• ComradeSalad@lemmygrad.ml
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    1 year ago

    It’s not really WW2, you can just have planes, subs, or ships launch missiles from 100km out. You can’t intercept them all, or many of them for that matter.

    • CriticalResist8@lemmygrad.ml
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      1 year ago

      There are systems to intercept missiles in flight, the US has the Patriot for example. Taiwan also conveniently sits around 100 miles (160km) of the mainland, not far at all to be deploying ships, planes and other defense systems from the shore.

      China has one major advantage too, supersonic missiles.

      • ComradeSalad@lemmygrad.ml
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        1 year ago

        Everything you said is true, but still missile interception is a risky business, if not just a “pray to god you can shoot it down” event. Plus a high altitude bomber or sub can fire cruise missiles from a 1000 km away before quickly turning tail or slipping deep into the dark pacific, so interception would be difficult there are well.

        Plus American interceptors out of Guam, Japan, Okinawa, Korea, or even Taiwan itself would complicate things significantly.

        But you are right that Taiwan would be generally easier to defend.

        However I doubt that the US has lagged behind in supersonic missile development, because if one thing, they absolutely love their weapons of war.

        A war would be a shit show and Taiwan would probably be devastated either way. Either by a Chinese assault, or an American retaliation or counter assault.

        It’s also concerning to think that it might just become a stalemate. The Chinese Navy would probably turn the US Navy to scrap, but at the same time how would a Chinese amphibious force fare against a city/mountainous terrain target that’s bristling every 3 meters with artillery, SAMS, tanks, anti ship launchers, AA, and Taiwanese/American soldiers?