The concept of parking a country's main defensive force, the F35s, 10,000km away across the Pacific Ocean, is a novel idea for little Singapore. Lack of airspace is a primary concern, fear of being destroyed on the ground is another. Parking the F35s in the safety of distance, and as a second strike to ward off potential enemy is a preventive strategy, provided the second strike can come in time and not meaningless.
The Americans have been using this strategy for decades, parking many of their offensive weapons in military bases all over the world but with different assumptions. Their intent and mission are different. They want to park their weapons as near as possible to their enemy to gain a first strike advantage. They have moved more bombers and troops to the island of Guam, to be near China instead of further away, even knowing that Guam is within range of Chinese missiles. They are also enlarging their strike capability in the Philippines.
The potential enemies of Singapore now have equally advanced weapons and aircraft to attack Singapore. Hypothetically, if an enemy strikes first, all the air bases of Singapore would no longer be serviceable to receive the F35s. And if such a day happened, would the F35s be back in time to be of any help? 10km across the Pacific Ocean needs how many air to air refueling processes? How many days would it need to fly back, assuming they do island hopping to return? By then the war is over and flying to Singapore would mean they have nowhere to land, let alone dropping bombs onto Singapore now occupied by the enemy. Dropping bombs on enemy homeland without the fuel to return, and no place to return and land is suicidal.
In view of the changing circumstances, this concept of parking in Mars needs a rethink. Singapore's best defensive strategy is to be friends and on good terms with its neighbours. And if really there is a need to park the F35s out of the island, Thailand or even China would be a better bet. At least it is a more realistic and practical option than parking in Mars.
What do you think? Is this a meaningful and workable military strategy? Or parking in America is actually a condition set by the Americans for selling F35s to Singapore and not a conscious choice of Singapore?
Caveat, we are laymen and are not able to think like military thinkers and strategists. Also we are not super talents with super thinking and planning ability.
3 comments:
All that is becoming obsolete, stealth or otherwise. China has nuclear missiles, the DF 5C, with a range of 20,000 km, that can hit anything anywhere in the USA and any USA military base overseas. Nowhere is safe. It is a missile with 'global strike range' not needing submarines, warships or planes to get closer to targets to deliver.
China also has thousands of small fishing vessels that can be converted to military use. And lest we forget, China has such overwhelming manufacturing overcapacity to be tapped into in times of war.
China is obviously really well prepared for any war, cold or hot. And with Russia and North Korea in its corner, the power shift is obvious. But China is not overplaying its card. What Xi is saying about its display of weapons during the Victory Day Parade is that those are just deterrents against enemies thinking that China is still as backward as during the opium war era and can be threatened with few warships and cannons. More than that, Xi is warning that China will not bow to bullies, clear and unambiguous. In this world, there is only one country that is bullying everybody, and the message is targeting that particular country.
China has played its card exceedingly well by building up its unprecedented military deterrents, albeit at a fraction of the cost that some war mongering hegemons are spending on. Moreover, the control of rare earth exports has crippled the enemy's ability to make more weapons to target China and Trump knows this very well. This move is what the Chinese had been saying throughout history - 'To really kill the grass, you need to pull out the roots, otherwise when the spring wind blows, it will grow again'.
China's long-term thinking and long-term planning is bearing fruit.
To bring back the F35s in time to save Singapore in a war depends on many unknowns. First, the Americans must say yes and willing to provide the air to air refueling facilities, and American bases for intermediate stops. Friendly countries to give permission to access their air bases for refuelling and R and R. And the aircraft must reach here safely and not falling out of the sky on the way. And when here, after the mission, has a place to land safely.
The real purpose of buying the F35s is not really to defend or fight Singapore enemy. It is more for "ego" enhancement, pay protection money and also line someone pocket. Our army is just a job creation department to keep our young employed.
Post a Comment