Links of Interest 02/24/2011

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• Easton & Stokes “China’s Electronic Intelligence Satellite Developments: Implications for U.S. Air and Naval Operations”

  This is the most comprehensive single source I’ve seen on China’s space-based ELINT and SIGINT satellite systems, which are though to be an important piece of the “system of systems” associated with the targeting mechanism of the DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM). Worth checking out, at least the implications for the U.S. section, even if you aren’t interested in all the details about the individual satellites and so forth. Based on a wide variety of Chinese-language sources, from the Project 2049 Institute think tank in Arlington, VA.

  tags: FC china satellites ELINT maritime surveillance

• Sylvester | The Elephant in the Room: Summitry and China’s Challenging Relations with Great Powers in Asia

  tags: FC China US India

• Sempa | China, the German Analogy, and the New Air-Sea Operational Concept

  tags: FC China AirSea US blockade

• Norris | Quemoy and Matsu: A Historical Footnote Revisited

  tags: Taiwan Quemoy Matsu China FC

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Related Articles

• U.S. warns on China cyber, anti-satellite capability (reuters.com)
• U.S. mulling defence plan for space (cbc.ca)

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New CRS Report on possible US defenses against China’s ASBM

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Ronald O’Rourke, “Navy Shipboard Lasers for Surface, Air, and Missile Defense: Background and Issues for Congress,” Congressional Research Service, December 9, 2010.

Department of Defense (DOD) development work on high-energy military lasers, which has been underway for decades, has reached the point where lasers capable of countering certain surface and air targets at ranges of about a mile could be made ready for installation on Navy surface ships over the next few years. More powerful shipboard lasers, which could become ready for installation in subsequent years, could provide Navy surface ships with an ability to counter a wider range of surface and air targets at ranges of up to about 10 miles. These more powerful lasers might, among other things, provide Navy surface ships with a terminal-defense capability against certain ballistic missiles, including the anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) that China is believed to be developing.

Related Articles

• Chinese Military Modernization: Challenges and Opportunities for the United States (themoderatevoice.com)
• Airborne Laser Test Bed to Try and Shoot Down Ballistic Missile as Soon as Tonight (slashgear.com)
• US and China launched space weapon tests: documents (alternet.org)

Links of Interest 01/23/2011

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• Keeping the Pacific Pacific | Foreign Affairs

  tags: asbm PRC US Pacific_Ocean naval_power FC

  • Ongoing friction between China and Taiwan poses the most immediate threat to U.S. Navy operations in the Western Pacific.
  • But to Chinese leaders, the most instructive example of nautical might translating into political power is that of Japan. Japan’s history is an especially prescient warning about the dangers to Asia of an ambitious, well-armed regional hegemon. After becoming the dominant naval force in the Western Pacific during the first part of the twentieth century, Japan invaded, subjugated, and oppressed its neighbors, rapidly expanding its domain of control. Its ability to transport troops and material through the ocean made it a legitimate threat, from India to Hawaii.
  • China’s ASBM threat is serious, but the United States has the capacity to respond.

• Where China’s navy operates – The Globe and Mail

  Interesting maps depicting the naval power balance in the East Asian littoral and Western Pacific (thanks @Galrahn).

  tags: FC China PRC PLAN navy

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Related Articles

• Smoothing China-Japan ties (search.japantimes.co.jp)

2010 in review

The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health:

The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads This blog is on fire!.

Crunchy numbers

A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 4,000 times in 2010. That’s about 10 full 747s.

 

In 2010, there were 46 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 51 posts. There were 43 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 55mb. That’s about 4 pictures per month.

The busiest day of the year was June 29th with 171 views. The most popular post that day was “The Motherlode” on Chinese ASBM Development.

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were andrewerickson.com, ustdc.blogspot.com, michaelturton.blogspot.com, twitter.com, and blog.taiwan-guide.org.

Some visitors came searching, mostly for china military power report 2010, asbm, china military power 2010, chinese asbm, and china military power report.

Attractions in 2010

These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.

1

“The Motherlode” on Chinese ASBM Development March 2010
2 comments

2

Military Power of the PRC in 2010 April 2010
3 comments

3

On the 2010 China Military Power Report, Part I August 2010

4

“Too Big to Fail,” U.S. Marines Version: The V-22 Osprey May 2010
3 comments

5

The End of Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiyah in the Southern Philippines March 2010
10 comments

Links of Interest 12/31/2010

• Thomas P.M. Barnett’s Globlogization – Thomas P.M. Barnett’s Globlogization – Our plans to bomb the length and breadth of China

  tags: china FC

• U.S.-Chinese War Games Ratchet Up – Swampland – TIME.com

  tags: FC china asbm

• Anything that seriously threatens U.S. aircraft carriers in the western Pacific calls into question the Pentagon’s entire war plan for defending Taiwan against aggression from the Chinese mainland.
• • we advocate simply offsetting the PLA’s unprovoked and unwarranted military buildup
  • This requires that the US military sustain its ability to project sufficient power in the region to defend US interests and protect its friends and allies.
  • The bluster about the emergence of a [Chinese] superpower is undermined by national defense industries that can’t produce what China needs.

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.