"China's Nightmare: Vietnam's New Killer Submarines" Topic

"After a brief respite, the South China Sea cauldron is starting to boil once again. This time, the hub-bub concerns not a close call between aircraft, nor dueling flotillas of coast guard vessels surrounding a mysterious oil exploration rig, nor the precarious resupply of a rusted out hulk of a ship grounded purposefully on an obscure reef

Rather, the current frenzy among journalists, strategists, and now legislators concerns a variety of new structures that Beijing has undertaken to build up in and around its occupied reefs in the Spratlys. These structures will likely include an airfield.

While this recent construction makes for interesting satellite photos, the impact on the actual naval balance of power seems quite minimal: limited to perhaps somewhat improved Chinese surveillance in the southern part of the South China Sea.

However, Beijing already enjoys relatively plentiful sources of intelligence regarding "maritime domain awareness" in this sensitive, contested domain, so the actual change is minimal. Lest anyone get too excited, all these reefs (and related structures) are easily turned into "glass" by any reasonably modern military power in the age of precision-guided weapons…"
Full article here
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Amicalement
Armand

Hope they get all 6 subs up and running ASAP. Let China know their expansionism will be resisted.

An unsinkable aircraft carrier at sea, far away from your own territory isn't "quite minimal" in terms of tactical, or strategic impact in the region.

Naval bases are being constructed too, that can support refueling of their short range missile boats, and radar surveillance coverage far from home.

Since Vietnam and the PRC share a land border, the naval side of any conflict between the two is unlikely to be decisive.
-Kle.

It would be important. The fight would spread, I'm afraid.

@Kle: Last time the Chinese tried to pick a fight with the Vietnamese, the PLA got their butts handed to them on a silver platter. I suspect that more than a few Chinese generals got their heads handed to them, too.

Granted, the PAVN had a whole lot of troops in service then that had lots of combat experience fighting Americans, but they still kicked the crap out of the Chinese.

IMHO just because Vietnam beat the Chinese over 35 years ago, doesn't mean the same thing would happen today. The Chinese army of today is nothing like the one then, just as the Vietnamese army.

Damon.

Yes, Viet Nam did well.

Do you actually believe that with the will to fight an real war, the PRC couldn't have worn them down, though?

They went in expecting an easy time of it, then when they didn't get it, they stopped.

PRC forces have improved since then, too.
-Kle.

Russian subs.

If they were actually Vietnam subs would they be made of bamboo?

Dan

Be afraid. Be very afraid …

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Dan