To clarify my last, I should've added that at the end of my last post, I mentioned "what struck me was how
old some of these Marines Forces where." I should've added to that "historically speaking." I think it was Spain or Portugal that can trace the origin of their Marines back to the 12th Century-to me that's just too cool.
Another thought came to me in the "reading room" while actually reading T.E. Lawrence's "Seven Pillars of Wisdom" and thinking about the ref. that ranked the world's navies, that in discussing China's SSBN program that they used the word "bastion" which I haven't seen used in a longtime. The term "
Bastion" was used during the Cold War years describing the areas (Soviet) Russia would use to hide their SSBN's so that they'd be fairly close to the "Motherland" and could more easily be protected by other Russian assets against "unwanted guests"
like us. As an
update the Russians are reactivating 12 Cold War era Arctic bases to have them in place as the NW Passages opens up and to protect their vast energy resources in the region.
Geographically speaking I feel now a much more strategic link to the man made islands the Chinese are building beyond just "power projection" in the South China Sea region. They can't realistically have a "bastion" setup to the North because of Russia nor to the East because they'd be sandwiched between Taiwan, Japan and S. Korea. So unless they invade Taiwan they can only go South in the area of those contested "islands" that are all going to have airfields on them and surface combatants that can operate from them along with their attack submarines. You would have all the pieces in place to support and protect a "bastion" for your SSBN subs to operate within.
I guess I just shouldn't think on a "multi channel" level in the "reading room" it sometimes drives CINCLANTHOME a little crazy in
any room of the house or elsewhere but she still likes me
- you gotta love her for that, well I do anyway!!
Regards,
Pat
