Unprecedented Build-up in South China Sea for Exercises Spanning 14 Time Zones Ukraine Warns of War: 200,000 Russian Troops to Border
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| Unusual: USS Carl Vinson [CVN 70] and USS Abraham Lincoln [CVN 72] |
As August came to a close, I was monitoring two super carriers bristling with their entire airwing aboard in North Island, San Diego; accordingly, there has been an understanding that part of the reasoning for ending the Afghan occupation was the need to counter Beijing's hostile practice drills for an invasion of Taiwan and increasingly bellicose rhetoric towards the island.
Although seemingly dated, the September 1, 2021 story posted by War Zone's, Tyler Rogoway, is in-depth and relevant.
Today, CR&Thinking learned that the two carriers are about to enter the South China Sea; moreover, the newly completed sea trials of HMS Queen Elizabeth--now crowned with the carrier's first deployment in the South China Sea, is noteworthy, according to Thomas Newdick, also, at the Drive/Warzone
Couple this with the first-time deployment of a Littoral Class Ship, USS Tulsa, joining the US 7th Fleet. These ships carry Marines--sometimes Navy Seals--and can be used covertly and operate in extremely shallow waters.
Those once problem plagued Littoral ships are looking like their post-production issues have been mitigated and are akin to a modern D' Day vessel, yet--high tech amphibious landing craft with armaments including sea-to-air missiles, and rumored to have rail gun [kinetic] weaponry.
As a General Rule: It Takes 3x the Amount of Men and Equipment to Retake the Enemy's Territory
I really do not understand how effective the Tulsa would be against their many ChiCom naval counterparts, nor see little we could do to uproot the exponential numbers of troops which Beijing could invade with--dug-into defensive positions, shortly after an attack; in other words, retaking The Republic of China [ROC] the formal name for Taiwan via 82nd Airborne, Marine Expeditionary Forces, etc, would be quite an undertaking.
Picture Iwo Jima, Okinawa, and the potential blood-bath of trying to invade Tokyo poised as WW II came to a close in 1945.
Penetrating Taiwan's Air Defenses has been Happening on a Weekly Basis
Earlier this month, up to 19 nuclear-payload capable Peoples Liberation Army [PLA] H-6 Bombers have been among the swarm of J-16 & SU-30 fighter planes penetrating the air defense identification zone [ADIZ.]
To clarify, while not part of Taiwan's territory, these ADIZ are common when countries are relatively close in proximity--as the US has an ADIZ in the Bering Straights where the Aleutian archipelago gives way to Russian territory off of Alaska, for instance.
Regardless, it has become routine--much as during the Cold War--for long-range bombers and reconnaissance craft to push-up to these countries' territory, for example, probing a countries' defenses.
As we have discussed in previous posts, these types of intrusions, coupled with ongoing wargames or military exercises can be used as cover prior to launching an actual attack.
September 13, 2021 Joseph Trevithick Reporting for The War Zone: Chinese Warships Exercise Freedom-of-Navigation off Alaska
Daily Mail: Last year Chinese jets and bombers made a record 380 incursions into Taiwan's air defence identification zone (ADIZ).
Meanwhile Another Potential Flashpoint
Taiwan Ramps-up Defenses: Yahoo September 14, 2021
In Closing, we have warned of war over Taiwan on numerous occasions and provocative exercises between Russia and The Ukraine, but....
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