One question to ask here is whether the sub fleet is recently built/acquired? If it is legacy there might not be a plan. Also a suggestion - might be for spying rather than attacking? barfo
As a jarhead myself, I know that's an oxymoron. It doesn't have to be sub-to-sub. We wouldn't need to even be in the water, though there are plans for that. I'm saying that NK subs don't stand a chance in anything other than staying near the Korean coast, staying on their batteries for quiet, and slipping guys ashore. Like they got caught doing in 1996 and 2010. They bought about 6 Romeos in the 70's, iirc, which the Soviets had declared obsolete in the late 50's when they stopped building them. Then NK started trying to make their own and got to around 20. They are the "Yugo" version of an obsolete-in-the-60s technology. And that's for their "advanced" attack subs. The mini-subs are almost only useful for SOF insertion and maaaaaybe minelaying. I don't think a torpedo with enough fuel to go anywhere even fits. If they do use their Sang-Os or the new Simpos for ballistic launch (nuclear, bio or whatever) they will likely be a high enough priority for the Commanders in the area that we know every detail about them, when they take off, where they're going, and would probably eradicate them if they so much as opened their missile hatches. NK subs likely can't get to Japan. They won't get past the first island chain without attracting notice. As far as launching on the West Coast, they probably wouldn't get the chance. Edit: You can read up on some open-source stuff at Jane's.
They've been retrofitting, rather than building. But KJU has been taking an interest in them. Could be, but similar to how we think our submarines are the "survivable" part of our Nuclear Triad (because our adversaries know where our military bases, bomber fields and missile silos are, but not where our missile boats are) NK may be thinking that his missile boats are his "strategic survivable assets". He will likely be disappointed.
I don't think this fellow would risk the possibility. By the look of him, I would wager he enjoys the hell out of living far too much come close to risking the possibility of permanent disappointment. Perhaps he has met his match in crazy, but more likely he been introduced to reality with sufficient clarity very recently.
A NK related question for Brian and anyone w/ military background... Are the 'war games' that Trump agreed to cancel important, and in what way? Besides signalling strength to our adversaries, are they actually necessary for military readiness? Or is it all for show? barfo
I'd love to see us get out of Korea period...let the S Koreans police their own borders and establish relationships with N Korea....I always thought we were there more for having a base closer to China and Russia than the N Korean state. N Korea must be held accountable for human rights abuse in the end. I don't really trust a dictator who kills his own brother and anyone who he fancies...he killed one of his military guys for falling asleep in a meeting.
War games are to the military what team practice is for the Blazers. A way of testing and improving how the varies players with special skills work together. That said. Unless Trump plans to go to war with NK, he didn't give up too much. I look at it as a good will gesture. To make up for the USA prisoners that were returned. A step towards peace, not war.
Mostly useful to the participants to see that they can work together, that the interfaces connect, signals can be read. Nothing lost if this in not going to be necessary.
I mean … simple as that. It ain't about that... I mean it's... It's not about that... At all. You know what I'm saying I mean... But it's...it's easy … to, to talk about... It's easy to sum it up when you're just talking about practice. We're sitting in here talking about practice. I mean, listen, we're talking about practice, not a war, not a war, not a war, we talking about practice. Not a war. Not, not … Not the war that I go out there and die for and fight every war like it's my last. Not the war, but we're talking about practice, man. I mean, how silly is that? … And we talking about practice. barfo
Actually, a good question. The war games with ROK have been a show of strength. In comparison to the other games we participate in the region, ie Japan and Singapore, it is rather insignificant. I do not see any negative in canceling, when one considers the substantial presence we would still maintain.
Ha! I worked with several Marines in my day, a couple of them more than once. I just can't see them making this statement. Perhaps time permits it now, hey!
