undefined | Better HN

0 pointsenraged_camel9y ago0 comments

>>Of all the countries in the world, China is 1 of 2 that are actually capable of standing up to US military might, and the only real advantage the US has is a more robust intelligence system via satellites.

Umm, no. Modern military power is all about the ability to project that power, and that means aircraft carriers. The USA has 11. China has only 1 (and it's an old, shitty one).

0 comments

ceejayoz9y ago

Carriers may be the battleships of WWII.

https://warisboring.com/the-u-s-navy-s-big-mistake-building-...

> The influential U.S. Adm. Hyman Rickover shared this view. In a 1982 congressional hearing, legislators asked him how long American carriers would survive in an actual war. Rickover’s response? “Forty-eight hours,” he said.

CountSessine9y ago

That's a terrifying assessment, and tells us that if there was a war, we don't really know what anyone would be fighting it with. Perhaps the only thing we can feel good about is that if the US has been wasting its military budget on aircraft carriers, China appears to be pretty eager to emulate this mistake.

foota9y ago

Power projection is more important for their capabilities in smaller conflict, esp against nations with less submarine capability. Many strategists believe carrier groups are at a heavy disadvantage against modern submarines.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse