I don’t expect to be able to blog for a bit over a week. I’ll be back here on March 4.
Chuck Hill's CG Blog
I don’t expect to be able to blog for a bit over a week. I’ll be back here on March 4.
Chuck Hill's CG Blog 
Hi Chuck,
Just wondering if when you get back online if you have a take on the US contingentcy when this hits the fan, especially with the first LCS just deployed to region for 6+ months? see link:
http://news.yahoo.com/china-navy-seeks-wear-japanese-ships-disputed-waters-210417670.html
Seems that Japans Coast Guard is knee deep in it and stretch thin! A familiar theme these days.
I do think it is getting very dangerous. I’ve been following developments by referencing news stories as they appear in the comments here:
There is a lot of ill will in China toward Japan as a result of Japan’s actions during WWII and the Chinese government seems to be doing everything they can to keep that memory alive. China keeps telling their people this is their territory, so hostility seems almost inevitable. I could easily see a dispute between Chinese fishermen and the Japanese Coast Guard leading to a military clash.
Relative to stressing the Japanese Coast Guard. In terms of ships they are much better off than the USCG. Their ships are newer and more numerous and some of them are very large. On the other hand they are not so well equipped with aircraft.
I get the feeling, if the Japanese see a need to expand their Coast Guard, they will. Their defense budget is kept low (1% of GDP compared with over 4% for the US and a NATO target of 2% of GDP) because of a general anti-military attitude left over from WWII, but their Coast Guard is not so constrained.