Russia - threadbanned users in OP

I don't really see that as too much of an issue. Now granted, I'm not a military expert but looking at the map of Taiwan, the main role of the US would likely be to help cut off any PRC landing forces on the island from resupply by going after shipping and air traffic, rather than getting involved in the ground conflict. ROC air bases would likely be the first targets of any PRC attack and after the events of the push on Kyiv back in February and March, you can bet that Beijing's military commanders will not be taking any chances in that regard. That leaves USAF units based out of Kadena, strategic bombers from Guam and Continental US bases, and the US Navy's aircraft carriers and their air groups as the best options for the job.

All these assets are not needed for the ongoing war in Ukraine, which is mainly a land war. If, or rather when the Taiwan situation boils over, I don't see that as any major drain on any US assets already in Army or Air Force warehouses. It might stretch the manufacturing capacities of US defense contractors though, once the warehouses are depleted. There are also two squadrons of logistics ships based in-theatre, one at Guam and one at Diego Garcia, that can supply a sizeable USMC force for 30 days. Once the war goes beyond that, or escalates even further, things could get dicey though.

It's not an endorsement of Putin but he certainly would not be as controlling or murderous as most of Russia or Chinese Communist leaders.

It's not that he is nice but that they were so incredibly brutal.

Oh, give him the same situation as the commies faced, and then you will see what he's capable of,,,do you think that he would not turn his military on his fellow Russians if he had too??? AKA Tiananmen square? Is he capable of murdering thousands and thousands if the need arose? He has already shown what he is capable of in Ukraine.

Needs to be done. Rather a bit of flash and feathers than holding all in and springing when desperate

If the west was taking a long term view here, I think it should be something like as follows. Give Ukraine everything it needs and wants to win this war and rout Russia. Grind the Russian economy into absolute dust. Push into some of Russia as insurance, with the possibility of retuning some of that land after a period of good behaviour. Force Russia to come to the most humiliating of peaces. Demilitarise it. Basically do to the Russians what was done to the Germans after World War II.

Then offer to bring them in from the cold on the explicit proviso that Russia's land, resources and people will be used to work as part of a new western order, over which it gets no say, at least in the initial period, but which will benefit it massively in the long run.

The west exploited Germany's geographical dilemma to bring Germany in from the cold. Germany was trapped between two superpowers - the west, and the Soviets. West Germany was extremely happy to be on the western side post World War II because the alternative was being controlled by the Soviets (and obviously a portion of it was, which worked out disastrously). West Germany being on the western side brought peace and prosperity, freedom, sensible social democracy.

Russia faces a similar geographical dilemma. It is a failed power which is trapped between two superpowers. On the other side of it lies China.

If Russia is routed in this war, as it needs to be, does it then want to be a vassal of China, or a vassal of the west - with the long term possibility of becoming an integral part of the western order like Germany is now, if it undergoes decades of real reform?

I think it would choose the latter. But to do that it first has to be utterly routed.

IAEA: Russia-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant 'out of control.' Rafael Mariano Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said that "seven indispensable pillars of nuclear safety and security are being violated" at the Zaporizhzhia plant

You are making no sense at all .... Hungary is a NATO member and part of the EU .... Orban did not threaten to shoot down any aircraft as you previously suggested.

I wouldn't be so sure about US Navy losses. The Taiwan Strait would be a problem, but I can't see the US being crazy enough to send a surface task force into there, let alone a carrier battle group. In my eyes, any such war will develop around whether China will be able to land a force on Taiwan and, more importantly, supply it, whilst keeping Taiwan and its allies from being able to resupply their forces. That means that the US Navy will need to find some way of attacking PRC supply convoys. The Strait isn't deep enough for the US Navy to operate their nuclear attack subs there, with a depth of 40-60 meters for most part, so we'll likely see TASMs and Harpoons flying every which way if the US get actively involved.

As for the aircraft carriers and their escorts, they'll likely stay out in the deep waters west of Taiwan, as that gives them more space to maneuver and hides their exact presence from any shore-based PRC radars due to the fact that Taiwan is in the way. Most US Navy and Marine Corps carrier aircraft have the "legs" to attack shipping in the Taiwan Strait from that position with minimal aerial refueling. This means that the Taiwan Strait will likely turn into a maritime no-man's land where neither the US Navy nor the PLA Navy will be able to operate unimpeded.

That's the last of my PRC/Taiwan takes that I'll be writing here, I've derailed this thread enough already...

Lockheed EP-3 Aries currently peeking over the border towards Odessa.

This map, albeit a bit old, gives you an idea of the signals gathering and snooping range of each of the SIGNIT aircraft in-theatre.

It should be possible for the UA to attack the nuclear power station with suicide drones. Precision targeting won't do damage to the reactors. (Better still; drones armed with a mixture of sloppy porridge and plutonium. Should get them out quick.)

China seemed to be the one driving the world economy after 08, but judging by how little coverage the RCEP gets in western media it's obvious there's a disconnect.

The turbine being serviced - "It's quite clear and simple: the turbine is there and can be delivered, but someone needs to say 'I want to have it'".

I've a suggestion. Send our man Jim off to Moscow to sort things out, Paul Murphy might go with him for company.

If they come back with white smoke, they'll be heroes. If they don't come back, well people will shrug.