‘NO RETREAT, NO SURRENDER’ ‘ATIN ITO’ CIVILIAN MISSION IN SCARBOROUGH SHOAL TO PUSH THROUGH DESPITE CHINA’S HUGE BLOCKADE |
Placing a nuclear reactor at each of the 'islands' is, I would think, more about discouraging attacks than anything else.
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https://www.twz.com/sea/chinas-myste...ded-out-to-sea
China’s Mysterious Stealthy Warship Has Headed Out To Sea What exactly China’s plans are for the ship remains unclear, but it built it and got it out to sea extremely quickly. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....d0c4514aca.jpg |
Originally Posted by ORAC
(Post 11655861)
https://www.twz.com/sea/chinas-myste...ded-out-to-sea
China’s Mysterious Stealthy Warship Has Headed Out To Sea What exactly China’s plans are for the ship remains unclear, but it built it and got it out to sea extremely quickly. |
According to a US official on LBC radio today the way to hurt China is to place more sanctions, including oil sanctions on Russia. A lot of money is flowing from Russia to China. Not to mention British Petroleum still making huge amounts of money out of Russian investments and assets. War is a very dirty business indeed.
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https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/in...rajnath-621319
Work on third aircraft carrier to start soon, more to follow, says Rajnath Singh India will soon start making its third aircraft carrier, said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh while talking to The Tribune. He was referring to the pending proposal of the Navy to make another indigenous carrier same in size as INS Vikrant, which weighed 45,000 tonne and was commissioned in September 2022. India has one more carrier — INS Vikramaditya — sourced from Russia in 2013. “We will not stop at that (three carriers). We will make five, six more,” said Rajnath. These are first indications of long-term plans for having sea-going carriers that can launch and recover fighter jets from the deck while sailing. Till now, India has been speaking about having three carriers. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence in January last year suggested the need for having a third sea-going aircraft carrier. It had said, “The reach and flexibility of a carrier is far superior to military airfields in far-flung island territories.” What Rajnath said is setting is a fresh target for India and it matches China’s plan to have aircraft carriers. Three years ago, a US Department of Defence report, ‘Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China 2021’, warned, “China continues to build a multi-carrier force. Plans are for six carriers by 2030.”…. |
“China continues to build a multi-carrier force. Plans are for six carriers by 2030.”….
So they have 3 now - Liaoning, Shandong, and Fujian. The latest one was laid down in 2015/16, launched in 2022 and entered service this month. There are reports that a 4th Carrier is under construction but no firm dates. If we assume #4 was laid down immediately after the Fujian launch she might be in service by 2030. I struggle to see how they will add two more ships in that timeframe TBH - especially if they decide to change the design and go N-powered. |
Depends if you think they’ll all be for manned aircraft. China reportedly has had a 4th, drone, carrier since 2022 (predating the Turkish carrier which is why its being claimed as the first).
Who knows what else they have on the stocks elsewhere. https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news...drone-carrier/ China Builds World’s First Dedicated Drone Carrier https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....10f9bf0885.jpg |
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