Curious Chinese Sub Story

The story of a Chinese submarine surfacing rather near an American Naval exercise in October leaves me as curious, as I am concerned. A US Naval Admiral was engaged in talks in China at the very same time and one of the alleged issues with that Sub type is noise. This would suggest a huge leap by the Chinese, though allegedly we weren't engaged in anti-sub ops at the time.

American military chiefs have been left dumbstruck by an undetected Chinese submarine popping up at the heart of a recent Pacific exercise and close to the vast U.S.S. Kitty Hawk - a 1,000ft supercarrier with 4,500 personnel on board.

If you've advanced a submarine class to the point where it can approach a potential enemy undetected, you don't usually surface it in the middle of a flotilla, no matter how proud such an act might make you feel. All you would be accomplishing is telling your potential enemy they need to focus more on the problem. That doesn't make sense.

However, from a US Navy perspective, allowing your enemy to think you can't detect a sub you can detect, while framing the issue in a manner that is sure to protect, if not increase your funding isn't a bad play at all.

I'm unconvinced we know the full story around the entire event. Mil-tech is always a game of cat and mouse. But by design, we're rarely left certain of who is the cat and who is the mouse.

Comments

[dumbblonde]

"However, from a US Navy perspective, allowing your enemy to think you can't detect a sub you can detect, while framing the issue in a manner that is sure to protect, if not increase your funding isn't a bad play at all."

That's an interesting point, and one I hadn't even thought of. I've been looking for more info - I agree there's more to this.

[JustADude]

You need to check the date on that story it goes back a ways can't remember if it is a year or two ago but it sure isn't a month ago.

[Fred Beloit]

From March 2006: http://www.heritage.org/Research/AsiaandthePacific/wm1001.cfm More at this link.

[Purple Avenger]

"The encounter was something of an embarrassment to Adm. William J. Fallon, Commander of US forces in the Pacific, who has engaged in an ambitious military exchange program with China."

Fallon is a train wreck waiting to happen.

[Larry Sheldon]

The story is a year old.

I question the timing. Why is it just now coming up?

And how may ex-Navy have a a vague "I don't think so" noise in one ear?

[K]

Perhaps both sides failed to detect. The Chinese probably knew at least one ship was near. But so what? It could have been commercial.

On the other hand, the Chinese might have had detailed knowledge of our fleet movements at that time. We just don't know what the Chinese knew (sounds like Rumsfeld and his Known Unknown)

We either failed to detect or suppressed the knowledge. Suppressing is probably career suicide or worse since many people would have known, both in the fleet and at naval operations. Still men take risks when they believe it serves the country.

My guess. The Chinese sub was waiting not underway. And producing as little noise as possible. We missed it. They came up to embarass and confuse us. It worked.

[JustADude]

People who know exactly what happened won't breath a word of it.

Simply put blog commentary about this thing will now just as it was back then be scanned by the Chinese to see if a tidbit of info is placed in the comments somewhere that might reveal some intel for them.

Perhaps they sponsored a round 2 of the same story to see if they can do better the second time around.

[Purple Avenger]

The PRC already got everything that was gettable. They played Fallon like a Steinway and rolled him like a Bowery drunk.

[seekeronos]

Actually, the sub was on its way to make a campaign donation to Hillary since Hsu was out of town that week. :P

[BobInStamford]

Wow, this is real 'breaking news'. I expect some coverage about the Hindenburg soon. It didn't look too steady on its approach into Lakewood, NJ you know.

[Fred Beloit]

Yes, Boob, you're correct. The Chinese haven't been around much since their favs the Clintons left the WH. With Hill in play, however, they are making a big comeback.

[DUKA]

North Korea was mad that the head of China's defense was on a carrier in exercises. Maybe they're not as mad now.

[Captain Joe]

Yeah Fallon was rolled by the chink commies. He kowtowed to Beijing claiming "we knew you were there, we just didn't want to create an international incident."

[BobInStamford]

"Yeah Fallon was rolled by the chink commies."

Rednecks is funny. Thank you for your service, patriot. Now back to work before the 'wetbacks' take your shitty job.

[templar knight]

You're welcome, queer. Now back to the gay brothels before your boyfriend succumbs to another gay whore. Even 'wetbacks' wouldn't want your shitty lifestyle.

[Wahoo Willie Sez:]

tk, dude, Why let that bozo chivy you into such demonrat language?