Shocking report finds Navy far more interested in diversity than winning wars By Thomas Lifson
The signs are clear that the United States Navy is in crisis. A series of ship disasters, including the scrapping of ¾ billion dollar carrier, The Bonhomme Richard, after a fire, and the fatal seaborne collision of the guided missile destroyer Fitzgerald that killed 7 sailors have revealed problems with training and readiness.
China, which now has more ships in its navy than we do, is boasting of having “chased” as US warship out of disputed waters. The AP reports:
China’s military said it chased a U.S. warship out of a disputed area of the South China Sea on Monday after Washington warned an attack on the Philippines might activate a mutual defense treaty.
Beijing affirmed its claims to portions of the sea that also are claimed by Southeast Asia governments. It rejected the Biden administration’s declaration of support Sunday for an international tribunal ruling in favor of the Philippines that threw out most of them.
China is increasingly assertive about pressing its territorial claims, which are fueling tension with neighbors including Japan, India, Vietnam and the Philippines.
The People’s Liberation Army said it sent ships and planes after the U.S.S. Benfold entered waters claimed by Beijing around the Paracel Islands.
Chinese forces “warned them and drove them away,” the military said on its social media account.
The Chinese are not necessarily reliable, but the mere fact that they make this boast, combined with its aggressive buildup in the sea lanes controlling a huge share of the world’s trade. That worrisome enough, a but a new report from two retired senior flag officers, one from the Navy and one from the Marines is a definite cause for worry, and ought to spark congressional hearings and serious reforms.
The UK Daily Mail summarizes in its trademark bullet point fashion:
- Members of Congress commissioned the report on issues in the surface Navy
- Came in response to fire on ship in San Diego and two ship collisions in Pacific
- Retired Marine general and Navy admiral spoke with current and former officers
- They identified a number of disturbing trends in Navy leadership and training
- Many officers said that diversity training took precedence over warfighting
- They claimed combat readiness had become a ‘box-checking’ exercise
Japan’s number two defense leader has already warned us that we risk a second Pearl Harbor. I suspect that China’s navy and other military branches focus on winning wars and pay no attention at all to diversity
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