Like always, these threads are aimed at having open discussion and conversation revolving around the deployment/usage of tactical, regional, and strategic assets, as well as doctrine and policy decisions employed by regional players of the Pacific.
There is now a Discord that’s dedicated to strategic discussion, there are countless conversations to be had and learn from, feel free to join. Note: If you become a ghost member you will be kicked. Not saying you have to participate every day but we have had people join and not post once, if you are one of those people, you will be kicked. Trolls and shitposters are permabanned on site. Now with all that being said, let’s get to it.
The Theodore Roosevelt CSG has just left 5th Fleet in the past few days transferring back into 7th Fleet after 4 months of operating in the Middle East. That means that there are 3ish months left in it’s deployment before it returns back to it’s homeport in San Diego, due to the recent large PLAN naval drills involving the Liaoning CSG, I’m expecting the Teddy and the Vinson to conduct another dual CSG exercise, the Teddy CSG might of actually deployed to 7th Fleet as a direct response to the large PLAN exercise. The Truman CSG should be deploying by this weekend at the very latest and I am very confident that it will be deploying to 7th Fleet’s AOO as well, relieving the Teddy CSG in May or so. The Carl Vinson CSG just finished exercises with the JS Ise in the South China Sea, with the PLAN exercise being in response to JMSDF/USN, maybe. The Wasp Upgunned Expeditionary Strike Group is about to participate in Foal Eagle 2018, this will be the first true debut of not only the F-35B operating off an amphibious assault ship, but the JGSDFs amphibious brigade’s first true training exercise, being declared combat ready on March 26th.
The Truman CSG consists of the Truman, 7 Burkes, a Tico, and 2 Frigates from Norway and Germany, this is roughly double the size of a typical CSG and plausibly a CBG.(Me and another member of the Discord came to the conclusion that a Carrier Strike Group is primarily used for lower end threats like precision strikes in secure waterways , with a modest escort for the carrier, where a Carrier Battle Group is used to combat near peer adversaries and constitutes a large escort for the carrier.) I highly doubt the Truman CBG will head to 5th Fleet for the Teddy CSG Super Bugs were averaging about 3 sorties a day over Syria/Iraq simply because there was nothing left to strike, and even with the recent heightened tensions with Russia, a CBG would be a gross misallocation of resources. The USS Bonhomme Richard was in Okinawa as recent as the 22nd, a few weeks ago they were onloading their MEU and wrapping up their deployment(as far as I can tell). The The Essex ESG is currently conducting training exercises to certify the ships to become deployable, stating they will be deployed in the Summer. I think that a dual CSG exercise is all but certain, and another triple CSG is very plausible around the time of Rimpac, it’s obvious the USN is going back to it’s tried and true policy of carrier stacking.
Foal Eagle is suppose to start in the coming days and will be the first time the F-35B will participate in a large scale exercise from a LHD, which is kinda a big deal. The first amphibious brigade of the JGSDF is rumored to make it’s debut as well, which I feel is expected, I might make a thread on soley Foal Eagle when it ramps up.
kunsan.af.mil/News/Article/1466326/cope-tiger-2018-begins/ “Cope Tiger is an annual trilateral aerial exercise aimed at improving combat readiness and interoperability between the Republic of Singapore Air Force, Royal Thai Air Force, and U.S. Air Force, while concurrently enhancing the three nations' military relations.”
defense.gov/News/Article/Article/1111151/exercise-cope-north-concludes-in-guam/ “Exercise Cope North Guam aims to cultivate regional ties and seeks to enhance the Air Force's interoperability with allied forces in the Pacific region. The bilateral exercise is designed to enhance joint operational capability alongside 22 flying units from the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, Royal Australian Air Force, and the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps.”
When the Teddy CSG was deployed, the CSG was tasked with a “fleet problem” that had to resolved on their way to Hawaii before the actual deployment. Where the COMPTUEXs that CSGs undergo before deployment are mostly scripted, the Fleet Problem was an open ended exercise that made commanders and officers think quickly and tactically, designed to combat near peer adversaries. Apparently it went off very well and inspired a lot of confidence.
The Japanese are, in my opinion, restructuring the JGSDF to be a rapidly deployable amphibious based force, citing the 2011 Tsunamis and Chinese aggression in the SCS/ECS as reasons for the "expansion". They want to eventually have a division of amphibious capable troops, I'll pull a source if you don't believe me.
That's leads me to another point, it's basically all but confirmed that the JMSDF is going to be procuring F-35Bs for the Izumo, as well as an increase in V-22 orders. Everyone thinks that the Izumo will fulfill the role as only a light carrier, while in reality it would be used as an Amphibious Assault ship, which makes it much more multirole. That, and it can fit a Brigades worth of soldiers in it, which is 350-400 soldiers, ironically the size of the first JGSDF amphibious brigade.
Having it be *only* a light Carrier would kind of go against the entire grand strategy of the JSDF
>There wasn’t much support within the Ground Self Defense Force (GSDF) either, given its dominance of the so-called “Hokkaido Mafia” – armor officers focused on repelling an unlikely Russian invasion of the northern island. Huh. Didn't know that.
David Turner
>amphibious brigade is actually battalion strength sasuga nips
Aaron Nelson
will they learn the art of crayon eating from Marines based in Okinawa?
>I worried that it would be canceled as Japan hadn’t done anything like this since World War II. In fact, Beijing demanded the exercise be canceled. President Barack Obama told the Chinese, “No.” Bacuck actually had a spine for once? Big if true.
yeah it kinda confused me as well, the division is only going to be 4,000 troops irrc, and I say "only" when compared to US Divisions, I guess the structure of forces in the JSDF is different than other western militaries.
He did some things right, but that isn't the point of the thread
Well they participated in Iron Fist 2018, so the USMC is already showing them secret crayon magic
They Japanese have started warming up to the idea of an amphibious based force, they were skeptical in 2012, but it isn't 2012 anymore.
what? the people in the discord came from Jow Forums are you in my discord? who are you so I can yell at you
Gabriel Jackson
ive never been. but if its actually worth anything then you do not want the retards from nu-Jow Forums anywhere near it. unless you want vatniks, chicoms, and Jow Forumsniggers infesting it like the plague. because thats all this place is now.
Aiden Morgan
Not pfgguy, but we've been pretty good at filtering who's contributing and we like keeping our door open in case there's others who aren't nu-Jow Forums.
Parker Rodriguez
>Trolls and shitposters are permabanned on site. I'm assuming this is your first /PFG/
>america is activly using and exporting a jet that got BTFO by serbian SAMs from the 60s ahahahahaha. its like they want to drag their allies down to their pathetic level.
usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2018-03/fleet-problems-offer-opportunities So apparently the USN has been conducting large-scale exercises in the Pacific Fleet's area of operations with strengthened C̶i̶r̶c̶l̶e̶ ̶T̶r̶i̶g̶o̶n̶ Aggressor forces, which at one point even included a CSG. Keeping in mind that I have no experience in the field, how could this impact the USN's preparations for operations in the South China Sea?
Jackson Williams
First off, that was a good read. Now the Fleet Problem challenge that is being handed to Strike Groups to deal with are solely designed to train the USN in combating near peer adversaries, that's obvious of course. This is essentially giving the USN a reality check that we've kind of refused to believe for the past 20 years or so. China is a rising threat, and we're finally coming to terms with the fact that we have to actually work and train to maintain that technological/experienced edge that we've enjoyed uncontested for the past 25+ years.
You're going to see a big revamp in how the USN trains and prepares to fight in the coming years, is what it comes down to. We're looking at the PRC in a light similar to how we viewed the USSR, militarily speaking.
Surge right here. Antietam I can vouch for, where's the Nimitz in src ???? Take it Richards running lamps det?? Possible vs 22) biot aguana just replenish??? Comptuex joint Japanese task force( ok) sea of oshtok like before? 88 Olympics . Vinson Truman got enough time to finish on station bz!! Where's the 68 src ??? It's always alpha strike!!!!! 88-91( relief of this det is alpha team????? Usually !!!! Acknowledge plz
Robert Hernandez
F35 vstol/stovl ?? Assume (aok) expeditionary strike??? Japan navy on alert??? Ready tomahawk launch ( if) aegis radar serves this well. Glimpse of cvic pls
Matthew Moore
Like Vladivostok 88? Was recovered from that mission ( az Soddy) aimd im1 020 pc. Cdr Simons. That secret??? Let us look in. ( cvn 68) tarps data stuff( 64c) try sat data ( you don't need loss) china prc real threat. Keep those tomahawks pointed at nork underground bunker ( Reagan , that's the sweet spot
Noah Garcia
I have time there ( sit on Yankee station) 30 day station! Since 62. Like old Antietam ?!! How many sorties (300 month x 2 plus ( hornet, boxer, bonhomme ( was Korean War platform 52 anyway) wasp/ whatever that looks like ??? Just get quals in, nothing funky? Let us know
>MANADO AIR BASE, Indonesia -- Exercise Cope West 2018 (CW18), a Pacific Air Forces-sponsored, bilateral exercise involving the U.S. and Indonesian air forces officially kicked off March 12, with an opening ceremony held at the at Sam Ratulangi International Airport, Indonesia.
Tto give you an actual answer Naval Training Command is considering re-establishing a SWO school for newly commissioned Naval Officers, among other things.
And its actually pretty freaking hard to stand watch /sleep deprived/ in one of the busiest straights in the world, its not like they were ambushed in the middle of the Pacific.
Nathaniel Bailey
The navy has given another fifty billion dollars to Lockheed to develop cutting edge container ship avoidance system to repel those dastardly chink container ships. In five to eight years we expect initial operating capability.
Connor Hall
>stand watch It was picked up in the command room tv radar for a looong time. They lost control of the ship for ages which led to the collision.
Eli Carter
Can any one post Chinese ships or planes over oceans?
Yes but its mainly for coastal protection if you look at their equipment/number of ships. Russia has seven surface vessels and twenty one submarines with varying degrees of modernity (Delta IIIs from the late 70's alongside Borey class that's brand spanking new).
Russia overall isn't a major threat in the pacific. China on the other hand is hard to study because they don't like to give out info on their military procurement/modernization plans.
Brody Bailey
If the PLAN is for coastal protection, then the Japanese and South Korean navies are riverine patrol forces.
Sure, China has hundreds of smaller corvettes and missile crafts, but they also have a sizeable fleet of larger ocean going FFGs and DDGs.
Just recently they have been patroling into the Indian Ocean to deter an Indian intervention to the Maldives.
but what about the existing ones? their coast guard shouldn't be ignored as well as they do play a role in chinese pacific strategy
just equipment and numbers? what about hints of movement? maybe areas where ships have been seen by some other observers how are they pursuing coastal protection exactly, what with them having new expanding coasts
Aiden Stewart
Yeah, their CG is a navy on its own, especially with the recent reforms that puts them under CMC control directly and not some Agricultural/Maritime bureau.
Those 12.000 ton cutters are pretty fearsome brawlers.
oh this is nice would i be wrong if i call this a show of chinese force projection outside of their coast?
Christian Cox
i think force projection automatically means it's out side a country's own coast
Andrew Barnes
Yeah, this is their first actual show of force aimed at intimidation outside the SCS. And the first time they sent their 052D DDGs into a mission that carried some risk of engagement with an opposing navy.
Which is why they actually sent two of them, along with 12 other ships (3 of them, previously on anti piray patrol, converging on them from the Gulf of Aden)... It was quite the fleet.
>build giant ass 12k ton ship >put two piddling guns on it What's the point
Jacob Morgan
What is China's next step after the SCS islands? I believe there's reports of them moving onto Benham Rise on the West of the Philippine Islands? That gives them direct sea access to Guam and Palau also Okinawa? Is it even defend-able?
William Clark
This isn't particularly recent (just the article is) but apparently the 34th FS (USAF F-35A squadron deployed to Kadena) have been training primarily for A2A which is interesting: >In October, more than 300 airmen and 12 F-35A conventional takeoff and landing jets from Hill Air Force Base, Utah, arrived in Japan, marking the Air Force’s first-ever F-35 deployment to the Asia-Pacific region. Since then, pilots have focused primarily on the air-to-air fight — a rarity for the F-35, a stealthy fifth-generation jet that is more known for its air-to-ground capability. defensenews.com/smr/kadena-air-base/2018/03/27/how-is-the-f-35-improving-its-dogfighting-skills-in-japan/
Man this is great. Where is he getting all this stuff? Finally I can stop googling China navy and getting articles from popsci
Lucas Jones
it's not that strange if you think about it what with the possible opposition having known to be throwing serious effort in their airforce(and all the other branches for that matter)
not to mention an altercation between aircraft is a more likely incident during peacetime/ pre-conflict
Joshua Taylor
>he It's not a single person. Read the headline. It's the frontpage blog of a major military forum dedicated to Chinese military and political matters.
Jonathan Cooper
Get a port in Philippines. That way they can secure the doorway to the pacific from the southern end of taiwan.
Owen Flores
this is smart but likely to get some major US pushback the philippines is clearly trying to play and squeeze as much as it can from both sides so no saying which side they will support if china pursues such a strategy
Landon Campbell
>an altercation between aircraft is a more likely incident during peacetime/ pre-conflict Valid point, but I expect that if war does break out (not necessarily with China but with North Korea) the F-35s will primarily be doing SEAD and strike work. If F-22s are in the area, they can oversee A2A simultaneously, or otherwise F-15s, etc can perform OCA/DCA where safe.
Wouldn't be surprised if China starts sailing for Africa more often; practising their force projection and using it as a testing / training ground (while still simultaneously messing about in Asia).
I don't think there will be enough F-22s in the area though. Plus it will be F-35Cs and Bs operating from carriers and LHDs respectively, so odds are the F-35 is gonna be the tip of the spear in the next air war.
Dylan Johnson
Oh, there always seems to be plenty of F-22s where they need to be. It takes all of 6-12 hours to get them from mainland/Alaska to wherever in the world.
