We don't need no stinkin' aircraft carriers !
As the conflict between China & Japan heats up the US is shoring up its defenses for Japan . Instead of relying on the overkill of the aircraft carrier fleet the US is deploying a more nuanced type of defense , not missiles , jets & big guns but troops on the ground ... rapid deployment troops .
Here is an excerpt from an article about this change located at this link :
http://asia.nikkei.com/Politics-Economy/Policy-Politics/US-upgrading-naval-power-in-Japan-with-eye-on-China
The USS Green Bay, an amphibious transport dock ship, will replace the USS Denver at the naval base in Sasebo next February, the Navy said Wednesday. These vessels are designed to land troops and equipment in amphibious operations and could thus be used to defend outlying Japanese islands.
With a displacement of around 25,000 tons, the Green Bay is about 50% bigger than the Denver, has a high-tech command and control system, and can carry Osprey transport planes.
The strategy behind the STOL Osprey is at last coming to fruition . It is designed to rapidly deliver troops to a medium distant location ... one which lacks runway facilities .
It is faster & of longer range than any helicopter . And it can land where a helicopter can't because the rotors would be damaged by adjacent obstructions . Is it a surprise that some military R&D is a good idea ? It shouldn't be . This is not the F-35 boondoggle . It's designed for the marines .
China may be building aircraft carriers
http://www.worldbulletin.net/news/129404/china-to-build-four-new-aircraft-carriers
but they have nothing like this .
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When you are defending your ally on his own territory using high explosives & long range missiles is not a good plan . You will cause more damage than defense . That's what a rapid deployment ground force is all about .
Thanks for your comment .
Sure China has an enormous number of troops ... in China . They must be transported to these outlying Japanese islands for an attack . They can't swim there . If they go by ship it can be easily blown out of the water . If they go by plane they will have a problem landing .
The likely plan of attack would be to send numerous small boats . And that is where this rapid deployment force would be an asset .
USS Green Bay (LPD-20)
Agreed . But it is an unlikely event . Neither side wants it for several major reasons .
I don't agree . China's goal in such an incident would be to take possession of those aforementioned outlying Japanese islands .
China has already shown some agression in that direction :
...
China has increased military operations in the Pacific as Japan-China relations have been strained due to a row over the sovereignty of the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands, which China calls Diaoyu, in the East China Sea.
Chinese naval vessels circumnavigated the Japanese archipelago in July for the first time and two Chinese bombers flew to the Pacific earlier this month.
In addition China announced recently that no one is permitted access to that region of the East China Sea . The US promptly sent aircraft to the area [or maybe it was ships . I don't recall which .]
Here's a more detailed account of the conflict :
Here is what is undeniable . The US has treaty obligations with Japan . If China attempted to take possession of theSenkaku Islands we would be obligated to assist . IMO the above described rapid deployment force would be the simplest way to act as a deterrent .
Thanks for the technical links Six . It looks like the craft has an open deck in the stern suitable to accommodate Osprey aircraft ... no idea on how many .
That's just plain insanity . Neither China nor the US wants to get involved in a major war with each other . China does have an obsession with the Senkaku Islands due to the potential for underwater petroleum in the region .
Maybe . But it is usually due to the innovative technology which is developed for the war .
In this instance China stands to lose BIG on the economic front . The US is their 2nd biggest customer . In addition the US government owes them billions of $ in govt bond repayments . Do you think our govt might default if we went to war ?
If that happened [very likely ] I would expect the govt to borrow less . But the existing bonds would still remain at the current low rates . If the govt keeps borrowing like Paris Hilton with too many credit cards then there will be big problems .
I don't see it as inevitable . We are in a time of exceptionally low rates . There is no reason to assume the large amount of debt will continue when rates increase ... is there ?
Also this would be an excellent time to borrow in order to retire older high rate debts ... much like refinancing your mortgage .
My guess is that certain governmental offices would advise against it , most notably the CBO . I would prefer to see a different question asked : How much of the older higher interest debt has been repaid with more recent lower interest debt . That would be a financially sound thing to do .
I'm thinking that the current high rate of borrowing is only a function of the extremely low current rates . This is a good time to borrow , as long as it is curtailed sharply when rates go up .
Which "tin can " ... the USS Green Bay ? That's no tin can . It's a state of the art delivery system for rapid deployment troops .
Recent events of note :
Japan, India agree to conduct naval drill with U.S.
NEW DELHI (Kyodo) -- Japan and India agreed Saturday to carry out a trilateral naval drill with the United States, a move apparently aimed at curbing China's growing territorial claims in the South and East China seas with coercive measures.
Nothing like another confrontation to spent billions a day to support our troops or Navy ships or buy more Drones and bombs and guns. All off of tax payer money. The Right wing likes giving trillions to the military establishment. Screw the American people build that war machine. Lets fight the world. They like it when we invade countries. What a bleeping Joke.