Holding the Line in the First Island Chain

There are strategic and military risks operating forward in the First Island Chain close to China's military power. But there are strategic risks of standing off.

This is correct about America's military strength in the First Island Chain of the western Pacific:

The United States will never be able to peer inside of Xi’s head, but he must know that gambling on conflict in the Pacific could earn his place in history as the unifier of China or risk defeat, his legacy, and the stability of the Chinese Communist Party regime. Will he be more likely to take that wager with the presence or absence of forward-postured US forces? History points to the answer. The United States demonstrating a strong hand in the first island chain will help Xi recognize that war is a bad bet.

Yet forward-deployed forces on the first island line are vulnerable. But allies left on their own at the first island chain may wobble.

So it is a delicate balance between deterring with presence; preserving forces with distance; considering whether China is tempted to attack or is deterred; and reassuring or frightening our allies along the first island chain line.

NOTE: TDR Winter War of 2022 coverage continues here.

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NOTE: Map from Taipei Times.

Clouding Up the Transparent Battlefield

The battlefield is transparent. Until friendly "deception, concealment, dispersion, and aggressive counter-reconnaissance" deny the enemy that transparency. 

How the Army Fights includes this "key point:"

Battlefield transparency is not fixed. It is a relative advantage gained when one force builds understanding and acts effectively while denying its adversary the ability to do the same.

Preaching to the TDR choir, the Army is (quoting an earlier essay):

The key isn’t remaining unseen. The key is remaining unseen long enough to move quickly enough and outpace the enemy’s ability to react. Those are factors relative to the enemy and not absolute aspects of operating. Increased surveillance and communications will not change the relative advantage combatants seek.

Work the problem. As the quoted part of the introduction taken from the Army document states.

NOTE: TDR Winter War of 2022 coverage continues here.

NOTE: You may also like to read my posts on Substack, at The Dignified Rant: Evolved. Go ahead and subscribe to it. It's the right thing to do!

NOTE: I made the image with Bing.

More Meat on the BONE

The Air Force must help hold the line in the Western Pacific until the Navy is restored. 

The B-1 bomber will be updated to fly through the 2040s with a greater bomb load and the ability to fire hypersonic weapons:

In recent years, the Air Force has also reconfigured the B-1B weapons bay to carry more weapons, increasing the B-1B’s magazine capacity from 24 weapons internally, all the way up to 40. The adjustments to the bomb bay will also enable the B-1B to carry hypersonic weapons, something which greatly increases the aircraft’s lethality.  The bomb bay itself has been massively reconfigured in anticipation of weapons which have yet to exist. 

This will be useful in PACOM.

NOTE: TDR Winter War of 2022 coverage continues here.

NOTE: You may also like to read my posts on Substack, at The Dignified Rant: Evolved. Go ahead and subscribe to it. It's the right thing to do!

NOTE: Photo from the article.

The Winter War of 2022 Pretends It is January 2022

 

The fighting continues with Ukrainians seemingly (slightly) dominant on the ground; and with each side escalating air attacks on the other side’s homeland. Are negotiations just the information arm of the violent side of the war? Or is Russia feigning dominance even as it is eager to end the folly of its invasion before really bad things happen. The war seems in the balance. And I’m not sure which side of the knife’s edge the outcome falls on. Or when that might happen.

Head on over to Substack for the essay. But you can always get the link here on TDR.

NOTE: ISW updates continue here.

NOTE: Also, I put war-related links and commentary in the Weekend Data Dump on Substack. You may read my posts on Substack, at The Dignified Rant: Evolved.

Weekend Data Dump

The Weekend Data Dump is a compilation of short entries about the previous week’s defense and national security news that I found interesting. I couldn’t possibly comment on everything in my news flow or delve into everything that interests me. So most news that interests me doesn’t make the cut for a post. The rest go in the data dump. Enjoy!

HOP ON OVER AND READ IT! On the bright side, you can comment on Substack!

In case you missed it on Substack: Plan B in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea Gets a Western Framework

In case you missed it on Substack: Thickening the Navy Air Defense Screen

In case you missed it on Substack: Managing the Massing of Effects to Enable Maneuver

In case you missed it on Substack: The Chinese Communist Party's Fear of History

Help me out by subscribing on Substack and by liking and sharing posts. I occasionally post short data dump-type items (or not-so-short) on my Substack "Notes" section.

Saudi Arabia Getting Whacked With the Drone-Shaped Clue Bat

Will Saudi Arabia rulers react to the reality that the Palestinians are more than happy to die for mullah-run Shia Iran? 

I think this is right:

Saudi Arabia’s future depends on dropping its commitment to Palestine[.]

All Saudi Arabia has gotten is the Palestinians siding with Shia Iran whose proxy network is eagerly attacking Saudi Arabia with drones and missiles.

Face it, the Arab Street that comes out in favor of the Palestinians is the dog that did not bark in the night these days. It is time to  deny the Palestinians the title of Queen of the Victim Prom.

The Saudis could start with a radical path to delegitimizing the murderous fanatics and rewarding those who would build Palestinian prosperity rather than rejoice in swirling their hands in the blood of dead Israelis. 

Deny Palestinians the hope of killing all the Jews from the river to the sea and maybe they will settle for a more reasonable peace deal.

NOTE: TDR Winter War of 2022 coverage continues here.

NOTE: You may also like to read my posts on Substack, at The Dignified Rant: Evolved. Go ahead and subscribe to it. It's the right thing to do!

NOTE: Photo from the article.

The Tyranny of Distance is Followed By the Tyranny of the Shores

Sea control is vital for American national security. But the ultimate purpose of controlling the seas is making sure Eurasian resources are not mobilized by enemies to threaten America. 

From the “Well, Duh” files: 

American soldiers’ ability to wage war in Europe and the Pacific is undermined by extreme distance from potential battlefields and shortages at key overseas headquarters, according to a new report.

Sea control is crucial. But it is crucial for projecting land power ashore.

NOTE: TDR Winter War of 2022 coverage continues here.

NOTE: You may also like to read my posts on Substack, at The Dignified Rant: Evolved. Go ahead and subscribe to it. It's the right thing to do!

Never Waste a Clusterf**k of Crises

I'm reasonably sure that the European Union (EU) gray, autocratic bureaucrats see opportunities in their many crises.

So the EU is heading into a "perfect political storm"? 

The EU is already struggling with how to get its largest-ever budget agreed, plug a massive financial hole for Ukraine and navigate geopolitical pressure from the U.S. and China. Now, it also faces being paralyzed by domestic political strife in the countries that collectively make up around 60% of its GDP and population. 

Yeah, "perfect" as in perfect excuses to expand EU political authority to chip away a little more at the prefix in their proto-imperial union.

NOTE: TDR Winter War of 2022 coverage continues here.

NOTE: You may also like to read my posts on Substack, at The Dignified Rant: Evolved. Go ahead and subscribe to it. It's the right thing to do!

NOTE: Image from the article.