Quote:
Originally Posted by ikalugin
The issue for the US is that PRC is most definitely a nuclear power (unlike say DPRK which is a solid maybe).
This means that many military tools that US has gotten used to using (long range cruise missiles strikes, stealth bomber strikes, etc) and which US would need to break up a determined Chinese opposition are very dangerous to use, as their use may be interpreted by an adversary as a first strike against its nuclear forces (is so called damage limitation strike) and thus would warrant a nuclear response early in the conflict, which may be undesirable.
There is a great deal of scholarship on this topic nowadays, you may be interested in it here or in the parallel thread.
P.s it is rather surprising to me that the whole nuclear aspect is being ignored here.
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It was always known that Soviet doctrine called for the use of long range strategic bombers to localize and attack convoys transiting the Atlantic Ocean to attack convoys including aircraft carriers on their way to Europe during an outbreak of war. The survive ability of ships under a determined cruise missile attack is debatable. This doctrine wasn't lost on U.S planners who can easily do the same thing with the variety of bombers at it's disposal.
There fore, using what the Chinese Admiral has said, the lone Chinese Carrier could also be destroyed just as easily and there is little to nothing the Chinese could do to protect it against a concerted American attack.
Further, the deployment of drones armed with high speed weapons that can intercept bombers may make the use of expensive strategic assets like bombers, impractical. Drones could also be used in a concerted attack as well on their surface ships, including their lone carrier and military installations .
With regards to how China views the use of weapons against them, That is their dilemma to ponder. The U.S has more experience than any other power in the world with modern carrier operations. The U.S also has more experience in how to protect those assets including ASW operations. while there is no doubt the PLA is developing a military capability, they are not a blue water force such as the U.S.
Nuclear forces were never mentioned as a mature, rational govt. would never think of using them in these modern times. The U.S outnumbers China with the variety and number of nuclear weapons it can field and the Chinese would do well to remember that.
If China wants to play in a world arena, it needs to put on it's " big boy pants ." China is doing little more than sabre rattling. While rattling a sabre makes noise, drawing it does not. Something to think about.