Heavy Torpedoes

Heavy torpedoes don't hit ships: they explode beneath their centerline and crack the hull.

The Cheonan is a corvette: a smaller local frigate. She was sunk by a a heavy torpedo launched by a North Korean sub. Or by a North Korean suicide sub.

North Korea apparently wants a lot of attention right now. They just asked South Korea, Japan, Australia, and the US to send dozens of warships into Chinese shipping lanes.

We, and South Korea, are not responding as they like. And the Chinese are pissed. The son of a god just provoked South Korea's allies to send an armada, or at least an intimidating number of warships, into the waters that China uses to get oil.

"Someron ees vry ronry, so vry ronry." But who is going to absorb the countless benighted, starving wretches of North Korea when this state falls?

This attack is a sad, murderous ploy to get China to send North Korea more money and supplies. But is the horrible humanitarian disaster of North Korea one that we--including the Chinese--even want to deal with?

I Find This Funny

I used to say that if the US Navy wanted to know where the first Chinese SSBN was, they need only put two sailors out on opposite sides of San Francisco bay with hollowed out styrofoam coffee cups and place the rims to the water: that should be enough to triangulate its position.

Apparently, those two sailors are going to need to move to Hawaii: the new Chinese SSBN is noisier than a 70's-era Soviet clunker.

The problem is, the Chinese diesel-electric submarines are very quiet and only getting stealthier. That ups their home advantage, which may be all that counts with us. But if they want a global navy, they are way behind.

Speaking Of Carriers...

Here's a pic of potential B-2 fodder, the Chinese remodeling of the Russian carrier Varyag.

Apparently, China doesn't like Russia's island.

Even the Chinese aren't dumb enough to think that one carrier, or even a modest fleet of them, would ever engage the US Navy except during the most tense of diplomatic stand-offs. The point of a Chinese carrier is to protect interests abroad, same as ours. Should the US ever go to war with China, the US Air Force (with the power of Super Jesus behind them) would explode whatever warships our submarines didn't sink long before our carriers got within striking distance.

But having a carrier, even an old bad one, is better than none at all. And getting one signals China's wish to evolve into a global military power.

I Love That We Sent The USS Chung-Hoon In Response

The Chinese harassed one of our unarmed naval surveillance ships operating in international waters. We responded with a destroyer.

Typical, predictable Chinese tactics: test the (new presidential) waters.

'adult sudden death syndrome'

Nice.............

Ein Volk, Ein China, Ein Fuhrer!!!!!!

Looks like the DPP is really low in the polls. And I know that President Chen wants to get attention away from corruption charges. Too bad he decided to do it during a Chinese Parliament. Chen seems to do something like this everytime he gets in trouble.