Yes, any attempt at the Three Gorges Dam would draw extreme countermeasures -- and also extreme reprisals.
Taiwan Military News, Reports, Data, etc.
- Thread starter Gollevainen
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Yes, any attempt at the Three Gorges Dam would draw extreme countermeasures -- and also extreme reprisals.
As if they never did all these years. Such a network is bound to be present (clandestinely) even if there was some kind of agreements not to do so. Taiwan always had US forces operating in some form or another. Why wouldnt they?
Ofcourse, US admitting to it is another matter and can be seen as nothing but grandstanding.
China can do more in the Middle East and elsewhere where it'd affect US interests. Whether it is actually doing it and to what extend is not apparent and since the Anti-China propaganda is harsh, China doesn't need to try cover it up.
It remains to be seen if there are double agents within the networks of Taiwanese military and their dealings with US agents and forces. For a China that is capable enough to embed agents within US military, this would be a piece of cake.
This in my opinion is the right move. if Taiwan can destroy the PLA landing crafts as they make the dash, then they essentially wins the war.
PLA on the other hand might be forced to look at airborne as the first wave.
I thought any landing was preceded by removal of Anti Access / Area denial assets and gaining Air supremacy.
In such a case, Taiwan would see significant assets be destroyed by Rockets and UAVs. Landing will happen much later.
Not really. SEAD and destruction of army units as well as targeting military infrastructure such as power, water treatment, bridges, oil refineries, fabs, etc. would long precede any landing attempt. With their economic infrastructure destroyed they lose either way.
Once that happens regardless of how many ASMs they have, they will have no situational awareness due to being forced to keep their radar off, be unable to refuel to move, have no roads or bridges to drive on, etc.
It's definitely the right move in terms of what is more likely to be useful in a defensive role. They already will spend 1.5B on M1 Abrams. At least AShM is an obvious deterrent, while what use is M1? The heavy armour/firepower is not any advantage to knock out PLA amphibious tanks.
Taking into account the loss of Radar, they can try to use Passive IR seeker for the AShM. It is not as effective, but better than nothing. That's why I mentioned EW capabilities for PLA.
Remains to be seen?
There are so many cases already!
No less than 2 GENERAL-rank officers in 10 years.
The ease of espionage can be correlated to morale and pay.
ROC government has the additional unique issue of ROC-PRC relations. The ROC military are predominantly anti-DPP. Thus, the more salami slicing/anti-China tactics DPP undertakes, the easier it becomes to justify your personal greed. Perhaps this increased funding under the DPP government can help them in the long run? Or will they take the money and continue to hate the DPP? lol.
This will definitely increase the cost for PLA invasion and landing, but it won't change the results in the grand scheme of the thing. The much worse consequence of it is that it will increase the cruelty level of the Battle of Liberating Taiwan, because the PLA would have to use more deadly weapons in its arsenal that will cause broad and wide damages (since Taiwan military will deploy them widely and try to move around to hide the missiles). Modern conventional weapons are terribly powerful. I shudder to just think about it.
Btw, someone mentioned that Taiwan could use missiles to attack and damage Three-Gorge Dam. Well, it's not a new idea and was broached and discussed 20 years ago. Simply put, you would need nuclear weapons in order to damage the dam enough to cause serious trouble, as mainland experts explained back then. Conventional missiles can barely scratch its surface.
Personally, I really hope when that big day comes, ROC military will just put up some symbolic resistance and surrender when it becomes obvious to them and everyone else that the odds are greatly stacked against them. This is actually the prevailing thinking in Taiwan now, even though not officially. If and when mainland China makes its decision, it'll take over Taiwan no matter what and at any cost. There is simply no point to sacrifice too much (Taiwan) lives and properties when the final outcome is not in doubt.
The US, obviously, wants Taiwan to fight back ferociously. The bloodier and the more lives lost the better because it will 1) potentially deter mainland China from landing and occupying Taiwan, 2) buy more time for the US to intervene militarily should it decide so and 3) make a better case for international sanction of China after mainland China successfully takes over Taiwan.
but that is exactly what Taiwan is counting on, the longer it takes for the landing to happen the more likely there will be foreign intervention.
