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Its as if someone believes we no longer need the Navy. Wonder if that's true?

bdcrazy 4y ago
Quantity has a quality all of its own when low cost and low tech munitions can overwhelm and out compete high cost high tech war machines. Also, wars with fewer to no human casualties could be fantastic for the defense industries world wide. The drones take out the other drones and all it takes is getting the government to pay contractors to build them, whether they are effective or not.
- pmontra 4y ago
  Where do you launch those drones from? Continental USA are far away from everything.
- owenmarshall 4y ago
  Problem is, the incentives seem hopelessly misaligned to let that happen. The military-industrial complex seems perfectly designed to go after very large and expensive projects. They’re great for creating jobs, keeping the politicians happy. Shareholders love it. And the military is far from innocent: I’ve heard that a common sentiment held by career officers is that you want to always attach yourself to the new, big project, as that’s how you advance up the ranks. Commanding a drone squad doesn’t make you a general.
arghandugh 4y ago
The foundation of American air power? Seriously?
exabrial 4y ago
It is keeping Putin from nuking Ukraine right now. Aegis ensures his first strike will not be completely successful, while Ohio/Virginia ensure that the counter punch would be so painful it’s not worth starting the fight. Force projection is incredibly important, as long as we keep our leaders in check.
deleted 4y ago
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bfgoodrich 4y ago
[dead]
anon84873628 4y ago
Well, I don't see how that could be true. The article suggests it is a bias from top command and recent history in the Middle East. Because a strong navy is crucial to US interest. A staggering amount of the world's petroleum products flow through the Straight of Hormuz. Likewise, the majority of China's energy imports and manufactured exports flow through the tiny Straight of Malacca (or else around the countless other islands of Indonesia). If the straight is blocked, they have about 90 days of fuel reserves before rationing begins. That's why China needs force projection in the South China Sea if they want any hope for a Taiwan invasion to be successful. More generally, US protection of international shipping is supposedly the basis for the petrodollar system. When it comes to Russia, defending the GIUK gap is also crucial...
- euroderf 4y ago
  They've got the Silk Road Initiative going, but it seems teat it could not even begin to replace sea traffic in a crunch.
  - anon84873628 4y ago
    Indeed. The silk road and new pipelines to Central Asian oilfields are crucial for China to diversify its energy sources, given the naval realities in the Pacific. So the western province of Xinjiang has become crucial... and hence the Uyghur genocide :-( The CCP, from its perspective, can't risk having a potentially rebellious ethnic group in such a critical region.

Quantity has a quality all of its own when low cost and low tech munitions can overwhelm and out compete high cost high tech war machines. Also, wars with fewer to no human casualties could be fantastic for the defense industries world wide. The drones take out the other drones and all it takes is getting the government to pay contractors to build them, whether they are effective or not.

pmontra 4y ago
Where do you launch those drones from? Continental USA are far away from everything.
owenmarshall 4y ago
Problem is, the incentives seem hopelessly misaligned to let that happen. The military-industrial complex seems perfectly designed to go after very large and expensive projects. They’re great for creating jobs, keeping the politicians happy. Shareholders love it. And the military is far from innocent: I’ve heard that a common sentiment held by career officers is that you want to always attach yourself to the new, big project, as that’s how you advance up the ranks. Commanding a drone squad doesn’t make you a general.

arghandugh 4y ago

The foundation of American air power? Seriously?

exabrial 4y ago

It is keeping Putin from nuking Ukraine right now. Aegis ensures his first strike will not be completely successful, while Ohio/Virginia ensure that the counter punch would be so painful it’s not worth starting the fight. Force projection is incredibly important, as long as we keep our leaders in check.

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

bfgoodrich 4y ago

[dead]

anon84873628 4y ago

Well, I don't see how that could be true. The article suggests it is a bias from top command and recent history in the Middle East. Because a strong navy is crucial to US interest. A staggering amount of the world's petroleum products flow through the Straight of Hormuz. Likewise, the majority of China's energy imports and manufactured exports flow through the tiny Straight of Malacca (or else around the countless other islands of Indonesia). If the straight is blocked, they have about 90 days of fuel reserves before rationing begins. That's why China needs force projection in the South China Sea if they want any hope for a Taiwan invasion to be successful. More generally, US protection of international shipping is supposedly the basis for the petrodollar system. When it comes to Russia, defending the GIUK gap is also crucial...

euroderf 4y ago
They've got the Silk Road Initiative going, but it seems teat it could not even begin to replace sea traffic in a crunch.
- anon84873628 4y ago
  Indeed. The silk road and new pipelines to Central Asian oilfields are crucial for China to diversify its energy sources, given the naval realities in the Pacific. So the western province of Xinjiang has become crucial... and hence the Uyghur genocide :-( The CCP, from its perspective, can't risk having a potentially rebellious ethnic group in such a critical region.