China angrily denounces "provocative" speechs from US and Japan

[Roma_Victrix]

Wouldn't it be funny, if each of these nations had there own super sized inflatable to fight it out Godzilla style. At least there wouldn't be any boats sunk and risk of human life. Someone should put this forward as a suggestion at the UN as a way of solving the dispute over territory, the first to deflate is the loser. Would make for some great television viewing.

If only mankind was cool enough to settle serious disputes like that. Sadly, we are way too savage....we're bipedal primates after all.

[caratacus]

If only mankind was cool enough to settle serious disputes like that. Sadly, we are way too savage....we're bipedal primates after all.

Well didn't primitive tribal people settle disputes by having their champions fight each other. These were usually selected from the rulling elite because they were the ones who had anything to loose. In the modern age, it is the plebs that do the fighting and the elite create the wars.

Seems to me though that warfare is becoming increasingly mechanised. It will only be a matter of time before the role of actual fighting by humans will be minimal and combatants will control equipment and weapons behind a computer screen. In such a situation it makes sense that instead of wasting billions on warfare with many machines, disputes could be settled by combat between two very large ones. Then warfare will have trully come full circle.

[conon394]

Seems to me though that warfare is becoming increasingly mechanised. It will only be a matter of time before the role of actual fighting by humans will be minimal and combatants will control equipment and weapons behind a computer screen.

I'm not sure - nobody has fought a war that war at high intensity vs an equal opponent. Its one thing to fly drones around Yemen with the government's quiet approval - but say vs China with Hacking, Jamming and somebody with a budget to fund counter measures. What happens when your comm satellites start dropping from the sky or get disabled?

[caratacus]

I'm not sure - nobody has fought a war that war at high intensity vs an equal opponent. Its one thing to fly drones around Yemen with the government's quiet approval - but say vs China with Hacking, Jamming and somebody with a budget to fund counter measures. What happens when your comm satellites start dropping from the sky or get disabled?

Dominance in the Earth's atmosphere will be increasingly important and there was a lot of talk years ago about killer satellites. But I am wondering even if you had your communication network by satellites taken out, would it not be possible to use dedicated drone craft flying at very high altitude to act as backup. More maneuverable than satellites and far cheaper, they would also be more difficult to target, although their range would be much reduced, their utilisation would only be very localised anyway.

It sounds like science fiction but is possible with today's technology and should be considered if the existing communications network was in some way undermined at time of war. Drones are very much the future of warfare and those being used today will be joined by others to fill all manner of tasks in warfare including doing the actual fighting.

[Knight of Heaven]

Dominance in the Earth's atmosphere will be increasingly important and there was a lot of talk years ago about killer satellites. But I am wondering even if you had your communication network by satellites taken out, would it not be possible to use dedicated drone craft flying at very high altitude to act as backup. More maneuverable than satellites and far cheaper, they would also be more difficult to target, although their range would be much reduced, their utilisation would only be very localised anyway.

It sounds like science fiction but is possible with today's technology and should be considered if the existing communications network was in some way undermined at time of war. Drones are very much the future of warfare and those being used today will be joined by others to fill all manner of tasks in warfare including doing the actual fighting.

Im currently watching 24, and the drone issue seems quite pervalent.
What if a terrorist gets hold on of your drone armada?
On the other hand is fiction

[Condottiere 40K]

What if the Iranians spoof communications and guide it down to an unused airfield, then dissect it, reverse engineer it and build a copy?

[Col. Tartleton]

That could never happen.

[Condottiere 40K]

The Iranians belief it did, though they belief a lot of strange things.

[Heinz Guderian]

haha i remember that. that was brilliant.

[caratacus]

What if the Iranians spoof communications and guide it down to an unused airfield, then dissect it, reverse engineer it and build a copy?

That drone was for surveillance only. But I think the next generation drones, or in some cases droids, are already being developed for active combat. What is in the air, can also be achieved in the sea and it looks like equipment like this will be deployed in areas of potential naval conflict such as the South China Sea. At present they maybe very expensive but this will change, giving minor players such as Japan and South Korea a realistic deterrent capability to coping with a large navy parked in it's waters.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

http://thetruthisnow.com/headlines/a...-against-iran/
But for the present manned mini subs are very much an option for these countries today and although they may lack the impressiveness of a large well equiped warship, they have a damage capability which if used effectively could be very impressive when measured against their far cheaper price. The cost in human life.. well that's another matter.

[Exarch]

Not likely - but omitted is that a Amphibious war ship as well. And a Fighter upgrade deal. The problem for China is that its kind of making everyone forget they all have the same territorial water disputes between each other but focus only on China.

tell that to the rest of the members of ASEAN who've consistently refused to get drawn into the viet/filipino dispute with China;
or tell that to the Koreans who still remember the Japanese atrocities of ww2 and are the main stumbling block to US hope for a US-Japan-Korea China containment team

[Erwin Rommel]

tell that to the rest of the members of ASEAN who've consistently refused to get drawn into the viet/filipino dispute with China;

Vietnam and Japan is mulling about international arbitration.

Oh look, even Malaysia is kinda low key but hey, its a start.

http://www.scmp.com/comment/article/...itime-disputes

Indonesia finally recognizes hey, that nine dash line just brushes Natuna Island.

[Exarch]

Vietnam and Japan is mulling about international arbitration.

which could still be vetoed by a UNSC permenant member,
hang on a sec... isn't China a UNSC permamnent member?

Oh look, even Malaysia is kinda low key but hey, its a start.

http://www.scmp.com/comment/article/...itime-disputes

Indonesia finally recognizes hey, that nine dash line just brushes Natuna Island.

yet somehow all of these countries refused to back up Vietnam or the filipinos in their own territorial stouches? could it be that Malaysia has its own territorial squabbles with the philipines?

or maybe, just maybe, ASEAN recognises that it needs China more than China needs it, hence why so many other ASEAN countries are clamouring for China's "maritime silk road"

[SpinSta]

Seems to me though that warfare is becoming increasingly mechanised. It will only be a matter of time before the role of actual fighting by humans will be minimal and combatants will control equipment and weapons behind a computer screen. In such a situation it makes sense that instead of wasting billions on warfare with many machines, disputes could be settled by combat between two very large ones. Then warfare will have trully come full circle.

But seriously, China is facing major domestic problems and it has to put an aggressive face on to mitigate the attention given to those problems.

[Roma_Victrix]

Well didn't primitive tribal people settle disputes by having their champions fight each other. These were usually selected from the rulling elite because they were the ones who had anything to loose. In the modern age, it is the plebs that do the fighting and the elite create the wars.

Seems to me though that warfare is becoming increasingly mechanised. It will only be a matter of time before the role of actual fighting by humans will be minimal and combatants will control equipment and weapons behind a computer screen. In such a situation it makes sense that instead of wasting billions on warfare with many machines, disputes could be settled by combat between two very large ones. Then warfare will have trully come full circle.

This immediately sprung to mind.

[Col. Tartleton]

But seriously, China is facing major domestic problems and it has to put an aggressive face on to mitigate the attention given to those problems.

Chinese people only care about the economy.

[Edelfred]

after USA has declined the military challenge from North Korea
the accents in the region have shifted , then china has gotten serious possible ally
http://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-...-chinese-press

[DarthShizNit]

The US has been declining going " all" on the Korean peninsula for 60 years now, fail to se how that somehow weakens our position.

Besides, this is clearly a thread about a steampunk Samurai riding a robot Godzilla into single combat against Jet Li. Stay on topic please.

[Col. Tartleton]

Jet Li would win. He has a higher Fists Per Second.

[hellheaven1987]

then china has gotten serious possible ally

That was like saying EU and Russia were serious ally before Crimean happened.