Posted on Jun 1, 2018
Time to Launch a Combined Maritime Task Force for the Pacific
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I think this idea has a lot of merit. It works at both the operational and strategic levels of conflict. I hope we pursue it to show some solidarity among the nations impacted by China's aggressive military growth policy in the SCS. To get Australia, Japan, Korea, Philippines, & Indonesian navies directly engaged, and Thailand, New Zealand, Vietnam, etc to participate when they can, would send a large signal to China and the world.
Time to Launch a Combined Maritime Task Force for the Pacific
Posted from warontherocks.com
Strategy
China
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 6
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Maybe yes, maybe no. Reagan won the Cold War by keeping up the pressure on the Soviet Union. Basically, we outspent them and we got away with it because we could. Deploying a significant task force to the Pacific would keep up the pressure on the Chinese in much the same way at a time when they can ill afford to keep spending on defense. However, neither can we. Although our economy appears to be coming out of the doldrums, it has no resilience, not like the good old days.
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Col Joseph Lenertz
Agree Jack, but the nature of a combined multinational task force means two things: First, we're not footing the bill for anything except our own ships' participation, so it brings down cost relative to a USN-only task force. Second, it sends a much stronger signal of solidarity in the region and to the other strong players on China's border (Russia and India), that China is the aggressor here.
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PO1 Gery Bastiani
And I hope if we partner up with the smaller countries that they can hold their own. Not like South Vietnam when we turned over to them to defend their country they couldn't do it, sad to say
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i think we pretty much have this, informally or even by treaty in some cases.
the USN does the heavy lifting because we have the moxy, the ships, and the know-how.
the smaller nations provide what they can in the way of coastal/territorial defense. then add what they can in the way of ships without training wheels when they can. like the Aussies in the Indian Ocean and the Horn of Africa and throughout Oceana. the Japanese and Koreans do what they can, where they can.
but keep in mind the Japanese have their hands tied by the Constitution we foisted on them at the end of the Big Deuce. most other nations in the area are hampered by their economies. it takes a hefty bag of greenbacks to pay for a global, blue water navy.
the USN does the heavy lifting because we have the moxy, the ships, and the know-how.
the smaller nations provide what they can in the way of coastal/territorial defense. then add what they can in the way of ships without training wheels when they can. like the Aussies in the Indian Ocean and the Horn of Africa and throughout Oceana. the Japanese and Koreans do what they can, where they can.
but keep in mind the Japanese have their hands tied by the Constitution we foisted on them at the end of the Big Deuce. most other nations in the area are hampered by their economies. it takes a hefty bag of greenbacks to pay for a global, blue water navy.
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I think it is a great idea. We need to integrate the countries as a show of force and unity. The countries need to feel they are not alone in this unified objective. We don't want countries to make unilateral deals with the Chinese. The Philippines has relinquished sovereignty of her islands to the Chinese.
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