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No US Carrier in the Pacific – What?

Posted on Friday, June 4, 2021
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by AMAC, Robert B. Charles
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41 Comments

The Biden Administration, in a rush to abandon Afghanistan, is leaving the Pacific exposed – with no US carrier battlegroup.  Why, how, under what circumstances, with what reasoning – would a US President leave the Pacific without a carrier?  What could go wrong?  Lots.

Start with facts.  The Wall Street Journal reported on 26 May, Biden’s Pentagon plans to redeploy the USS Ronald Reagan – christened by Nancy Reagan 20 years ago – to the Middle East.  The “aging” USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, after two deployments, will go home. The problem is this decision highlights a lack of strategic foresight – or that is the impression.  See, The Missing Aircraft Carrier

First, Biden leaves the Pacific theater open to China. That means China can threaten freedom of navigation across the South China Sea, move on disputed islands near Japan and elsewhere.  Or China can ramp up hostile activities from their militarized, illegal, artificial islands in the South China Sea, including harassment of the Philippines, Vietnam, and others. A US carrier had to warn China in April after an incursion in Philippine waters “raised alarms.”  See, e.g., Freedom of Navigation in South China Sea Critical to Prosperity, Says Indo-Pacific Commander

Experts note: “China has runways and dozens of hangers for fighter aircraft … as well as anti-ship cruise missiles, anti-aircraft batteries and missile defenses,” has used the islands “to begin pressure campaigns in the Spratlys, Paracels and even the Natuna Sea (claimed by Indonesia).” See, China’s island fortifications are a challenge to international norms

What they could do now is place “mass fighter deployments” on these artificial islands.  Absent a US carrier; timing is perfect to lock down power projection.  Reversing that move, delaying, interrupting, or protesting it would be hard from the Persian Gulf.

Once China’s artificial islands are fighter-flush, China can pick targets of interest, including perhaps Taiwan. Then, armed to the teeth, able to move swiftly with minimal or non-existent US presence, they could see an unexpected opportunity, unforced error, unusual opening.

They know Biden’s team has been weak, incoherent, fumbling, and distracted by events in the Middle East, Afghanistan to Israel, as well as by record Russian troops poised near Ukraine.

As one military expert observed: “These islands should be considered an existential threat to Taiwan.”  And that was with a US carrier in the region.  What about now?  Once the Reagan is redeployed to the Gulf, it is their months.  That raises another error or bit of wishful thinking.

Biden was so interested in vacating Afghanistan that he pledged – with no peace accord, no tripwire or troop presence to sustain the Afghan government and deter terror resurgence, that he would “fulfill the antiterror mission … from over the horizon.”  What does that mean?

Permanently stationing a US carrier in the Gulf may sound good, but with ships and carriers scarce – and Biden’s anemic military budget – that is a double misfire, or the Journal noted “misuse of naval resources.”  The right answer was keeping troop presence on the ground.

What is more, when we pin ourselves down, adversaries like China and Russia see opportunity.  The longer we stay pinned down, the more enticing – and bigger – their windows of opportunity.

Our absence from the Pacific – whatever the Biden crowd thinks of China – is an invitation to Communist Chinese aggression, regional overreach, expansion of stated hegemonic aims. How could it be otherwise?

The backdrop for future bad behavior – or added encouragement to China – is Biden-Harris’ relative ambivalence toward revelations, hard to scotch, that China’s Wuhan Virology Lab did enhance a coronavirus that allowed COVID-19 to ravage the world, leaked it, sought to cover up the fact.

If America will not rally our allies to confront an offense against all humanity, why would America – or Biden’s America – step up to thwart China taking disputed islands, or worse?

All of this makes another point.  A looming deficit in US naval power made inevitable by poor planning, low budgets, and wishful thinking presents another urgency, getting back to strategy.  From a static perspective, we are ahead.  From a dynamic perspective, with China modernizing, we are on track to nobble ourselves.  We need to focus on national defense or miss the chance.

In the end, China may recall Trump, Reagan, and Bush, earlier American leaders like Macarthur, Eisenhower, Marshall, Bradley, and Patton – and pause, wondering if the American People are the pushover Biden is.  Let us hope they pause – until we can get a carrier back their way.

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Rick
Rick
2 years ago

The Chinese are getting their monies worth out of Biden.
Biden sold his soul, when he was V.P.

Tim Thompson
Tim Thompson
2 years ago

Biden knows exactly what he’s doing, payback for the 1.5 billion his son received from China. Joe is a traitor to our country and is exposing us to immigration failure, China being given free reign over the far east with no opposition from the US. Serious situation and one that should be resolved by bringing forth impeachment proceedings against him and his HO VP Harris.

Bill on the Hill
Bill on the Hill
2 years ago

The Spratly Islands & other S. China Sea islands, think MOAB’s, done…
Japan will play a part in the defense of her islands & Taiwan as well. Australia & New Zealand will have a hand in this too. The military needs to maintain it’s carrier groups in the region as well as the Indian Ocean in the vicinity of India…
All of this keeps China in check…
Biden & his FAUX military brass in the Pentagon will go soon, very soon…
Arrests will be forthcoming in the near future, it is all in the timing with over a 1000 indictments already written…
The clock is ticking & we will get our country back per the United States Constitution…
Both Foreign & Domestic Interference in our US elections have occurred, it is NOT alleged, it is factual.
The 45th POTUS will be reinstated by the real military as the rightful Commander in Chief.
Stay strong, keep the faith, God bless…
Bill on the Hill… :~)

Glee
Glee
2 years ago

Leaving the back door open for China is a Biden administration/big tech/big corporation strategy. Remember, they are all on the take and they despise their homeland. We once called those people traitors and hung them in the open square.

Karen
Karen
2 years ago

Donald has great report with the Military. I think we should get them all together and show Biden how wrong his policies are and how ignorant his socialist as—–s are.

Tom
Tom
2 years ago

I haven’t heard about this on the evening new. CBS, ABC, NBC are shameful people.

Leslie Young-Waller
Leslie Young-Waller
2 years ago

Considering our United States Military does not answer to ‘false’ president O’Biden, I feel our issues with the current fake administration is soon to be resolved and our security will be reinstated. Our Military took an oath to the Founding Father’s “original” Constitution of the United States of America. Joe-bama is ‘ruling’ this country under a false constitution for the Corporation of the United States. After the Civil War, the then Administration took loans from the Vatican, England, and others, to rebuild this nation from the ravages of war, and repay those debts (taxation). This action changed our original Constitution, into a ‘business contract’, thus making Washington DC a Corporation of United States of America. This corporation is not a sovereign (DC) entity of our Nation, according to “The Act of 1871”. (research this!) It’s also bankrupt.Today, we are fighting for our Freedom through an irregular type of (global) war, technological warefare. I have no doubt that our Military will be where we need them as we need them. Our Great Nation, We The People….are being shown this each day. We must Ask questions

JOHN
JOHN
2 years ago

Obama bowed to the Muslim Caliphate and sold us down the river to Iran. His Vice Stooge was consorting with the Russians AND the Communist Chinese. Joe Biden is merely a Stooge, saying that he is intelligent is the same as proclaiming that Moe was the most intelligent of the Three Stooges. Our America’s ability to defend We The People is in serious jeopardy! Our borders have been opened to all comers, our dependence on foreign energy is back in play, our military is being defunded and Old Uncle Joe is bending over to the Chinese!

Rich
Rich
2 years ago

Just ANOTHER example of how the “agenda” is coming together. No one needs to go to war with us, we are conquering ourselves from within.

R. Murphy
R. Murphy
2 years ago

Impeach Biden

BC
BC
2 years ago

Since senile Joe is on China’s payroll along with his dirt bag son, the full surrender of America has begun.

Danny Mayhew
Danny Mayhew
2 years ago

Only an abject fool would leave America without adequate defense in the Pacific! America is being set up by this despicable administration! The attack by Japan at Pearl Harbor is a graphic illustration of what happens when we let down our defenses!

Hal
Hal
2 years ago

Seems like Hidin’ Joe Biden is sidin’ with China to widen China’s military position to force Taiwan in to China’s control with military threat and unhindered action as needed Biden’s administration is setting this Nation’s defenses at risk to challenge China in the Pacific for any reasonable cause.

Flyover Johnny
Flyover Johnny
2 years ago

I wonder what type (how much) of a donation China had to make to the Joe & Hunter Biden slush fund for this move?

John Wesley
John Wesley
2 years ago

In my wildness nightmare I never dreamed that my America would go down without a fight.

MICHAEL D BROWN
MICHAEL D BROWN
2 years ago

Joe Biden sounds like a Chinese name.

Rick
Rick
2 years ago

We now know what China got for it’s billion dollar investment in Hunter Biden……………..
The President of the United States, Joe Biden
Just think the Russians only paid 5 million….Wonder who got the better deal ??

Jeff Guy
Jeff Guy
2 years ago

Another case of China Joey doing what he does best. Leaving the US open to continued Chinese agression.

Bill Bates
Bill Bates
2 years ago

Taiwan will probably disappear in a sudden invasion before the Summer is over. With no US Navy, save a few Destroyers & maybe a Cruiser. Possibly as close as Japan, or perhaps Hawaii there is no way to slow or over come an air & sea invasion.

IF – IF – Taiwan is the country that tested a nuclear in the far south Altlantic years ago. They might warn them off, with a dozen or so warheads on missiles, or aircraft. Problem is overwhelming numbers of interceptors in the way…

Probably be over in 24-48 hours & Biden will say NOTHING to the CCP. Since they own him.

Rick
Rick
2 years ago

Gee, do you think the billion China gave Hunter has something to do with Biden looking the other way?

James W
James W
2 years ago

The leftist democrat agenda is falling into place more every day. Tensions with China are getting worse which is probably puffery to draw attention away from Beijing Biden. Leaving the USA vulnerable in the pacific will insure that China will be able to easily invade the western coast. The People’s Republic of California will welcome the invaders with open arms.

Dennis Wells
Dennis Wells
2 years ago

it is obvious we do not have a president of the united states of america but one owned and operated by a foreign country

Stephen Russell
Stephen Russell
2 years ago

Gee No Long Range plans for battlegroups in Pacific?? Bad optics for Flag officers, Get with IT

Max
Max
2 years ago

I made a comment with the AMAC article “Could China Win a War with the US over Taiwan” (7 May 2021) about how woefully unprepared the US military is to prevent China from taking over Taiwan. Now, the Commander-in-Chief has left an important HENHOUSE wide open for the fox, oops, the Red Dragon to swoop in and demolish another sovereign country. I have to ask myself about what kind of advice the Joint Chiefs of Staff are giving to the CinC?? Where are the military strategists? It looks like everyone is home in bed.

C4view
C4view
2 years ago

Hello

Phil Hammersley
Phil Hammersley
2 years ago

Biden is repaying the ChiComs for the millions they passed to him through Methhead Hunter. Remember, they are NOT our enemy or competitor according to The Senile One.

Old Silk
Old Silk
2 years ago

This seems to be pretty much what a collapsing republic looks like. So thankful to the Creator that I grew up in the generation I did. And I am sorry that the steal was not stopped in real time as it could have been.

D.P.
D.P.
2 years ago

While I do not know the number of carriers in our fleet, I do know that they are as viable a deterrant today, as the battle ships of yesteryear were in their times. It is what was on called “battleship diplomacy. A workable and wise strategy….today it is Carrier Diplomacy…..and to leave the Pacific vacant of such capability is not unlike our pre-WWII Pacific mindset…….dubbed “isolationism,” and we know how that turned out. In todays world situation the capacity of an aggressor is 100 fold. Do we not remember what the Japanese Empire tried and nearly completed? Do we think the Chinese are less inclined towards world domination? Our present leadership needs to get their heads out of the sand/clouds/and anatomically. I would hope that Naval leadership shouts it’s rejection of such a move as to vacate the frontier of the Pacific with the Chinese expansion efforts already in work. Can the leadership of this nation be so lame and stupid as to think turning your back and your guns away from this potential enemy (truly they are already our enemy) and believe there will be any “good” to come from it. When I served in VietNam, aircraft carriers were numerous….and effective. Certainly there needs to be Naval strength in other parts of the world….but the priorities seem to be wrong-minded at best and kissing up to disaster at worst.

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