It was about 13 years ago so its been a while BUT … I was at Nellis AFB and I was invited to a ‘social’ hosted by the Indian Air Force (right place, right time). I was chatting with 2 of our fighter pilots and 3 of theirs in a kinda ‘gaggle’ over Indian ‘beers’ (not my thing). I was a little torqued, and I was the only Army officer in the room so I didnt give a fuk about nuthin. I straight asked the group “no bullshit … what country has the best dog fight pilots”. Of course after claiming they were, they, TO A MAN said Taiwan. I was like WHAT THE FUK? Taiwan … what??? According to these guys, they train every training mission as a Kobayashi Maru . Their trainers always program their airframes to have some kind of malfunction during engagements against superior numbers. Over and over and over. They live in a constant state of threat from China so for them the shit is VERY real.
Take that for what its worth. Hearsay from 13 years ago but that always stuck with me. I expected to hear Israelis, or Russians, or Jordanians, or Saudi … nope Taiwan.
They’ve been stockpiling ordinance for decades. Miles of bunkers, gun batteries, Anti-Air and Anti-Ship Missile Batteries. Fallback lines, Hardpoints. Along with a home field advantage.
Their equipment is a what’s what’s of equipment dated from WW2 to cutting edge modern day.
Interesting fact: They have in their arsenal a battery of U.S made 240mm “Black Dragon” Howitzers dated from WW2. Stationed in fortified Island hard points. With the range to shell Costal Cities and towns and hit targets with some measure of accuracy. Of course they’ll likely only get a Salvo or two in before the guns are knocked out. But still You don’t often see something so outdated by modern standards still in active use.
Any assault by China would be extremely costly. Trying to force a crossing, without a prolonged Air/Missile Campaign to soften up the Island and destroy what Military assets they could. Well the only thing it’d reasonably accomplish is turning Chinese ships into artificial reefs. Such a campaign though would likely cost a lot of pilots.
Following that Gauntlet. The Chinese would still need to launch one of the first Truly opposed Beach Landings of the Modern Era. And then slog inwards. Dealing with Hardpoints, Bunkers, Ambushes, more then likely minefields, booby traps. and a Civilian population who doesn’t want them there.
That’s not even factoring in cases of mounting unrest and Anti-CCP activity on the home front. Not to mention mounting Economic problems.
China is highly unlikely to invade but let's say there are. There has to be some secret non nuclear weapon Taiwan is hiding. There have always been rumors of one, I mean, half a century of preparations....
Lots of gun control? Lowest per capita gun ownership? Seems to me like a black hat operation; however, we argue over the idea of China being controlled by white hats.
Remember why Truman chose to nuke Nagasaki and Hiroshima? Estimates were up to a million dead to defeat Japan on their home islands. And that was against an already defeated enemy with no access to oil or natural resources, with few munitions left available and whose industry was a shambles.
Now think of Taiwan, with 70 years of being threatened by Chinese invasion, 70 years to prep, 70 years to build hardened defenses around the island, 70 years to train and prepare, to draw and redraw battle plans for any and all contingencies, with some of the newest and best weapons of war in the world and huge stockpiles of munitions.
Now add in the challenging topography. The shallow western approaches that would be choked with sunken Chinese warships. The scarcity of natural harbors.
Taiwan perches on the margin of the continental shelf. Along the west coast the sea is rather shallow, averaging 90 m (300 ft) and not exceeding 210 m (690 ft) at the deepest point; however, it deepens abruptly along the east coast, dropping to a depth of 4,000 m (13,000 ft) only 50 km (31 mi) offshore.
The terrain is precipitous on the east coast, with practically no natural harbor except Suao Bay in the north. The west coast is marked by wide tidal flats. Kaohsiung, the southern port, is situated in a long lagoon called Haochiung Bay. The north coast with its many inlets provides Taiwan with its best harbor, Chilung (Keelung).
The eastern two-thirds of the island is composed of rugged foothill ranges and massive mountain chains. A low, flat coastal plain, extending from north to south, occupies the western third. Yü Shan, with an elevation of 3,997 m (13,113 ft), is the highest peak on the island. Mild earthquake tremors are common.
All the rivers originate in the mountains in the central part of the island. They have short courses and rapid streams. The longest river, Choshui, draining westward, is only 190 km (118 mi) long. Only the Tanshui, which flows past T'aipei in the north, is navigable.
If China were to invade there would be millions of dead on both sides. Chinas military would be decimated and unlikely to recover for the next 30 to 50 years, leaving the mainland open to either invasion or mass civil unrest. It would bankrupt them. China as we know it now would cease to exist.
Im pretty sure China understands this and that is why they havent attempted to invade sooner. If they really wanted it they would have done so right after Chiang fled there.
It was about 13 years ago so its been a while BUT … I was at Nellis AFB and I was invited to a ‘social’ hosted by the Indian Air Force (right place, right time). I was chatting with 2 of our fighter pilots and 3 of theirs in a kinda ‘gaggle’ over Indian ‘beers’ (not my thing). I was a little torqued, and I was the only Army officer in the room so I didnt give a fuk about nuthin. I straight asked the group “no bullshit … what country has the best dog fight pilots”. Of course after claiming they were, they, TO A MAN said Taiwan. I was like WHAT THE FUK? Taiwan … what??? According to these guys, they train every training mission as a Kobayashi Maru . Their trainers always program their airframes to have some kind of malfunction during engagements against superior numbers. Over and over and over. They live in a constant state of threat from China so for them the shit is VERY real.
Take that for what its worth. Hearsay from 13 years ago but that always stuck with me. I expected to hear Israelis, or Russians, or Jordanians, or Saudi … nope Taiwan.
They’ve been stockpiling ordinance for decades. Miles of bunkers, gun batteries, Anti-Air and Anti-Ship Missile Batteries. Fallback lines, Hardpoints. Along with a home field advantage.
Their equipment is a what’s what’s of equipment dated from WW2 to cutting edge modern day.
Interesting fact: They have in their arsenal a battery of U.S made 240mm “Black Dragon” Howitzers dated from WW2. Stationed in fortified Island hard points. With the range to shell Costal Cities and towns and hit targets with some measure of accuracy. Of course they’ll likely only get a Salvo or two in before the guns are knocked out. But still You don’t often see something so outdated by modern standards still in active use.
Any assault by China would be extremely costly. Trying to force a crossing, without a prolonged Air/Missile Campaign to soften up the Island and destroy what Military assets they could. Well the only thing it’d reasonably accomplish is turning Chinese ships into artificial reefs. Such a campaign though would likely cost a lot of pilots.
Following that Gauntlet. The Chinese would still need to launch one of the first Truly opposed Beach Landings of the Modern Era. And then slog inwards. Dealing with Hardpoints, Bunkers, Ambushes, more then likely minefields, booby traps. and a Civilian population who doesn’t want them there.
That’s not even factoring in cases of mounting unrest and Anti-CCP activity on the home front. Not to mention mounting Economic problems.
Or, they could just convince Taiwan to start using Dominion voting machines.
Good
China is highly unlikely to invade but let's say there are. There has to be some secret non nuclear weapon Taiwan is hiding. There have always been rumors of one, I mean, half a century of preparations....
Maybe the Taiwanese are the ones that built that dam in China, and put explosives inside.
Lots of gun control? Lowest per capita gun ownership? Seems to me like a black hat operation; however, we argue over the idea of China being controlled by white hats.
Interesting to point out - One of my Japanese friends is training in airsoft guns right now too. He's a civilian. Didn't ask him the reason yet.
Interdasting :) I wonder if there is a plan to provide small caliber hand guns and rifles?
Sometimes a white is just the enemy of my enemy.
States have interests. Sometimes certain interest align with State A,B,C. Sometimes it align with A,D,E, because B,C are enemies to D,E.
I'm gonna say no
Someone needs to explain HOW CCP plans to move all the troops, armored vehicles and logistics TO Taiwan for the invasion.
If Taiwan has no Nukes they are fools.
Remember why Truman chose to nuke Nagasaki and Hiroshima? Estimates were up to a million dead to defeat Japan on their home islands. And that was against an already defeated enemy with no access to oil or natural resources, with few munitions left available and whose industry was a shambles.
Now think of Taiwan, with 70 years of being threatened by Chinese invasion, 70 years to prep, 70 years to build hardened defenses around the island, 70 years to train and prepare, to draw and redraw battle plans for any and all contingencies, with some of the newest and best weapons of war in the world and huge stockpiles of munitions.
Now add in the challenging topography. The shallow western approaches that would be choked with sunken Chinese warships. The scarcity of natural harbors.
Read more: https://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Asia-and-Oceania/Taiwan-TOPOGRAPHY.html#ixzz7aknCyKZ8
If China were to invade there would be millions of dead on both sides. Chinas military would be decimated and unlikely to recover for the next 30 to 50 years, leaving the mainland open to either invasion or mass civil unrest. It would bankrupt them. China as we know it now would cease to exist.
Im pretty sure China understands this and that is why they havent attempted to invade sooner. If they really wanted it they would have done so right after Chiang fled there.