A U.S. commander ‘sinks’ the George Washington
December 8th, 2009 | Ballistic missile defense Carriers ordnance Science and technology The Pacific | Posted by Phil Ewing
The crew of the carrier George Washington has only six more years to enjoy Japan and lovely Mt. Fuji, according to an alternate-future-history piece in which the flattop is sunk by the Chinese // Navy
Naval egg-heads inside the Beltway and anyplace else people know the term “pacing threat” have been noodling over an alternate-future-history piece in the recent edition of the Foreign Policy Research Institute’s magazine Orbis, in which a Navy scholar describes how the Chinese “sunk” the carrier George Washington.
The piece, “How The United States Lost the Naval War of 2015,” by Naval War College professor Cmdr. James Kraska, is not uplifting. In it, the Chinese sink the GW with one of their super death-ray re-targetable carrier-killing ballistic missiles; deny it; score a propaganda victory after rescuing some survivors; and use the whole thing to consolidate their status as the new rulers of the world Pacific. The impotent Navy does nothing, and suddenly it, the U.S. and the world realize that America’s power has evaporated.
Even when the United States shows the world evidence that the Chinese missile destroyed the GW, nobody cares:
… U.S. credibility was low, and China was in ascent. China’s narrative shaped global media and public opinion: the incident [in which Kraska has 4,000 American sailors die] was unfortunate and simply demonstrated to Japan and to the world the volatility and danger of U.S. nuclear-powered warships. The explosion was an accident and it would not have happened if the carrier had not been trying to intimidate China.
(Apparently, in Kraska’s future, the Navy itself has forgotten about the ship-killing missiles, and 7th Fleet strike groups are no longer escorted by Aegis warships that could, at very least, produce American sailors who watched a missile plunge down from space and destroy the carrier.)
At least one egg-head isn’t convinced, however: Big-dog military analyst Tom Ricks says Kraska’s dystopic vision left him cold, and not only because the piece was depressing:
… what stuck in my craw most of all was Kraska’s casual poke at “the apologizing Obama administration,” which he asserts that, combined with the “unpopularity” of the predecessor administration, is undermining national security. I think it is acceptable for active duty officers to critique strategy, but I think here Kraska is sailing a little too close to politically attacking his commander in chief…
What do you think?
Comments
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Solomon Says:
December 8th, 2009 at 1:57 pmI think that the Cmdr. was actually poking the JCS/Chief of Naval Operations. Only with their advice would an incident like this happen. He appears to be talking about a military failure, not a political one. Ricks’ seems to be hyper-sensitive and needs to reassess his position.
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Schmedlap Says:
December 8th, 2009 at 7:51 pm“At least one egg-head isn’t convinced, however: Big-dog military analyst Tom Ricks…”
Come on. He is a “big dog” analyst, but he is not an egg-head who anyone would or should look to for a critique of a scholarly article.
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Bruce Says:
December 10th, 2009 at 10:18 amIt is hard to imagine that DOD is overlooking China. The recent forward-deployment of more advanced submarines, and the withdrawal to Pearl of lesser subs, indicates the importance of the region and the potential threat of China’s military. Personally, I think that China’s economic interests — the US is their biggest market — most likely lessens the threat of war with the US. On the other hand, China’s huge holding of U.S. Treasuries means that it could, if it wanted, bring America’s economy to its knees without ever firing a shot. That might not be in China’s national interests, though.
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elgatoso Says:
December 11th, 2009 at 12:13 amWhit respect to the sciencie -fiction alternate-future-history piece write for Naval War College professor Cmdr. James Kraska,is more credible a future where Skinet wipe the human race (Terminator Salvation ) or a disaster struck Earth (2012).Or whatever fiction could be create for the imagination of the autor.Fiction is only fiction.
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