The US response to China (catch all)

[davidbfpo]

From Post 9, three weeks ago

China declared victory on Friday over an encounter with a US surveillance aircraft overflying the contested South China Sea, saying its military "drove away" the intruder with radio warnings.
http://news.yahoo.com/china-declares...114402363.html

It appears this incident was recorded by CNN, as they are now showing an 'exclusive' report from aboard the P8 maritime patrol plane:http://pzfeed.com/cnn-exclusive-inside-a-u-s-spy-plane/

[Bill Moore]

I look forward to reading Peter Singer's new book, "Ghost Fleet," even it does appear to be focused mostly on all domains (cyber, air, space, and maritime) except land and human (if you accept the concept of human domain). I think Peter is correct in that our strategies are failing to incorporate uncomfortable what if's, and the implications of those what if's, and how to adapt.

http://theweek.com/articles/565740/c...-world-war-iii

The Communist Party no longer rules China. In its place is a plutocratic-military regime known as the Directorate. The regime severs its ties with the U.S. — which it perceives as a declining empire holding China back from vital energy resources. With Russian support, China launches a surprise attack on the U.S. Pacific Fleet, resulting in its near total destruction.

"In a future battle of high technology, much of the technology will negate itself," he added. "So there's an irony that in a world of robotics, the internet, satellites, that the fight could play out like the battles of World War II."

In Ghost Fleet, the Directorate destroys America's satellites, blinds its warships and fighter jets with electronic noise, and clogs its communications networks with malware. This creates a "digital fog" that makes war just as confusing as America's historical naval battles with Japan.

[flagg]

I look forward to reading Peter Singer's new book, "Ghost Fleet," even it does appear to be focused mostly on all domains (cyber, air, space, and maritime) except land and human (if you accept the concept of human domain). I think Peter is correct in that our strategies are failing to incorporate uncomfortable what if's, and the implications of those what if's, and how to adapt.

http://theweek.com/articles/565740/c...-world-war-iii

I've read "Ghost Fleet".

I was expecting it to be a 21st century digital generation Red Storm Rising.

I was pretty disappointed.

While I think it does a decent job of looking at the genuine threat posed by a fascist/capitalist/expansionist China and it tried to pull together all of the warfighting domains, I think it did so superficially and simply.

I feel they went quite wide(necessarily across the warfighting domains), but also quite shallow.

Too shallow in many aspects(political/economic warfare/effect and commentary on US and its core allies).

Some bright spots for sure, worth the read, but I don't think it's worth getting your Red Storm Rising hopes up.

-----

On an unrelated note. I've just finished a few books on RECONDO/LRRP operations in Vietnam.

It has left me thinking about the application of similar doctrine in the Pacific Ocean.

Large(r) numbers of small(er), cheap(er), stealth(ier) littoral/blue water "LRRP ships"(and submarines) that are capable of organic self-defense and organic offensive ambush, but largely a sensor net for prompt global strike.

But still capable of performing maritime policing/counter-piracy/presence patrols.

Meshed with satellite and manned/unmanned aerial ISR platforms.

In a "LRRP ship" context, if it's valid/relevant, the Littoral Combat Ship seems to make sense if that's part of it's intent.

But I wonder if the Chinese are closer to providing a regionally operational "maritime LRRP" capability with their sea/air/space sensors partnered with DF-21D?

[davidbfpo]

Hat tip to WoTR for this review by Claude Berube who teaches at the U.S. Naval Academy:http://warontherocks.com/2015/07/gho...-storm-rising/

The last passage:

The work has plenty to keep readers attentive, including military history and pop culture references such as direct and indirect homages to the Battlestar Galactica reboot, Star Trek, Red Dawn, and Tron. This is a book best savored in as few sittings as possible. The authors are clear enough in their message that America is vulnerable, and they’re right. But they’re also correct that innovative thinking will save us in the end

[davidbfpo]

Hat tip to WoTR for this short article, which starts with:

The lessons of the Maginot Line extend well into the 21st century, as China constructs a coastal and offshore defensive belt to defend both its maritime and territorial claims with high-tech and static capabilities. With its Anti-Access/Area Denial (A2/AD) strategy, China aims to force the U.S. military to operate at a much greater distance from the Chinese mainland.

Link:http://warontherocks.com/2015/08/chinas-maginot-line/

[Bob's World]

China's actions are consistent with those of rising powers throughout history, only colored by their own unique geography, history and culture.

They are doing what we would do in their place, only with more patience and wisdom. I am reminded of the joke of the Old Bull and the Young Bull standing on a hill top looking down at a herd of cows. The US being the young bull in this fable, and China the old.

If US policy is one of strategic stasis, then it means we must keep putting more and more energy into the system, creating a pressure cooker effect as the relative balance of power shifts between the US and China in the region (and in general). But unless China collapses internally ( a distinct possibility that they are very aware of), at some point the pressure cooker will blow.

A policy of strategic evolution is more appropriate. But there are no right answers, and any tradeoffs, regardless of how wise or reasonable, will be labeled by many as "appeasement." Usually those who throw out terms like "appeasement" and "you can't abandon our allies" as rationale for sustaining strategic stasis are also closely related to the chicken hawks who will clamor for war over some small incident that challenges those rigid policies.

[OUTLAW 09]

A soaring dollar could set off a currency war with China — via @TheFiscalTimes

http://read.bi/1Tn3daY

pic.twitter.com/6BFhm2v7PI

With their almost total collapse of their stock exchanges coupled with the devaluation yesterday China is actually struggling to get their economy under control and coupled with a sudden and not anticipated slow down in exports--they are struggling regardless of how they color the picture.

It will get worse when the Fed starts their rise of the US interest rates which will further strengthen the global USD.