Hypothetical War : Contest For The Spratleys

[futon]

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Edited April 28, 2023 by futon

[futon]

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Edited April 28, 2023 by futon

[futon]

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Edited April 28, 2023 by futon

[X-Files]

Who could have predicted NZ would become a hex on the gameboard?????

 

New Zealand intelligence report accuses China of ‘foreign interference’ 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/aug/11/new-zealand-intelligence-report-accuses-china-of-foreign-interference

[X-Files]

Chinese ships block Philippine vessels in South China Sea | Watch (msn.com)

 

 

China Is Harboring a Mysterious New Secret on This Tropical Island 
https://dnyuz.com/2023/08/18/china-is-harboring-a-mysterious-new-secret-on-this-tropical-island/

 

US, Japan and Australia plan joint navy drills in disputed South China Sea, Philippine officials say
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/nation-world/story/2023-08-20/us-japan-and-australia-plan-joint-navy-drills-in-disputed-south-china-sea-philippine-officials-say

[X-Files]

 

[X-Files]

NEW DELHI: The Navy now has 68 warships and vessels on order, collectively worth an estimated Rs 2 lakh crore, in line with India’s continuing quest to build a stronger blue-water force to protect its huge geostrategic interests as well as counter China’s ever-expanding footprint in Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
The 132-warship Navy, with 143 aircraft and 130 helicopters, also has the initial approval or ‘acceptance of necessity’ (AoN) for another eight next-generation corvettes, nine submarines, five survey vessels and two multi-purpose vessels to be built in India in the coming years..

Read more at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/103739450.cms?from=mdr&utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

[X-Files]

The Biden administration is in talks with Vietnam over an agreement for the largest arms transfer in history between the ex-Cold War adversaries, according to two people familiar with a deal that could irk China and sideline Russia.

 

A package, which could come together within the next year, could consummate the newly upgraded partnership between Washington and Hanoi with the sale of a fleet of American F-16 fighter jets as the Southeast Asian nation faces tensions with Beijing in the disputed South China Sea, one of the people said.

 

The deal is still in its early stages, with exact terms yet to be worked out, and may not come together. But it was a key topic of Vietnamese-US official talks in Hanoi, New York and Washington over the past month.

 

US in talks for largest-ever sale of arms, fighter jets to Vietnam - The Jerusalem Post (jpost.com)

[Mistral]

12 hours ago, X-Files said:

The Biden administration is in talks with Vietnam over an agreement for the largest arms transfer in history between the ex-Cold War adversaries, according to two people familiar with a deal that could irk China and sideline Russia.

 

A package, which could come together within the next year, could consummate the newly upgraded partnership between Washington and Hanoi with the sale of a fleet of American F-16 fighter jets as the Southeast Asian nation faces tensions with Beijing in the disputed South China Sea, one of the people said.

 

The deal is still in its early stages, with exact terms yet to be worked out, and may not come together. But it was a key topic of Vietnamese-US official talks in Hanoi, New York and Washington over the past month.

 

US in talks for largest-ever sale of arms, fighter jets to Vietnam - The Jerusalem Post (jpost.com)

I thought the largest arms transfer of US arms to these commies was back in 75🤪

[X-Files]

On 9/25/2023 at 1:01 AM, Mistral said:

I thought the largest arms transfer of US arms to these commies was back in 75🤪

The past is a foreign country. They do things differently there.

[RETAC21]

Another counter to play with:

https://www.afr.com/world/asia/taiwan-reveals-first-domestically-made-submarine-in-defence-milestone-20230928-p5e8fo

[Josh]

Rumor is that it’s LIB instead of LAB, though I’ve seen no direct statement to that effect.

[RETAC21]

16 hours ago, Josh said:

Rumor is that it’s LIB instead of LAB, though I’ve seen no direct statement to that effect.

LIB? LAB?

[futon]

LIB is Lithium-Ion Battery

LAB is Lead-Acid Battery

[RETAC21]

On 9/29/2023 at 12:20 PM, futon said:

LIB is Lithium-Ion Battery

LAB is Lead-Acid Battery

Thanks! Japan is the only country to have an advanced enough LiB to be used on a sub, so there's that.

[X-Files]

On 9/28/2023 at 3:59 AM, RETAC21 said:

Another counter to play with:

 

 

Awww, you played on my old joke like in a game of Dominos.  Consider yourself internationally-hugged. 😘

[Josh]

I’m seriously doubting the lithium rumor. The rest of the boat seems very conventional and not unlike their existing Dutch subs, outside the diagonal rudders. Weps and fire control are presumably BSY-1 adjacent.

[lucklucky]

Another one coming with Lithium.

https://www.navalnews.com/event-news/cne-2023/2023/06/li-ion-batteries-are-underwater-game-changer-says-u212-nfs-progamme-manager/

Edited October 6, 2023 by lucklucky

[RETAC21]

Article on Spanish about the Li batteries:

https://armada.defensa.gob.es/archivo/rgm/2023/03/RGMMarzo2023Parte07.pdf

and future developments

[X-Files]

BEIJING, Oct 9 (Reuters) - China on Monday warned the Philippines against further "provocations" at an atoll in the South China Sea, saying such acts had violated Chinese territorial sovereignty, contravened international law and disrupted regional peace and stability.

The Philippines' territory is defined by a series of international treaties, and the atoll has never been part of its territory, the Chinese foreign ministry said in a strongly worded statement, referring to the atoll as Renai Reef.

 

China urges Philippines to end 'provocations' in South China Sea | Reuters

[futon]

 

[Tim the Tank Nut]

I can't help but think that then the penny drops this is going to be X-Files' most prolific thread ever.

I also wonder what governments learned from Hamas about keeping secrets.  Does China have the ability to set up an invasion force using paper rather than electrons?

China is getting more and more forward about that Philippine LST that's rusting away on that atoll.

[Josh]

32 minutes ago, Tim the Tank Nut said:

I can't help but think that then the penny drops this is going to be X-Files' most prolific thread ever.

I also wonder what governments learned from Hamas about keeping secrets.  Does China have the ability to set up an invasion force using paper rather than electrons?

China is getting more and more forward about that Philippine LST that's rusting away on that atoll.

The problem with an invasion is that the prep requires a huge movement of troops and ships that can't be readily concealed. China could certainly stage an out of the blue strike against Taiwan and US forces in the region, but it can't assemble an invasion force without it being rather obvious.

[TrustMe]

1 hour ago, Tim the Tank Nut said:

I can't help but think that then the penny drops this is going to be X-Files' most prolific thread ever.

I also wonder what governments learned from Hamas about keeping secrets.  Does China have the ability to set up an invasion force using paper rather than electrons?

China is getting more and more forward about that Philippine LST that's rusting away on that atoll.

 

In Argentina in 1982 the military moved all orders for the Falklands invasion by paper by motorcycle courier only. 

[Josh]

I assume China has been continuously updating its Taiwan invasion plans since 1949. I’m sure it wouldn’t require a lot of messaging or documentation. But physically mobilizing a landing force would almost impossible to mask. if nothing else, roughly a million tons of ferry and car carrier displacement would have to be taken out of service for the landing force.