The United States plans to spend billions of dollars. The Navy will modernize a Cold War-era submarine detecting system in the Pacific Ocean. China is beefing up its Navy and has become more unpredictable in recent years. China’s hostility against Taiwan is a factor in the Pacific Rim defense strategy. Russia also has a navy in the Pacific Ocean.
The US Integrated Undersea Surveillance System was developed as part of a classified effort in the 1950s to monitor and counter Russian Navy fleet movements and actions. Three persons with firsthand knowledge of this initiative have come out to question if this is the wisest use of those dollars.
The renovation of the surveillance wires will result in smaller cables covering a broader region. For a charge, the United States is also supplying the same technology to Australia. This upgraded submarine monitoring technology also includes unmanned sea drones and AI processing.
After Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan in 2022, China demonstrated its strength by shooting rockets over the island and conducting live-fire drills in the waterways that surround Taiwan. The drill demonstrated that China could, and perhaps would, establish a blockade around Taiwan if it so desired.
Taiwan is a small island with no Navy to compete with the Chinese Navy. In Taiwan, the peace is tentatively held together. The United States relies on trade from Taiwan, which is self-governing and claims to be ruled by the Communist Party.
The Pacific Ocean has seen its fair share of battles and wars; what remains unknown is how much more it will experience in our lives. Some naval experts believe that with China, Russia, and the United States sharing the ocean, conflict is unavoidable, and that we should be better prepared.
