China Launches New Nuclear Sub: Why?

[alterego]

@CynicalGabe

I’d still be more concerned about a fundamentalist with a truckfull of explosives.

Unless those ‘explosives’ are ‘nuclear explosives’, a fundamentalist is much less worrisome than a nuclear attack sub.

[Squink]

@alterego

a fundamentalist is much less worrisome than a nuclear attack sub.

True. The possibility of a close in nuclear attack sub is a big part of the reason we have those supposedly impenetrable detection systems along our coastlines.

[lokij]

@alterego

Until you realize that some of our first missles fired into afghanistan during the war on terror were fired from submarines (with the very first from ships). Having a capable navy is a very, very powerful asset. Monetarily,

the CIA fact file guesses that China spent 60 billion on their military in 2003. Upping it to 61 billion for a strategic long term investment doesn’t seem like a big deal.

An aside: That budget number, in retrospect to our spending in Iraq alone, seems very, very pale…pretty amazing.

It’s presumed that China’s real dollar value on defense spending is considerably higher. They only spend 61 billion the way we spend $1400 on a hammer, it’s creative book keeping. That’s still a long way from what we spend however. For those interested in naval affairs I highly recommend www.nosi.org

[Philster]

China was just testing the Sub for WalMart, who has now forced the U.S. to off shore it’s nuke sub program.