India has an aircraft carrier

[Aktungbby]

Originally Posted by james_nix

It's going to take all hands on deck to keep China in check.

Precisely!: India and China still have boundary disputes "up in them thar hills"( The Himalayas)- no matter: 'all things on land are tactical all things at sea are strategic'. Another anti-Sino carrier will lend weight to Japan, Brunai VietNam and the Phillipine impending struggle against brazen imperialist acquisition in the Spratley Islands. OF SOME INTEREST AND ULTIMATELY the real key to it all: http://users.ox.ac.uk/~mert1769/Diego%20Garcia.pdf When you are the world's (defacto) policeman ya gotta have boots in the middle of the 'Indian' Ocean....The U.S. military has considered this 17-square-mile atoll of coral and sand in the middle of the Indian Ocean, one of the most valuable pieces of real estate on Earth. The treaty making it American ends in 2036 and India has protested the US presence in the past- As China is on a long lsow territorial ascent I imagine the treaty will be renewed and India isn't complaining as much. IMHO WWIII will center on this place.

[Wolferz]

Me brother was stationed on Diego Garcia for a little while during his naval service. He called me from there once. Not through normal channels either.

[james_nix]

Originally Posted by Aktungbby

Precisely!: India and China still have boundary disputes "up in them thar hills"( The Himalayas)- no matter: 'all things on land are tactical all things at sea are strategic'. Another anti-Sino carrier will lend weight to Japan, Brunai VietNam and the Phillipine impending struggle against brazen imperialist acquisition in the Spratley Islands. OF SOME INTEREST AND ULTIMATELY the real key to it all: http://users.ox.ac.uk/~mert1769/Diego%20Garcia.pdf When you are the world's (defacto) policeman ya gotta have boots in the middle of the 'Indian' Ocean....The U.S. military has considered this 17-square-mile atoll of coral and sand in the middle of the Indian Ocean, one of the most valuable pieces of real estate on Earth. The treaty making it American ends in 2036 and India has protested the US presence in the past- As China is on a long lsow territorial ascent I imagine the treaty will be renewed and India isn't complaining as much. IMHO WWIII will center on this place.

I worked of Diego Garcia from 2008-2013 at the GEODSS site there (satellite tracking).

They have scores and scores of cargo ships just sitting in the harbor, filled with enough tanks, jeeps, tractors, bulldozers, arms and ammunition, etc. to take over a small country. Just sitting there waiting for something to happen.

And while I was there they added a sub tender!

I kind of miss it sometimes because it was so beautiful there, but also it was very isolated and I had to work 12-hour shifts, so not much time to enjoy the beautiful island.

Also there were like 20 guys to every woman! Some Navy women but most of them were Philippinas contract workers for base facilities.

[Platapus]

Those clumsy Indians. They went and bent the nose of the boat. Now they can't return it. Sheeesh.

[Harvs]

Originally Posted by Platapus

Those clumsy Indians. They went and bent the nose of the boat. Now they can't return it. Sheeesh.

Maybe the dry dock wasn't long enough so they had to compromise

[Aktungbby]

That wouldn't have happened with ADM Kincaid around to supervise.

[Stealhead]

Didn't they have some old Royal Navy carriers at one time? Well I know they did because they flew Sea Harriers as well maybe they where ex Spanish Navy CVs.

[Aktungbby]

Correct! the INS Vikrant was the British built Hercules a Majestic class carrier used in the 70's Indian Pakistan war. The INS also operates the Kiev class Russian built INS VikramadityaAS well as the Vickers-Armstrong built INS Vitaat built 1944 and still in service The last two in a respectable task force pic in the Arabian Sea.