Originally appeared at ZeroHedge
The US Secretary of the Navy has floated a controversial idea that could be a gamechanger in a region which China sees as its own sphere of influence.
Just ahead of the Biden administration’s entering the White House in January, Navy Secretary Kenneth Braithwaite this week urged for the reactivation of the Navy’s 1st Fleet in order to rapidly beef up American’s maritime might in order to challenge the growing Chinese military machine.
“We want to stand up a new numbered fleet. And we want to put that numbered fleet in the crossroads between the Indian and the Pacific oceans, and we’re really going to have an INDOPACOM footprint,” Braithwaite said at the Naval Submarine League’s annual symposium this week.
Currently the Navy’s 7th Fleet is responsible for covering a massive stretch of ocean from where it is based in Yokosuka, Japan. This includes the maritime expanse from waters corresponding to where the India-Pakistan border is, all the way to Hawaii.
The 7th Fleet has some 20,000 sailors under its immediate command operating anywhere from 50 to 70 ships and submarines, along with 150 Navy aircraft. As summarized in The Drive, a numbered fleet based possibly out of Singapore would make for a greater concentration of forces able to more rapidly and effectively respond to any conflict potentially involving China:
When the Navy shuttered 1st Fleet nearly 50 years ago, it established U.S. 3rd Fleet in its place. That fleet remains active today with its headquarters in San Diego, California. Decades later, the service further redrew its operational boundaries in the Pacific, limiting 3rd Fleet’s responsibilities to naval activities in the Eastern Pacific, while expanding the role of U.S. 7th Fleet, which is forward-deployed in Japan, to cover more of the Western Pacific. The 7th Fleet is also presently responsible for overseeing operations in the Indian Ocean.
“We can’t just rely on the 7th Fleet in Japan,” Braithwaite said, and crucially added, “We have to look to our other allies and partners like Singapore, like India, and actually put a numbered fleet where it would be extremely relevant if, God forbid, we were to ever to get in any kind of a dust-up.”
Navy Secretary Braithwaite headed to India soon; will discuss new fleet for Indo-Pacific. https://t.co/Q69gzBuUqd
— Richard Rossow (@RichardRossow) November 17, 2020
And here are the part of the comments that will no doubt raise eyebrows among PLA officials in Beijing:
“More importantly, it can provide a much more formidable deterrence. So we’re going to create the 1st Fleet, and we’re going to put it, if not Singapore right out of the chocks, we’re going to look to make it more expeditionary-oriented and move it across the Pacific until it is where our allies and partners see that it could best assist them as well as to assist us.”
He strongly suggested the change is already in the works, however it’s unclear the degree to which Christopher Miller, the new acting defense secretary, is involved or whether the plans will survive the presidential transition.
The ambitious suggestion is seen as yet more evidence the Pentagon is extremely worried over China’s rapidly expanding navy as well as perceived “aggression” in various corners of the globe, including even the Arctic, as Braithwaite specifically alluded to. According to a US Naval Institute transcript, he said at the start of the speech Tuesday:
“The Chinese have shown their aggressiveness around the globe. Having just come from the High North [where he previously served as U.S. Ambassador to Norway], Chinese presence in the Arctic is unprecedented. Most recently I was in a trip to the Far East: every single one of our allies and partners are concerned about how aggressive the Chinese have been. I would argue with anybody that not since the War of 1812 has the United States and our sovereignty been under the kind of pressures that we see today.”
Meanwhile, China’s state-run Global Times responded with this headline…
This also as China currently has two aircraft carriers in operation, with a third under construction.
Months ago the Pentagon issued its annual China Military Power report on China’s capabilities, which underscored that “China has already achieved parity with — or even exceeded — the United States in several military modernization areas.” It further noted that “The PRC has the largest navy in the world, with an overall battle force of approximately 350 ships and submarines including over 130 major surface combatants,” the report said.
While the number of total ships possessed by the PLA Navy is actually higher than that of the United States, it remains that the US Navy has 21 total aircraft carriers, among these 11 large nuclear-powered fleet carriers, which creates clear maritime superiority also in terms of tonnage. Pentagon leaders have recently sought to assure that China will ultimately “never close the gap” in terms of naval power.
Exactly what I have recommended. A formidable tremendous new US Navy deterrence in a show of force out from a position of strength against our most aggressive hostile alien monster enemy whose only wish is to do an innocent American harm.
Yes my friend! Now or never. USA as Global leader must spend another zillion of dollars to show those worthless Ching Chongs who is the boss! https://media4.giphy.com/media/EzOOp3TOYZ2pi/giphy.gif
As usual we see stupid comments like Yours.
It always comes from people, which hardly makes monery themself as well as we and USA should give money to people, which mainly by own reasons, hardly work and insist in staying like that.
This week the dollar again collapsed and the price for Rubels, Rial and Liras are skyhigh. Here quantity seemes to be a succes. You fill a parambilator with Your kind of almost money and come home with a bread or teoo. Soon You have to have a truck for it.
Someone told me USA are buyuing those counterfit money for dollars, then makes it into toilert paper and then sell toiletpaper back for dollars.
Roumers also say, that Joe Biden will support that kind of production and sales printing Trump on the recycled paper.
lol ;-)
Thats not what it is about at all. Its an administrative change and an update probatly with more missiles, drones and tech.
USA partly has lost harbours.
So far its also only a proposal.
I can see it might be a good idea. As written the Pacific is a mighty big ocean, and it is true China is expanding.
WW1=WW2=WW3
Its almost like these wars are part of a bigger plan, but that would be conspiracy theory.
Hindus has 4 and 5 too:)
US military budget gonna be 1 trillion soon…LMFAO
Yes but its a kind of cheeting too. All the currencies in the world are going up by the 1-2% inflation, so all git less value.
So its more like adjusting.
“cheeting”??? = Cheating or cheering ? I’m guessing cheering.
The thing is they do have national debt of $26.70 trillion. China/Japan/etc hold US debts as well 6.3 trillion. Debt don’t just go away because you don’t like it. The funny thing is in 2020 there wasn’t much of increase in economic activity in US (around the world for that matter), yet they printed 2.5 trillion which more than half of it when to big companies. https://datalab.usaspending.gov/federal-covid-funding/
“U.S. debt is so big because Congress continues both deficit spending and tax cuts. If steps are not taken, the ability for the U.S. to pay back its debt will come into question, affecting the global economy.” Cutting spending and raising taxes, is something that US have to look at or this debt just gonna grow bigger and bigger.
BTW if you didn’t understand my joke about 1 trillion… they are willing to spend more money to build more ships…not that it would just add up to their debts but also it would cost more debts to fix ships and pay the kids on the ships.
inflation happens around the year…you can estimate it, but things change.
2.Eisenhower’s “Military-Industrial Complex” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gg-jvHynP9Y
So what. We all know there are that kind of complex as well as many others.
I will not recommend reforms but limitations like fx Vestager try to do in EU. I also recommend all to be a shareholder. I am in small amounts and then gets the profit from my investments.
Its about needs. And who are the helpers. They are right here. Yesterday I saw Russia now eould like to spread out in Africa having more acces and bases.
And the comments here: Hip Hip we evel persons soon will take the world and the evil USA and the rest of us taking well care of our citicens by own produced wellfare, where less in % are poor then in Russia, Middle east and all over.
Thats where You give the weapon producers gunpowder Yourself.
…And if I go back to Eisenhower, where I actually has his memoires before this Youtube, the USA by Rosevelt and partly Churchill was blamed hard by STALIN because US as for WW1 tryed and hoped to be far away from any foolish world wars.
USA only was worrired for the Japanese expansion after they took Korea and Manchuria. They saw the Japanese expansions had no limits.
Thats where things changed into, what You and others blame them for. They didnt start WW1 or WW2. But after that they took over collapses and even helped many many by the Marshall plane giving the world something better and improved living standards.
So You have to add good sides to bad ones and we here saw the alternative by Stalin. Does T34s west of Berlin make no impression. New Jets? Millions of well armed soldiers. It was the Russians very much TOO making us need and ask for USA and we became well armed again.
I can add nukes. USSR didnt say – terrible nukes look at the devastatig results – no more. USSR copied them and made many of them as soon as poosible and ballistics too even Verner was in United.
So You have to relate to reasons for the militarycomplexes has too much power and try to expand by manipulation and You ahve to give them less reasons for making less gunpowder.
I dont think You respect the reasons for what those many weapons are made – and used.
I again this week will say, that You and others dont understand Our kind of economy and how its advanced as a economic complex which make small people like me feel well and safe from someone like You.
I see it right here, where many sometimes more then each week predict the dollar will collapse. You compare with Your own systems which base in many ways are totally upside down Yours. Our strong sides are Your week ones and Our weak sides should be Your strong sides, but we dont see that at all.
Russia made on socialisme should have been producing for the poor. They are very bad and ineffective producerers and the priorities is not even the poor. And they are very bad in producing things. After 100 years of Bolsjevisme, they not even has the educated people for itand everything of importance is handcuffed in a no move mode by Putins.
One of the good things in Kapitalism is motivation to work, because You at least gets more for Yourself, if You do. Its hardly there above the pizza or slashnik level. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/56770d3b560c30f13970751e88be4bacaeefe813ae9b720dca0045574b38f1a3.jpg
Jens not gonna lie…but fuk no I’m not gonna read whatever the fuk you said buddy sorry m8. BTW it is most likely – 40% of what you say is BS and 60% sucking dick.
I dont read for You. I read to confirm, You in most matters are barking mad, and we are not.
If we are or were as You insist we were collpased decades ago.
You dont uderstand vital mechanisms in the Kapitalistic system and its good and very producing parts.
Your base eeemes to be Engels in a not comåparable economy by Tzars and afterwards Bolsjevics.
USA – as supercapitalist is based on, You are rewarded by education and hard work paid pr hour.
And If You take Muahammed economics it also makes no sence. It has shown its forces for many 100s of years and hardly makes production. It just tax or plunder the ones, which do.
Facts are Our systems do work and debt is not only a bad thing and sometimes a very7 good one.
Currency and inflation are same thing. You dont understand, that debt partly can be declines by inflation(as well as the opposite, so You have to keep the opposite away and keep the plus balance even it look only as in us and gold under the pillow)
nah
Inflation do eat debt by the cirency lower in contrat to the income but alos can make things go oit of hand.
Your reflexions often dont have the results, Ypu predict. Its only true sometimes.
I will not vomment You debt calculation. They mainly are Your hostile wishes and not related to facts for western economy.
And Yes, they have budget problems, but those are not about money but political oppinions.
Its very much about systems. Your “raising taxes” are the usual way telling the result for saving is best. But that saving also lower activity and makes less jobs.
So You as a minimum has to add “waste”. Waste in energy cars driving 15 km pr liter, which can be constructed to drive 25 km. Waste is insolating Your house, so You spend less minet for warming uo or ciiling it.
And You can as saving You local currencey fx dollars compared to to others. We fx now has 50% of our electricity made by windpover. Its not only cheeper mist of the time, but we produce it ourself an dont have to pay for fossiles by Euro and Dollar.
I dont care about if its a trillion or not. USA nned to important systems to other systems, becaus´se they cant save or not as You say. Their problems are their limitations and its easy to have very good ideas then make them come through.
Its as I have written many times. USA need a changed way to do things and has Leadershifp for it. But USA didnt dare to get a Sanders, which see vital need and what to do.
Now they elected Biden, which mainly only is a repairman making many feel safe and calmer. Us outside most likely will like Biden, because we can rely. Rly on is very important.
…And I do use statistics for each country as well as for the world, so I am not “year around”.
3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5yhfU4R8NU
It somple math. If You raise Yor use from fx 100 to 110 and the inflation is 2 of the, the rreal nuber for raise is only about 108 and fx going from 100 to 102 is zero change.
I don’t understand all this apprehension on the part of the most powerful army in the galaxy, they are the only ones who have space force, their hypersonic missiles are several times faster than their enemies, all their weapon systems are more powerful than their competitors, their democratic political system is the best and most powerful that ever existed, they are so superior to their competitors that they can afford to send gender troops to the forefront, so why all this worry?
Yes, how ironic. The USA did their best to avoid beig in WW1 and WW2, but was forced too. No more Monroe doctrine.
…I would like a lost for, whats better then USA.
You come with the same dirt again and again but You have no alternatives. In stead You shouls help their goodpaerst and innovate them at home and in Your brain too.
I like China, because they make the cake ro eat bigger. I dont like the ones, which just say the non producing uniployed lazybums has to have parts of it, because they will no change to be more priductive themself. Thats theft.
Manic feminist depression,you know and they have the most robust election system outta this earth.