The US's experimental 'lighting carriers' are 'much more capable' than China's current carriers, top US admiral says

[F-22Raptor]

At an event hosted by the US Naval Institute and the Center for Strategic and International Studies in October, Vice Adm. Karl Thomas, commanding officer of the US Navy's 7th Fleet, talked about one of the ways the Navy is working to expand its firepower in the region.

Over the summer, the Navy and the Marine Corps continued experimenting with the "Lighting Carrier" concept, which envisions US Navy amphibious assault ships stocked with US Marine Corps F-35B fighter jets to project power as part of a more distributed force.

USS Tripoli, an amphibious assault ship designed to carry Marines, helicopters, and vertical-takeoff aircraft, spent several months this year sailing with more than dozen F-35Bs, operating like a light aircraft carrier than a standard amphibious ship.

A light aircraft carrier embarks with fewer jets than a fleet aircraft carrier — as many as 20, compared to more than 50 on a fleet carrier — but it costs much less and is more versatile.

Because of that, Tripoli's commanding officer refers to the configuration as an "assault carrier" rather than "lighting carrier," according to Thomas, whose command is responsible for US Navy operations in the western Pacific.

"One day you can have F-35Bs on the flight deck. The next day you can have MV-22s and you can be putting Marines at the shore, and so it just is a very versatile instrument," Thomas said of the lightning carrier.

The Navy is still experimenting with how to integrate the lighting carrier with "a full-size carrier" and its carrier strike group, which is composed of a carrier, escort ships for defense and resupply, and at least one submarine. Thomas said the Navy had two of its nuclear-powered carriers operating with Tripoli during the Valiant Shield exercise in June.

Interestingly, Thomas also said that an amphibious assault ship, designated an LHA, in the lighting-carrier configuration is much more capable than the two aircraft carriers that China has in service.

"I will note that LHA with 14 F-35Bs is much more capable than either of the PRC's current carriers, both from a sortie-creation perspective as well as just a sheer capability," Thomas said.

The F-35B Lighting II is the short-takeoff and vertical-landing variant of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, a fifth-generation fighter with advanced capabilities. In addition to being a STOVL jet, the F-35B's array of sensors allow it to act as a battlefield hub, relaying information to friendly forces across a wide area.

"There is no comparison between a J-15 and an F-35B," Thomas said, referring to China's main carrier aircraft.

A lightning carrier also allows allies and partners "to see the capability you can bring with the F-35Bs on the flattop," Thomas said, pointing to the UK, which sent a carrier embarked with F-35Bs to the Pacific last year, and to Japan, which is converting two helicopter carriers to operate F-35Bs.

Lightning carriers more capable than China's carriers, US admiral says

An amphibious assault ship loaded with more than a dozen F-35Bs "just is a very versatile instrument," the head of the US Navy's 7th Fleet said.

www.businessinsider.com

 

[ZeEa5KPul]

 

[Beny Karachun]

Ain't going to work

 

[F-22Raptor]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1600473574245945344

https://twitter.com/x/status/1600473575617486848

US is just getting started

 

[S10]

Ain't going to work

Heh was gonna say the same about this shitty second rate carriers.

 

[FuturePAF]

If the war in Ukraine showed anything is that speed and momentum are key. If China can establish and secure multiple footholds on Taiwan within 24-48 hours of the outbreak it has a chance to win. Prolonged conflict favors the defender, especially if the US can dare the Chinese to shoot down resupply flights to the Taiwanese.

China will need between 500k and a million man invasion force for just the first wave alone; probably requiring tens of thousands of helicopters and tens of thousands of landing crafts. Striking with that kind of wright is the only kind of numbers that will overwhelm the superiority of western weaponry. Also, it would also mean China wouldn’t have to direct attack any non-Taiwanese assets to pre-empt a counter attack or outside forces coming to Taiwan’s aid. It would be a fait accompli at that point.

At that point most of this weapons being procured will be pointless in a Taiwan scenario, except for potentially blocking Chinese SLOC, for which China will need to depend on BRI; and circumvent all the “island chains”, opposing carriers, etc. perhaps seeing this, after some time, Taiwan reintegration will be accepted as a defacto reality, similar to how the world recognizes North Korea or Vietnam, some years after the wars ended.

 

[ZeEa5KPul]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1600473574245945344

https://twitter.com/x/status/1600473575617486848

US is just getting started

Oh, look at that, it's so cute how the US thinks it can produce at an industrial scale. If China is a 500 ton digger, the US is a Tonka toy truck.

You want to know the real US numbers? Take a zero off each quantity and stick it onto the cost.

 

[jhungary]

If the war in Ukraine showed anything is that speed and momentum are key. If China can establish and secure multiple footholds on Taiwan within 24-48 hours of the outbreak it has a chance to win. Prolonged conflict favors the defender, especially if the US can dare the Chinese to shoot down resupply flights to the Taiwanese.

China will need between 500k and a million man invasion force for just the first wave alone; probably requiring tens of thousands of helicopters and tens of thousands of landing crafts. Striking with that kind of wright is the only kind of numbers that will overwhelm the superiority of western weaponry. Also, it would also mean China wouldn’t have to direct attack any non-Taiwanese assets to pre-empt a counter attack or outside forces coming to Taiwan’s aid. It would be a fait accompli at that point.

At that point most of this weapons being procured will be pointless in a Taiwan scenario, except for potentially blocking Chinese SLOC, for which China will need to depend on BRI; and circumvent all the “island chains”, opposing carriers, etc. perhaps seeing this, after some time, Taiwan reintegration will be accepted as a defacto reality, similar to how the world recognizes North Korea or Vietnam, some years after the wars ended.

A 500,000 to 1 million man invasion force would burden the entire command and control structure, considering this is probably the very first conventional war China would have fought, if this requirement is set, then most likely would ends in Chinese failure.

As I mentioned before, you cannot take Taiwan until you have complete sea control, because that is the Achilles heel for that invasion. You would have to be able to secure the some 120 nm sea route in order to safely get your troop ashore, and that feat is hard to do to a near peer enemy like Taiwan, because they will offer some sort of fight to the Chinese and make the process as hard as possible. And that would become and uncertainty if you put US Navy in the mix. You can't land force if you are contesting sea control, on the other hand, even if China can beat off the US Navy in Taiwan, Chinese Navy would have reduced their capability significantly just to pull that out, that mean whether or not the Chinese have enough naval power to continue with sea control is in doubt.

On the other hand, Taiwan is not as big as Ukraine, but still impossible to conquer in a short amount of time due to the fact that Taiwan had been seriously urbanised. Each of those city would have taken weeks if not month for the Chinese to conquer. Meaning unless the Taiwanese surrender like Ghani, there are pretty much no way for China to take Taiwan in less than a month if Taiwan do a Zelenskyy.

 

[FuturePAF]

A 500,000 to 1 million man invasion force would burden the entire command and control structure, considering this is probably the very first conventional war China would have fought, if this requirement is set, then most likely would ends in Chinese failure.

As I mentioned before, you cannot take Taiwan until you have complete sea control, because that is the Achilles heel for that invasion. You would have to be able to secure the some 120 nm sea route in order to safely get your troop ashore, and that feat is hard to do to a near peer enemy like Taiwan, because they will offer some sort of fight to the Chinese and make the process as hard as possible. And that would become and uncertainty if you put US Navy in the mix. You can't land force if you are contesting sea control, on the other hand, even if China can beat off the US Navy in Taiwan, Chinese Navy would have reduced their capability significantly just to pull that out, that mean whether or not the Chinese have enough naval power to continue with sea control is in doubt.

On the other hand, Taiwan is not as big as Ukraine, but still impossible to conquer in a short amount of time due to the fact that Taiwan had been seriously urbanised. Each of those city would have taken weeks if not month for the Chinese to conquer. Meaning unless the Taiwanese surrender like Ghani, there are pretty much no way for China to take Taiwan in less than a month if Taiwan do a Zelenskyy.

It’s true, they will have to build up enough capacity to ensure sea control as much as possible, hence why they didn’t the exercise of a partial blockade of Taiwan after the Pelosi visit.

The first few days of a Taiwan invasion will have to ensure a few beachheads that can be resupplied. They don’t have to finish the war in a few days, so a month is a reasonable requirement to them on ensure they have the momentum to pull it off and not allow it to become a quagmire like Ukraine has become for Russia.

 

[Abid123]

DF-21D?

Ain't going to work

And why do you say that? Any reason or just trolling as you usually do?

Taiwan reintegration will be accepted as a defacto reality, similar to how the world recognizes North Korea or Vietnam, some years after the wars ended.

China is only getting stronger economically and militarily every year. By the middle of the century China will most likely be the dominant world power.

US has not dared to recognize Taiwan as an independent country for the last 40 years. They did not have the balls even 20 years ago when China was far weaker on a global scale.

 

[Beny Karachun]

And why do you say that? Any reason or just trolling as you usually do?

AEGIS

 

[Horse_Rider]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1600473574245945344

https://twitter.com/x/status/1600473575617486848

US is just getting started

Phew, the acquisition list seems like the US is about to prep for WWIIII. The recent statements I read from the US leadership seem to be true. They are taking the Chinese threat extremely seriously. This list confirms it.

 

[Beny Karachun]

US has not dared to recognize Taiwan as an independent country for the last 40 years. They did not have the balls even 20 years ago when China was far weaker on a global scale.

Yeah it only dared supplying them with a lot of weapons and only dared landing its top diplomats despite Chinese threats.

 

[Horse_Rider]

If the war in Ukraine showed anything is that speed and momentum are key. If China can establish and secure multiple footholds on Taiwan within 24-48 hours of the outbreak it has a chance to win. Prolonged conflict favors the defender, especially if the US can dare the Chinese to shoot down resupply flights to the Taiwanese.

China will need between 500k and a million man invasion force for just the first wave alone; probably requiring tens of thousands of helicopters and tens of thousands of landing crafts. Striking with that kind of wright is the only kind of numbers that will overwhelm the superiority of western weaponry. Also, it would also mean China wouldn’t have to direct attack any non-Taiwanese assets to pre-empt a counter attack or outside forces coming to Taiwan’s aid. It would be a fait accompli at that point.

At that point most of this weapons being procured will be pointless in a Taiwan scenario, except for potentially blocking Chinese SLOC, for which China will need to depend on BRI; and circumvent all the “island chains”, opposing carriers, etc. perhaps seeing this, after some time, Taiwan reintegration will be accepted as a defacto reality, similar to how the world recognizes North Korea or Vietnam, some years after the wars ended.

Heavy troops concentrations will prove out to be the worst case scenario for a Taiwanese invasion. Step one would be to achieve air dominance. Taiwan is small, the Chinese would have to disable it's AD systems and the ability to operate jets off runways. Without air dominance, the Chinese could take huge losses. In my understanding, taking Taiwan won't be a big deal for the Chinese military by 2025 onwards. The major issue is dealing with the US post Taiwan take-over or during that.

What goes against China is lack of a hedge. The US has bases all over the world. The Chinese have some reefs and artificial islands and those are also tiny and can be neutralized easily. The way to offset it to some degree is by having a VTOL fighter / attack jet (be it stealth like the F-35 or a 4th gen++) and smaller landing ships like light carriers to operate off of. If China had a half dozen strategic military bases around the globe supported by a dozen or so of these light carriers, the scenario could become very complicated.

 

[jhungary]

It’s true, they will have to build up enough capacity to ensure sea control as much as possible, hence why they didn’t the exercise of a partial blockade of Taiwan after the Pelosi visit.

The first few days of a Taiwan invasion will have to ensure a few beachheads that can be resupplied. They don’t have to finish the war in a few days, so a month is a reasonable requirement to them on ensure they have the momentum to pull it off and not allow it to become a quagmire like Ukraine has become for Russia.

As they said, beachhead is easy, how you can supply that beachhead is the real issue, because once that had been established, you will need constant supply in order to make road inland. Any interruption in that supply line would jeopardise the entire operation. And you are suggesting the Chinese to mount a 500,000 to 1 million force. Landing that amount of force is easy, but supplying them constantly? Not so much....The balance of force suggested any invasion would be a long and lengthy affair because there are just too many cities and population center to take and too many strong points to overcome, and China can't really afford to supply a large enough force to go over it and hopefully take it in one go. Which mean the only way to do it is a step-by-step approach, setting different phaseline and different goal according to time.

The thing is, as I said before, it's all depending on how Taiwan would fight back, that is unknown, because if Taiwan do fight back and they would be able to make the Chinese invasion a living hell even without the present of US direct involvement. If they are going to just let it go like in Afghanistan, then it doesn't really matter even if US directly gets involved.