Re: Future of USN



Derek Lyons wrote:
"Arved Sandstrom" <dcest61@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

I also happen to believe that in the 21st century, with networking
and advanced command & control and intelligence, that my camp makes
more sense. It certainly offers a lot less juicy targets.

It also offers a hell of a lot less capability, and is designed to be
defeated in detail long before it can amass sufficient force to
actually accomplish anything.

No, you _think_ that. It's an opinion.

Simply the fact that you think a force composed of more but individually
less capable units needs more time to amass than the force with less but
individually more capable units is already an unnecessary assumption.

But of course *your* camp's view is that US super-ships are virtually
invulnerable.

Of course, in your camp, your small units are not only invulnerable,
they're also undetectable, omniscient, and omnipresent.

Did I say any of that? No. I expect those small units to be vulnerable
(individually more so than a more capable unit), detectable (no worse than a
larger unit, but not necessarily much better), and absolutely not omniscient
(otherwise just one of them would be sufficient).

Omnipresent? As far as these forces go we are mostly talking the littorals
here of a single coastal state, and also ground units and installations on
or near the coast of that state. Where else are you expecting them to be?

If you truly believe yourself to be the amateur that you claimed to be
upthread, you just might try thinking and listening rather than
posturing and blowing smoke.

D.

Oh, I'm listening. I also do a great deal of reading. As for posturing, the
core thought I have put forward is simply that I don't think the USN is
invincible, and it's going to have more problems in future in certain spots.
As an example, I'm absolutely not the only person who believes that if in
2020 or 2030, that if a hot situation transpires between China and Taiwan at
that time, that the USN could have pretty serious problems in effectively
intervening in support of Taiwan. That may be an unpopular view to some in
this NG, but that doesn't make it posturing or blowing smoke.

AHS
--
Hanging one scoundrel, it appears, does not deter the next. Well, what
of it? The first one is at least disposed of. -- H.L. Mencken


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