Comments on: Impeccable Impeded

By: More on the Incident in the South China Sea

More on the Incident in the South China Sea — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 13:36:29 +0000

[...] have been further developments in the incident that took place in the South China Sea I posted on yesterday. China and the U. S. have filed conflicting complaints over the matter: BEIJING (Reuters) – China [...]

By: Rick DeMent

Rick DeMent — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 11:25:33 +0000

Heh. Do we even have battleships (of any class) in service?

Hence Bearnard's exposure of Zelsdorf's woeful lack of knowledge of things military, or at least navy. These day's there are only two kinds of navel vessels; submarines and targets.

By: GM

GM — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 22:11:53 +0000

Nope, no battleships anymore. I guess the biggest ships we have, other than aircraft carriers, are our cruisers/ destroyers.

I guess the idea of a battleship could come back around if we start fielding railguns.

By: Steve Verdon

Steve Verdon — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 20:39:26 +0000

Well, they would probably welcome an opportunity to visit the gift shop, I guess.

Heh. Do we even have battleships (of any class) in service?

By: Bernard Finel

Bernard Finel — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 18:17:28 +0000

I wonder how the Chinese (or any other potential belligerent nation) would react to a surveillance vessel being accompanies by an Iowa class battleship.

Well, they would probably welcome an opportunity to visit the gift shop, I guess.

By: sam

sam — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 17:47:23 +0000

It happened all the time during the Cold War, of course.

Yeah. No one really knows how many US and Soviet subs bumped into each other playing deepsea tag during those years.

By: Zelsdorf Ragshaft III

Zelsdorf Ragshaft III — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 17:19:57 +0000

I wonder how the Chinese (or any other potential belligerent nation) would react to a surveillance vessel being accompanies by an Iowa class battleship. It would make for a fine game of chicken.

By: DC Loser

DC Loser — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 16:46:31 +0000

I wonder what our reaction would be if the Chinese started flying reconnaissance missions out fo Cuba, up and down the East Coast, close to places like Jacksonville, Savannah, Norfolk, etc., and send surveillance ships close to our 12 mile limit close by our submarine bases?

By: Bernard Finel

Bernard Finel — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 16:35:20 +0000

This kind of thing isn't particularly uncommon, though this seems a touch more serious that usual. It happened all the time during the Cold War, of course. We also had the EP-3 incident with China back in 2001, which didn't seem to imply anything broader.

If you put surveillance platforms close enough to actually surveil another country, you sort of have to expect a certain amount of harassment even if you are in international waters.

By: DC Loser

DC Loser — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 16:30:54 +0000

Eight years ago, about the same time a new U.S. Administration came into office, a US Navy EP-3 reconnaissance aircraft collided with a Chinese PLAANAF F-8 fighter. Nearly the same place (off Hainan Island). I don't know if there's anything to the timing with regard to a new administration or to the location. Hainan is chock full of PLAN bases, some very sensitive (submarines). I just hope we don't repeat what happened 8 years ago.

By: Wayne

Wayne — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 16:29:02 +0000

Many will test the new administration to see if they overact, have measure but firm response, or pretty much lack a backbone. Once administration disposition is establish others will try to take advantage of it. Nothing new.

By: odograph

odograph — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 16:16:57 +0000

I knew a guy who was on the helm of a US Navy ship when they hit a Soviet trawler, after a game of chicken. Maybe I shouldn't say when or where.

Opponents play these games. It's sad that when we have so much trade with China that one (or both) Navies are on a different page.

By: The Glittering Eye » Blog Archive » Foreign Policy Blogging at OTB (Updated)

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 16:00:09 +0000

[...] Impeccable Impeded [...]