‘Frank Kendall, the Pentagon's chief weapons buyer, told lawmakers that
when it comes to "technological superiority, the Department of Defence
is being challenged in ways that I have not seen for decades,
particularly in the Asia-Pacific region."’ AFP
China is making big strides in areas of anti ship missiles, in new
stealth fighters, hypersonic aircraft and other hi tech weaponry that
the Americans are still guessing in the dark, and America could lose its
pole position if it does not response effectively to the challenge.
This kind of scenario is unthinkable a decade ago and a big joke 30
years ago. The Americans would laugh themselves silly to imagine a poor
communist country aeons behind in technology, and very poor
economically, could even build an aircraft or submarine let alone
challenging American military superiority in the most technologically
advanced weaponry.
What Kendall told the House Armed Services Committee is no longer a joke
and is being taken very seriously. For a start, China’s A2AD or anti
area access denial capabilities are a crippling blow to the American
aircraft carrier groups. This would drastically deny their ability to
strike at China’s mainland without posing an unacceptable risk of total
annihilation of the fleet. The Americans could not longer strike China
with impunity and the comfort of safety from being attack.
What is making matter worse is that going on a head on arms race with
China is going bankrupt the American Treasury on three grounds. It has
very little money left and has to rely heavily on printing more paper
money and the consequences of such a reckless adventure are horrendous.
The next point is that the cost of maintaining the PLA and all its
weaponry is peanuts compare to what it would cost the Americans. It was
claimed that the interest alone on the T Bills that the Americans are
paying to the Chinese is enough to keep the whole PLA happy.
Then there is the incomparable cost of soldiers and machine. The cost of
maintaining a GI could support 100 PLA soldiers, an American fighter
plane costs 10 to 20 times more than a Chinese aircraft. Added on to
this, to maintain the kind of overall superiority, for every piece of
equipment or soldier the PLA has, the Americans need three pieces to
keep a healthy balance and advantage.
In short, an arms race would simply bankrupt the Americans. The
Americans cannot afford it. The Chinese only need a fleet or two to keep
peace in the East and South China Seas. The Americans have to keep
fleets in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, the Indian Ocean and the Pacific
Ocean.
The high spending days of the Americans is over. The strategy of
maintaining a superior military force world wide based on the most
advanced and expensive weaponry is just untenable. The Chinese only need
to keep building on what they have and the Americans need to build
three times as many and 100 times more in cost.
How long can the Americans stay on to this course of military expansion
and expenditure to maintain an offensive military strategy to be able to
hit at any country?
Can the Americans afford it? China only needs a
cheaper defensive strategy, to keep the enemies at away with no wild
ambition to be the policeman or gangster of the world.
4 comments:
1 US pays PRC over USD100 million every month in interest money.
2 Shock and awe could come from the Chinese coast to any naval vessels or aircraft approaching with ill intent.
3 In one major exercise, the PLA moved vital assets 1,000 km inland away from the coast.
4 Missiles are cheap compared to USN assets: each ship costs anything from 100 million upwards and most ships cost at least 500 million.
5 PLA's missiles out-range all USN aircraft and missiles.
6 American air-sea battle is still a concept and has not been practised yet.
As a defensive force, China does not need expensive attack ships and aircraft. It only needs a lot of cheap missiles to shoot down aircraft and ships, especially the huge aircraft carriers. It is like throwing mortar bombs into big complexes and landed properties.
Weapons technology is not rocket science. The AK47 is a machine gun developed by a russian with little engineering knowledge. the chinese invented the fireworks way before the cowboys even existed. the chinese would have conquered the world many centuries ago if that has been their ambition but instead they built a wall to keep barbarians out. The cowboys can stand aside if china pursue the weapon trade. they are silly to lead them into this trade by agitating them repeatedly. Make peace not war.
Good insight RB and to also know that our powderful SAF is in the F35 program really make sense of funding the Uncle Sam. tsk tsk tsk
Perhaps for US to cut cost they should start to buy weapons from China.
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