Chinese see military dependence on computers as weakness »
Posted by: JamesMarcus 1 year ago133 Comments Report this Story
U.S. and other foreign military analysts say that Chinese defense planners have identified the heavy dependence on computers of most modern military forces as a potential weakness that could be exploited in a conflict.
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stoutkraut1 year ago
There was a military axiom I learned over 40 years ago as a young cadet that military leadership has forgotten...KISS...Keep It Simple Stupid. Computers are great but we better know how to do things without their aid. Why China wants confrontation I don't know...everything they have done over the past 8 to 10 years and the writings of their senior military thinkers is centered on conflict with the US. Their economy dies if we stop buying what they make, we may well die if we buy their products. I try to avoid Chinese products like I do Venezuelan oil.
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phleghem011 year ago
Since many of out 'smart' weapons have onboard computers, and most of our aircraft and warships are highly dependent on microprocessors, we would be in severe trouble if the first salvo in a confrontation was an intense electro-magnetic pulse, and our micro-electronics were not sufficiently shielded. Hopefully, sufficient shielding is part of the military specifications. Another possible weakness might be an enemy's interference with the wireless communication frequencies; but the levels of encryption that are employed today should provide some security against that. But who knows what the Chinese might do? They own a large amount of US debt, so a war wouldn't be in their best interest.
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Jaydee401 year ago
Americans alway see other countries as the aggressor but it is in fact other countries responding to American actions. America in trying to keep such a large advantage over all countries in the world is creating it's own enemies, the bully always gets bet up in the end. American military equipment makes heavy uses of computers, that is no secret, but if those computers could be rendered useless America would be powerless to defend her self against the type of wave attacks the Chinese love so much.
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flyrod1 year ago
Jaydee, you are either a little kid or just an idiot. If you think that America depends solely on computer tech to defend itself then you lack sufficent knowledge to make your last statement. If the Chinese are really under that misconception shame on them. Computers enhance and improve most of our weapons systems, but their loss does not eliminate the weapon. Here's a little secret for you. We practice without the computers too. shhhhhh don't tell the Chinese......
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blowback1 year ago
> Why China wants confrontation I don't know.
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History has already answered your erroneous and misleading question.
China does not want confrontation. It presumes the US does.
So it prepares itself in case. Why does it presume this?
The Korean War. The Vietnam War.
US military bases on almost its entire perimeter.
In addition US agression and imperial expansion in other
parts of Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East.
Most recently, Afghanistan and Iraq.
The question more correctly should be:
Why does the US want confrontation, as it has already done
in the past, with China?
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JIMMYFISH1 year ago
of cause its the united states fault that china has been building its military faster then we ever did every thing that is wrong in the world is the united states fault maybe we should surrender our soverinty over the the united nations and redistibute americas wealth to all the poor countries
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Hhussk1 year ago
Your vision is skewed and aggressive to a point that it fails you. Among your comments are the suggestion that China merely "prepares" itself just in case. Prepares itself for what? The rise of free trade? Nuclear War? Freedom of Religion? I tell you now that China fears the world bypassing them in wealth and prosperity.
Definie imperial expansion more properly and you will see that you do not understand capitalism and freedom.
But perhaps it stems from the Chinese initiative to invade Taiwan. They declared their independence, but the Chinese Government refuses to accept it.
So far, in a study of Government, Communism needs expansionism to survive. China will have to take over other countries in the near future for this very reason.
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kobzikov1 year ago
"Why China wants confrontation I don't know"
That's because you don't consider US advanced arm sales to Taiwan or US spying on China threats to Chinese security and they do.
"Their economy dies if we stop buying what they make, we may well die if we buy their products."
Actually it's US corporations who outsourced production to employ cheap Chinese labor that would take a hit before Chinese economy does. Corporations love their non-existent labor protection, lack of environmental controls or oversight of any kind. And if US companies start taking a hit it's gonna get pretty rough for US economy.
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orgham221 year ago
Actually corporations follow the consumer. As long as the consumer the least expensive items regardless of where they are made they have no choice. I am sure you typed your message into this blog on a cheap Chinese made computer, but that is your choice but don't blame the corporation that had to compete or go under.
This year for the first time ever more foreign cars than American made cars were purchased in this country. I don't think any were made in China.
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Hhussk1 year ago
You all pretty much miss the mark. The China and U.S. are globalized; they will pretty much fall together if they fall. The U.S. is strongly tied to Chinese labor, and the Chinese Economy is heavily invested in the U.S. Dollar.
The real problem occurs when China's population rise from poverty. At that point, there is no longer a cheap labor; most of the world market is on an even field.
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Irishman471 year ago
The Chinese know that fighting a conventional war they will have the upper hand. Just in numbers alone it would be like kicking an ant pile to go to war with them. Where they lack the technology they more than make up for in the vast numbers that they would be able to call up. If any remembers a little conflict called the Korean War. That should be a constant reminder of how difficult it would be to fight a war with them. Now do not get me wrong. I am not meaning to put down our men in uniform, but when you have an army coming at you with such a vast number of men that you end up running out of bullets before they run out of people you are going to be in big trouble.
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Hawklead1 year ago
This is not new. Even back in the seventies I saw things go haywire when the latest "high tech" gizmo crapped out. The WWII Jeep could be kept running with some scraps of wire, tape and a crecent wrench. The Hummvee takes a computer to tell the troop what to fix, and a ton of tools to do the Job! Soviet era warplanes were designed to be operated from improvised fields and maintained by conscripts on a two year hitch, ours took an aarmy of techs, and god help us if we did'nt have a paved runway to fly from.
The Chinese have it right. The only option we may have is a small, well placed thermonuclear device. Noisy, messy, crude, but will do the job.
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joeblowe1 year ago
Yes, the Soviets built simple and rugged. BUT - that isn't necessarily superior. I can't help but think that in MOST instances our more modern, complex fighter planes could shoot them down 9 times out of 10. It's also true that a modern fighter jet - no matter HOW hard you tried - HAS to have a certain level of complexity just to work. Putting a 2 year conscript to work repairing something that is THAT complex, even at its simplest, sounds like a recipe for disaster. In fact, it MAY very well have been one. You may recall, the old USSR wasn't very forthcoming about FAILURES of any kind. I'd MUCH prefer a 4 year, well trained, volunteer mechanic working on MY jet, thank you very much.
How'd this get HERE? It belongs one comment up. Did -I- fumble-finger or does Netscape have a fine NEW irritating bug?
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badnootka1 year ago
The vast number of boots on the ground in china is all fine........ If you are fighting in China. How long would it take china to move one million soldiers to the battlefield in say Afghanistan. Maybe about a decade.
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joeblowe1 year ago
This article points out a very relevant point. However, surely even the Chinese MUST be aware that since we INVENTED the microprocessor (in conjunction with a defunct Japanese firm, apparently) we are ALSO very much aware of their vulnerabilities. Military processing systems must be hardened against physical shocks and various radiations. Including an EMP I'd guess. Be pretty stupid NOT to do that since we ALL know about it. Seems to me I recall hearing about a helicopter that had been designed with electronics that were hardened against a nuclear EMP? Anyway. Physical hardening is one thing - SOFTWARE hardening is yet another. One must HOPE that our military is employing programmers and engineers that can keep up with - or hopefully EXCEED - the Chinese ability to devise software attacks. Or, failing that, that the soldiers are sufficiently trained to be able to shoot straight without computerized sights.
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colcam1 year ago
"Make your enemy doubt his strength, a battle you do not fight will not be lost."
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LOCKNLOAD1 year ago
.......Red China will not dare to war with the USA right now...their scientific knowledge is only elementary right now and their military leaders are insecure about computerizing their logistics as the story states...yes, their inherent Asian mentally of a pedestrian Army vs a mechanized American Army is still in vogue to some extent in Peking...if Truman ever gave Gen MacArthur the 100% military armaments that he should have been given...that Communist 'ant' army...would have been radiation shadows fertilizing all of those North Korean rice paddies right now....hooray for our modern armaments whether electronically or conventional....Red China will not strike us in the Now...the Red Chinese military remembers how the Eighth [8th] United States Army [8 American Division in the field [ 1950-1955] killed over a million Red Chinese and Red North Koreans...the Communist have alot to mull over before taking on the USA Military Complex now....Truman does not have a say any longer!!
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blowback1 year ago
Beijing has not been called Peking since 1949.
This may seem like a minor point but it is relevant
because it is indicative of both your outdated thinking
and your ignorance.
The Korean War was the US following in Japan's footsteps
along the same trail with the same ambitions.
It was an ambitious assault of imperial proportions
on China. And it failed.
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