Tension in the Far East

[BanzaiCat]

Eliminate lobbyists and campaign contributions. Those would be worthy events and highly entertaining to watch as the political fur flies as the geezers in Congress try to figure out what the fluck to do with themselves.

[mirth]

sure you do.  the Soviets did it for decades.  what I dont get is why the Japanese don't rotate squadrons through on a regular basis.

They might, but if there's only a single squadron of 15s that's still a lot of intercepts to handle.

And it sounds like Naha needs upgrading:

Naha AB currently hosts JASDF units flying modified F-15J/DJ fighter aircraft, Kawasaki T-4 trainers, UH-60J Black Hawk and CH-47J Chinook helicopters. Units of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force are also based at Naha, flying the P-3 Orion patrol aircraft. The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, Okinawa Prefectural Police, and the Japan Coast Guard also utilize facilities at Naha Airport.

As of 2013, funding in the region of ¥0.3 billion has been requested for preparing the base to host JASDF E-2C aircraft, including ¥70million for new repair and maintenance facilities.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naha_Air_Base

That's a lot of different aircraft and units using a single strip that's shared with civilian traffic.

[GDS_Starfury]

well Kadena is right next door so if shit gets really serious Naha isnt all by its lonesome.

[LongBlade]

I don't know what Libertarian party/PAC coffers are like, but any progress that the Chinese can subsidize (if they really are wishing the US to retreat from the Pacific) would be money well invested.

In the USA, it is illegal for people who are not US citizens, non-US companies, and foreign government to make political contributions to candidates or political parties.  This was one of the many Clinton scandals - they had a bunch of contributions from Chinese nationals during his Presidency.  The "Clinton Foundation" has also taken tons of contributions from foreign governments.

So Chinese contributions to the Libertarians would not be allowed under US law.

Huh.

So in a way the Clintons are responsible for 9/11. IIRC the FBI was focused primarily on Chinese donations to Congresspeople when it took place.

[LongBlade]

Glorious Mission Online. Chinese made FPS. http://kotaku.com/chinas-first-person-military-shooter-has-a-terrible-me-1026025398

From the article:

What was most unsettling to me was that if you were to stand over a downed Japanese soldier, the player's gun starts emptying it's clip on the dead soldier. It's messed up, and I could not confirm that this was by design or a glitch. It was a glitch, a terrible one at that.

Yeah, right.

[mirth]

well Kadena is right next door so if shit gets really serious Naha isnt all by its lonesome.

Does make you wonder why so many of the intercepts are coming out of Naha. It's not all that much further south than Kadena. Maybe the general at Naha pissed someone off.

[GDS_Starfury]

Kadena is a USAF base and as far as I know we dont police Japaneses airspace.  we dont police UK and Norwegian airspace either.  thats why all the photos Ive seen have been non-USAF fighters doing the intercepts and escorts.

[mirth]

I don't think the defense treaty prevents the USAF from patrolling Japanese air space. I'm sure we leave it to them out of respect though. They can handle the mission, just seems like Naha is too small and congested for that level of intercepts.

[W8taminute]

sure you do.  the Soviets did it for decades.  what I dont get is why the Japanese don't rotate squadrons through on a regular basis.

I forgot about how the Soviets used to harass us.  Good point.

I was wondering why the Japanese don't rotate their squadrons either.  Even if China doesn't intend war, they get free practice for their pilots and they intimidate their neighbors into submission. 

[Centurion40]

Kadena is a USAF base and as far as I know we dont police Japaneses airspace.  we dont police UK and Norwegian airspace either.  thats why all the photos Ive seen have been non-USAF fighters doing the intercepts and escorts.

You've policed ours, what with NORAD and all.

[GDS_Starfury]

do I need to bring up the state of your Air Force?

[Centurion40]

sure you do.  the Soviets did it for decades.  what I dont get is why the Japanese don't rotate squadrons through on a regular basis.

I forgot about how the Soviets used to harass us.  Good point.

I was wondering why the Japanese don't rotate their squadrons either.  Even if China doesn't intend war, they get free practice for their pilots and they intimidate their neighbors into submission.

Yeah, makes perfect sense.  They should probably also (as previously mentioned) construct their own airbase on Okinawa.

[Centurion40]

do I need to bring up the state of your Air Force?

No.  In my previous post I was going to add "because someone has to do it", but I wasn't in a self-deprecating mood!

During the immediate days after 9/11, our AF temporarily kept a couple of CF-18s at 14 Wing Greenwood (Nova Scotia) and 9 Wing Gander (Newfoundland) because the closest fighter wing was based at 3 Wing Bagotville (Quebec).  Take a look at a map of Canada.  3 Wing provides fighter coverage for all of eastern Canada.  4 Wing Cold Lake provides fighter coverage for the western half of Canada.  That's right, we have 2 RCAF fighter bases... 2.

[BanzaiCat]

You guys should just join the U.S., already.

[Centurion40]

We probably have, it just hasn't been made public yet.

If true, I wish that they'd hurry up.  I'd like to retire in Florida, west coast.