US Navy Destroyer to Run Spratly Gauntlet within next 24 Hours

[CptTrips]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/26/us-southchinasea-usa-idUSKCN0SK2AC20151026

God's speed to those who put themselves in harms way.

,
Wab

[Gman]

This would be one of the time I would think the LCS would come in useful, especially the faster variant.  If they decide to shoot, it won`t matter what ship it is if it`s alone - IMO running at 48-50 knts through there woulnd`t be the worst way to go about it - they don`t have anything that can catch it, there newer stealthy missile boats are close, but not close enough. 

IMO their usual behavior and past behavior with other nearby Asian nations is to bump/ram/annoy/etc - speed is the best way to avoid this, as again, if it turns into a shootout, anything other than the retired Battleships, and even then, would be in major, major trouble all alone and at close range anyway.

I wish them good luck as well, going to be interesting...

[Karnak]

And China reacts predictably:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/south-china-sea-us-sovereignty-challenge-provokes-anger-in-beijing_562f5d72e4b06317990f42fa?cps=gravity_5032_4478834756028392688

[DaveBB]

Do you all really think that we've been playing Aces High, World of Tanks, and World of Warships for fun?  No! The US Government has been training us as an elite force of drone commanders.  They are going to put digitized receivers in all of our military equipment and then for $14.95 we will fight the Chinese while boosting our economy.

Trust me, crazier things have happened....

[Arlo]

[DaveBB]

Didn't we interfere with an Asian country's economy about 74 years ago?  Embargo and sanctions and such.  If memory serves me, they didn't take it very well.  Not saying they were right, but they are prone to overreacting.

[Arlo]

I'd be willing to bet big money that China won't bomb Pearl Harbor in my lifetime.

[CptTrips]

Glad to see no shots were fired this time.
However, the US Navy needs to continue periodic transits to enforce their rights of navigation.
The Chinese will have to eventually react or lose face.

It really wasn't this first time I was expecting something bad would happen.  I'm sure both sides were monitoring events very closely and everyone was very careful. 

My concern is what happens  the 3rd or 4th time when command and control might not be so tight and someone gets sloppy (on either side).

-Wab

[Karnak]

Not just our right of navigation, but everybody's.  China is claiming so much of the South China Sea that in some cases a Filipino fisherman who launches his boat off of the beach is, according to China, violating Chinese territorial waters by the time he clears the breakers.

[CptTrips]

Not just our right of navigation, but everybody's.  China is claiming so much of the South China Sea that in some cases a Filipino fisherman who launches his boat off of the beach is, according to China, violating Chinese territorial waters by the time he clears the breakers.

It would be nice to see an Aussie destroyer next time.  Then a Philippine.  Then South Korean. etc.  That way we don't just get pointed at as trying to start a fight like typical Amerikans.  We have to wipe everyone's butt,  and then we'll get called war-mongers. Often by the people's who's butt's have just been wiped.  A simple thank you would suffice.

Wab

[bustr]

The current international law of the sea about man made islands. Because it's manmade you do not suddenly gain control of the internal waters around that island. Otherwise, China could build an island just outside of international water distance off Malibu and declare SoCal water space their territory.

China is taking the old cold war game of warship chicken the US and USSR used to play to a complete new level. They are playing territorial land chicken. Wonder what China would do if the surrounding countries with US help built their own islands a few miles away from each of the Chinese islands? Unfortunately at this time only China has the money to partake in such public works projects. The airstrips and ship harbors on each of those islands places the countries in the SC Sea at risk.

Does anyone know if oil reserves or strategic mineral deposits have been located recently in the SC Sea basin? At the rate China is growing, they will pollute half the world into submission.

[Karnak]

The Philippine government thanked us.

Remember, the Philippines are very weak compared to China.  In that region only the US, Japan and, maybe, South Korea and Australia can push back against China.  Japan is also pushing back against Chinese expanding claims which has lead to a lot of anti-Japanese stuff in China, including insinuations by China that Okinawa is, historically, Chinese territory and that unless Japan bows to China's demands China might press its claim on Okinawa.

[CptTrips]

It is believed there are petroleum reserves in that area, but I don't know if it has been publicly admitted.

-Wab

[bustr]

China needs petroleum that they are not beholding to the west or middle east for. Then they don't need to play nice with anyone.

[CptTrips]

The Philippine government thanked us.

Remember, the Philippines are very weak compared to China.  In that region only the US, Japan and, maybe, South Korea and Australia can push back against China.  Japan is also pushing back against Chinese expanding claims which has lead to a lot of anti-Japanese stuff in China, including insinuations by China that Okinawa is, historically, Chinese territory and that unless Japan bows to China's demands China might press its claim on Okinawa.

Then they should put a boat in harms way.  We can cover it with air.  But there needs to be other flags involved in this besides ours. 

If the heavy fighting starts, sure, we'll have to carry the weight, but this part is political.  China is already trying to spin this as unilateral American aggression. 

They need to demonstrate that every single country in the region is standing with the US in this with more than just words.  Every week a different nations navy needs to buzz by in rotation.

-Wab