Who is it that the UK and Spain intend to invade? | 121 comments (121 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: I didn't look for all landing platform ... (4.00 / 2)

a) We don't, and are just building them because it makes the Pentagun go starry-eyed, and we really, really luv the Pentagun.

Why would there be any more than this?

The one thing the military hardware types are reliably bad at is strategy. There's very little evidence that they have even basic strategic skills and plenty of evidence that they make bad, stupid and expensive decisions.

These carriers are being built primarily for symbolic and political reasons, not strategic ones.

by ThatBritGuy (thatbritguy (at) googlemail.com) on Wed Oct 15th, 2008 at 07:19:48 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: I didn't look for all landing platform ... (4.00 / 2)

for at least the last hundred and fifty years, the military of almost every nation has been planning to refight the last major war that it fought, The US navy is configured to fight a modern equivalent of the Japanese Navy, whereas European navies are mainly configured to fight Nazi Submarine fleets. The Coalition in Iraq, would be doing much better if the enemy fought like the Germans in WWII,

The fact that other countries have fought differently in conflicts since hasnt altered strategy because they havent been "serious" opponents

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.

by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Thu Oct 16th, 2008 at 10:18:11 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: I didn't look for all landing platform ... (none / 1)

The US navy is configured to fight a modern equivalent of the ~~Japanese~~ Soviet Navy, whereas European navies are mainly configured to fight ~~Nazi~~ Communist Submarine fleets.

Fixed it for ya.

Peak oil is not an energy crisis. It is a liquid fuel crisis.

by Starvid on Fri Oct 17th, 2008 at 11:01:30 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: I didn't look for all landing platform ... (none / 1)

That was the appeal of the Soviets as an adversary in the Cold War ... if you squinted, it was possible to wargame it as WWII, Take 2. Talking the Soviets up as an adversary that would be fighting to dominate a major Ocean was harder than talking up the Soviet sub threat, but the argument for enough carriers to make a continuous air cover force across the Atlantic for supplies from the US to Europe did the trick.

But it was written as intended, no correction needed. "Re-fighting the last war" is often the last Great Power hot-war, and there wasn't anything in the Korean War or the Second Indochinese War to knock the Navy out of re-fight WWII mode.

I've been accused of being a Marxist, yet while Harpo's my favourite, it's Groucho I'm always quoting. Odd, that.

by BruceMcF (agila61 at netscape dot net) on Fri Oct 17th, 2008 at 12:15:46 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Who is it that the UK and Spain intend to invade? | 121 comments (121 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

Top Diaries

Six Nations 2025 Preview

Ireland's Past and Future economic growth prospects

Pax Americana, deficit spending, and the debasement of the US$

Energy (and Other) Events Monthly - January 2025

Recent Diaries

Hostage Deal and Prisoner Swap Agreed

Six Nations 2025 Preview

1st Phase Gaza Ceasefire Imminent

NATO a Tool to Expand American Neo-colonialism

The Zionist Dream A Biblical Myth

The 'Illegitimate' Court In The Hague

NATO War Rhetoric A Hot Air Balloon

NATO Secretary Propagates On Fear

Biden and American Manifest Destiny [Update]

Ireland's Past and Future economic growth prospects

Israel Not Done Yet ... Türkiye On Its Radar

Aggression Towards the Russia State and Its People

Lebensraum ... Hitler - Biden/Trump - Netanyahu

Baerbock Shaken Not Stirred

New Syria: Uyghur Terror Enclave Hosted by HTS

Does German Expert Condone IS-K Terror on Russia?

Terror By Design - Brzezinski, Lewis, 'Scoop' Jackson

January 2025

NATO Rutte Libertarian Economics for Europe

Best Europe Had to Offer ... Passing the Revue

Occasional Series