“The cost in human lives is appalling,” writes Molan. Xi Jinping has delivered his message even as the world still struggles to restore communications. Xi’s message to America, as Molan puts it:

“You are out of the Western Pacific and we will not let you re-establish your bases in Japan, South Korea or even Guam. From Japan to Australia and out to Hawaii, the Western Pacific is now a Chinese sphere of influence.”

It’s merely a scenario, but is it plausible? Molan argues that we’re preparing for the wrong war. He thinks that we’re all standing around waiting for a limited Chinese attack on Taiwan. And while he says that’s possible, it would only happen if China’s strategists are silly.

If Xi struck Taiwan, his attacking forces would be vulnerable to a hammering from the US. Why would he accept that pain when he has the option of pushing America out of the hemisphere altogether, forcing it back to the region east of Hawaii?

Then he can take Taiwan at his leisure, probably without the use of force. And dictate terms to US allies including Australia, now cut off from its great ally.

And Xi can luxuriate in history’s acclaim as the ruler who ended half a millennium of Western dominance of the Pacific.

angloid military strategists always make reality sound 10000x cooler than reality

https://archive.ph/wXdhE

    • soft [she/her]
      ·
      2 years ago

      The ship itself was like Brezhnev-era old but I thought that it was nevertheless loaded with fully modern anti-air anti-missile tech :vivian-shrug:

      • NonWonderDog [he/him]
        ·
        edit-2
        2 years ago

        It was loaded up with the navy S-300 equivalent, which isn't cutting edge but still very fearsome. Against planes. As far as anyone knows the radar can't track anything at wavetop height, so they're useless against modern anti-ship missiles.

        It also had a pair of Osa-M missile systems that should have been capable, but these are old 70's swing-arm launchers, overcomplicated with a slow rate of fire.

        If all that failed they had the AK-630 CIWS-equivalents.

        So no, other than the S-300F none of the anti-air tech was particularly modern, and the S-300F can't shoot down sea-skimming missiles. It's still bewildering that it couldn't shoot down a couple subsonic ASMs, though.

        • soft [she/her]
          ·
          2 years ago

          Ooh thank you for correcting me, this is really informative! I must have gotten some bad info, or misremembered. Thanks! :rosa-salute: