Time for Beltway Admirals to Think About War 2025, Not Paper Fleet 2045
By Austin Bay
August 2, 2023
Last week's column, titled "Confronting China's Rising Strength on the Seas," addressed China's military buildup with specific focus on the huge expansion of the Chinese Navy (PLAN — Peoples Liberation Army Navy).
The column quoted Sen. Roger Wicker's May 3 speech addressing the U.S. Navy's ability — or inability — to deter a war with China in the Pacific.
The column stressed two absolutely important concepts. The first and most obvious was reiterating Wicker's vital strategic statement: We must deter Chinese aggression. In plain language, Wicker said China's expansionist dictatorship must be convinced that the U.S. has military forces strong enough to defeat China should the dictatorship risk a major war in the western Pacific. In part, spending the money and the national effort to create these forces demonstrates America has the will to use them should Beijing try a Putinesque gamble.
Wicker focused on the U.S. Navy (USN) because in the western Pacific the Navy is America's key U.S. offensive battle force. Control the sea and Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and the Philippines stand.
https://www.creators.com/read/austin-bay/08/23/time-for-beltway-admirals-to-think-about-war-2025-not-paper-fleet-2045
