ladioussupp said:Can PLAN send a ship full with ESM/ELINT equipment, although US and coalition Navies may silence RF emissions? If "good faith" is not considered, which men-of-war is the most appropriate candidate?
Well, if the US did not want China there, they would not invite them. Simple as that.This level of access PLAN can learn next to nothing valuable - very low level of joint-op, no combat scenario...it's not surprising because to the RIMPAC bloc China is the enemy, or the not-so-explicitly implied OpFor over the years.
In any case, the US never true heartedly want PLAN participation, PLAN might be better off just send observers instead...sail for the Somalia expedition give them more practical experience then whatever they'd be allowed to glean at RIMPAC.
But they did invite them.
So, you guys are missing the whole point.
China should go, they should participate as much as they can and put their best foot forward.
They should seek to gain the trust of these other nations (not just the US) because virtually all of their neighbors in the region will be there.
Going in to try and use ECM and Intelligence to gather "whatever they can," will not do that.
Acting childish, like they have been spurned by simply being invited will not do that either.
As I said, the idea is to gain and win trust so they can become a partner with these other nations in regional security. I hope they do not listen to all this angry talk, and all of this "let's eaves drop" talk, and simply show up there with the best they have, and send the best vessel possible into the exercises.