"Let's get to Beijing": hundreds of US Air Force tankers can hold off the Chinese onslaught

If China invades Taiwan, it must win quickly, or Beijing risks losing. If the battle for the island is delayed for several days, American troops are able to face the aggressor, having an undeniable advantage.

Battle for access to the plain

This opinion is expressed by Forbes, which claims that one of the most significant "trump cards" of the US military in this theater of operations are air tankers and aircraft carrier catapults, which will put the PLA at an extremely disadvantageous position. If the former significantly expand the range of action of fighters, then the latter give them the opportunity to take off with a full load weapons and fuel.

The main condition for successfully repelling possible aggression is the time required to strengthen and deploy the air wing at the base in Kaden, located on Okinawa. At the same time, two or three US Navy aircraft carriers sent from Japan and San Diego should enter the seas surrounding China.

That being said, Chinese forces could face a significant delay in an attack on Taiwan. The fact is that the coast, convenient for amphibious assault forces, is located in the flat southwestern part of the island. The first major obstacle for the Chinese will be the garrison on Penghu Island. If the fleet bypasses it, then the Taiwanese troops will be able to launch a missile strike on the flanks of the PLA naval group.

Unpredictable power

The expected delay in the battle of Penghu allows the United States to deploy its forces in the theater.

US reinforcements able to change the course of the battle

- writes Forbes.

According to the publication, hundreds of air "tankers" KC-135 US Air Force are able to provide fuel to a huge number of fighters, increasing their flight range. It is the drummers who will be entrusted with the task of containing the onslaught of the Chinese troops. The US Air Force F-15, taking off from Kaden, can reach the most remote territories, up to Beijing. At the same time, F-22 and F-35 will be responsible for the East China Sea and the outskirts of the South China and Yellow Seas.

Chinese aviationWith more than a thousand fighter aircraft and only three Il-78 tankers in service, there is nothing to oppose the US Air Force with its 1900 percussion force and 500 “tankers”.

The fuel supply chain through a network of “tankers” makes it possible to project combat power with the small fighter forces potentially for 2000 miles. China has no such opportunity. Its fighters are tied to fairly predictable deployment patterns, operating no further than a thousand miles from the Chinese coast.

- notes Forbes.

According to him, China is trying to solve this problem by developing a tanker based on the Y-20 transport aircraft and building its third aircraft carrier with a catapult.

However, Beijing is playing catch-up and possibly losing. By then, the U.S. Navy will have unmanned tankers aboard its aircraft carriers.

- concludes the American edition.

Comments

[Pessimist22]

Let's wait and see who will have what.

[halpat]

Forbes does one good thing - publish lists of billionaires.
Although no one checked the correspondence of these lists with reality :))

And the rest ....

[mitroha]

"Sorry, Taiwan. But we will condemn this at the UN. And we will introduce unprecedented sanctions" - this is the only thing that the author and the United States will be able to say in the event of an unexpected and massive strike by the PLA on Taiwan. An armada of tankers .... this should be said))
Although I, as a Russian, do not give a damn about disassembling the PRC and Taiwan. Also to Americans in Taiwan

[NIKN]

Yes, it seems that all this was already in Korea and Vietnam, there were only aircraft carriers there and the UN helped its allies in the coalition. I understand that things will not go beyond words, the essence is to declare your ambitions to the whole world. But all the same, the world treats the US statements with obvious skepticism, if not with disgust.

[Shurik70]

Oh, those American "strategists" ...
What other "delay"? China knows every rocket launcher in Taiwan. If Taiwan manages to foolishly lead China to the use of force, the entire war machine will be destroyed in one day.
Then, when you have to "fight" not with the military, but with the protests of the local population - yes. They will "fight" for a long time. For decades. But it will be too late for outsiders to interfere, this will be China's INTERNAL problems.

[iouris]

Quote: Mitroha

I, as a Russian, do not care deeply about the showdown of the PRC and Taiwan.

The PRC and Taiwan are one country - China, therefore this is an internal matter of China, and you ("as a Russian") should learn to "filter the bazaar" and restrain the stream of consciousness. Try to put your main point in a cultural way.

[mitroha]

The fact is that it was cultural. In fact, my attitude towards the problems between Taiwan, China and the United States that is climbing there is deeply uncivilized.
And it’s certainly not your business to indicate what to do and how to express myself

[free_flier]

A little later, an article will appear that there are few fighters and the very same tankers.

[Charik]

today refuellers started to write off

[Fedorov]

Not that will have, but forgive me to clarify - and Whom.?

[lucul]

Let's wait and see who will have what.

Yes, they are clowns ....
What is the problem with J-16s taking off with outboard tanks, which will double their range? In case of danger, dropped the tanks, fired his rockets and home)))
Or do they think that the Chinese will only use carrier-based aircraft? )))
So funny - as if carrier-based aviation has an advantage over ordinary aircraft, near the coast, yeah))))

[Cyril G ...]

Have you seen the J-16 photo from the PTB?

[lucul]

Have you seen the J-16 photo from the PTB?

Is it difficult to do? ))))

[Cyril G ...]

On the Su-27/35 I did not see the PTB personally. and you?

[lucul]

On the Su-27/35 I did not see the PTB personally. and you?

If you haven’t seen it, it doesn’t mean that they aren’t there. You look at the LTH Dryers - there are data with hanging tanks)))

[Cyril G ...]

LTX is a thing in itself. Here is a photo of a Su-57 with a PTB, and there is a Su-34 with a PTB. But the Su-35 and especially the Su-27 is not.

[stoqn477]

If I remember correctly, the Su-27 does not have external fuel tanks, it has rather serious internal ones, which are not 100% charged. Otherwise, if it is 100%, which, according to memories, is somewhere around 9400 liters, the car is not so maneuverable.

[Fedor Sokolov]

Americans are turning into fools like Ukrainians right before our eyes. In modern wars, the speed of pressing the start button will play a decisive role.

[The popuas]

Ukrainians have good teachers

[Leprosy]

Quote: Fyodor Sokolov

Americans are turning into fools like Ukrainians right before our eyes.

There is no arguing, especially their kneeling ..)))

Quote: Fyodor Sokolov

In modern wars, the speed of pressing the start button will play a decisive role.

Most likely, who will destroy the first enemy satellites ..

[Fedorov]

If something happens, Taiwan will join in a matter of days, like Kiev (and there are a lot of us mulberries and even have something to shoot from). And the striped ones are not a hindrance here, especially before the elections.

[aszzz888]

The expected delay in the battle of Penghu allows the United States to deploy its forces in the theater.

The actions of the mericatos should be regarded as interference in the affairs of another country.

[Leprosy]

Quote: aszzz888

The actions of the mericatos should be regarded as interference in the affairs of another country.

This is their bread, and that is what they live on. The USA owes trillions to China, they want to zero by any means.

[aszzz888]

Guba Today, 08:57 AM NEW
-1
Quote: aszzz888
The actions of the mericatos should be regarded as interference in the affairs of another country.

This is their bread, and that is what they live on. The USA owes trillions to China, they want to zero by any means.

Hello. So yes, in the mericatos it’s in the blood. When they were still running along the prairie with the Colts, and the Indians were exterminated by whole tribes ...

[Leprosy]

Quote: aszzz888

Hello. So yes, in the mericatos it’s in the blood. When they were still running along the prairie with the Colts, and the Indians were exterminated by whole tribes ...

Greetings! They were engaged in the slave trade and they had racism in fact until the 70s .. And they considered it a democracy .. The USSR collapsed, engaged in bombing and robbery of defenseless countries Yugoslavia, Iraq, Syria, Libya ..
Now they are approaching China and parallel to Russia (so as to finally tear us apart from the inside ..) Milosevic (the deceased described them very accurately before his death at the "trial" ..) Female jackals ..

[aszzz888]

Quote: aszzz888
Hello. So yes, in the mericatos it’s in the blood. When they were still running along the prairie with the Colts, and the Indians were exterminated by whole tribes ...

Greetings! They were engaged in the slave trade and they had racism in fact until the 70s .. And they considered it a democracy .. The USSR collapsed, engaged in bombing and robbery of defenseless countries Yugoslavia, Iraq, Syria, Libya ..
Now they are approaching China and parallel to Russia (to really tear us apart from the inside ..) Milosevic (the deceased described them very accurately before his death at the "trial" ..) Female jackals ..

the merikatos sleep and see how to set us off against the PRC. In the media it was infa that the head of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Comrade. Wang Yi, in a telephone conversation, was not very flattering about the provocations carried out by the Merikatos, and practically suggested (as I understood it) to conclude a military alliance with Russia. I AM FOR!

[Leprosy]

Quote: aszzz888

the merikatos sleep and see how to set us off against the PRC.

This howl has already been going on for 10-20 years, like the Chinese have all captured us .. I haven’t seen a single Chinese, but all sorts of Amers and the Baltic states are constantly roaming around Russia looking for prey ..

Quote: aszzz888

The media was infa that the Foreign Minister of China Comrade Wang Yi, in a telephone conversation, was not very flattering about the provocations carried out by the Merikatos, and practically offered (as I understood) to conclude a military alliance with Russia. I AM FOR!

I am also FOR !!! China without Russia cannot survive, despite all its economic and military power .... We have known these Anglo-Saxons for a long time and all their things are cunning .. I hope the Chinese understood this, or do they all hope to sit by the river waiting for the enemy’s corpse to sail? ..
The more China pulls. The more the US becomes impudent .. There is little time left!

[Vasyan1971]

It was smooth on paper, but they forgot about the ravines. © Normal plans live only until the beginning of their incarnation, and such fiction is not even discussed ...

[Poetry]

It will be necessary to send to Taiwan John Rambo, Bruce Willis and Ben Waffleck. Then the Chinese are guaranteed a kapets.

[free_flier]

Taki Bruce will fly to space to destroy Chinese satellites ...
And then they should call Freeman and Kerry on land (by analogy from Bruce the Almighty) ...

[Poetry]

This is the difference between us. They have heroes only in the movies, but we live next door.
So you say sho Willis satellites will fly to smash? On the way back, when will the asteroid explode? There, in orbit, the Russian cosmonaut Lev Andronov in a fur hat, a year and a half alone and drunk ...

[Rostovchanin]

Well, yes, the Chinese will sit and wait for aircraft carriers on their shores, and not a word in the article for opposition. According to the author, the PRC will only accept "gifts" with its eyes wide open.

[Ros 56]

As they love to catch up with striped creeps, but when it comes to things and the coffins go to the states, so immediately back with their heels. They will not do anything with China, since they even kiss their black shoes and allow them to take over. The descendants of the conquerors of America and the slaveholders turn into insignificants. And this has nothing to do with democracy.

[halpat]

Forbes probably didn't read Gogol :)) is very suitable:

Many of the generals were hunters and undertook, but they would do, it happened - no, it's tricky. It seems easy to look at, and if you look at it - just hell! After they see there is nothing to do - come to me. And at that very moment couriers, couriers, couriers ... you can imagine thirty-five thousand couriers alone! What is the situation?

[Courier]

The US only has a printing press, which is what the Chinese are afraid of

[Mytholog]

They talk about tankers as if they were immortal. Or, at least, invisible.
China is not Iraq; they will bring it to hell.

[Mountain shooter]

Quote: Mytholog

They talk about tankers like they're immortal.

Experts, experts ... where will these tankers be based? 500 cars !!! Thousands of tons of fuel, or rather tens of thousands of tons. Where should they sit, refuel? Not to mention their immortality

[Leprosy]

Quote: Mountain Shooter

Experts, experts ... and where will these tankers be based? 500 cars !!!

Yes Ponte USA, China is not Iraq, Yugoslavia, Libya .. Here you can get slammed in the insolent face ..

[aszzz888]

Mountain shooter (Eugene) Today, 08: 54
+2
Quote: Mytholog

They talk about tankers like they're immortal.

Experts, experts ... and where will these tankers be based? 500 cars !!! Thousands of tons of fuel, or rather tens of thousands of tons. Where do they sit refuel? Not to mention their immortality laughing

Into the ocean. They will be like swimming cormorants, diving ...

[Rostislav]

How penguins want to see China embroiled in a military conflict!

[sav]

In the current situation, it is unlikely. A few years later, a conflict can occur as soon as China has gained strength.

[bk0010]

This means that at the beginning of the operation, the Chinese will have to hit the fuel storage facilities of the states in this theater of operations, let the air tankers carry air or try to be supplied from North America.

[Cyril G ...]

The lessons of the strategic defeat of the Japanese on December 7, 1941 did not even think about the methods of destroying / seizing the Pearl Harbor fuel storage facilities, I think the PRC has fully learned.

[Batman_2]

Good analytics by the author ............. Yes, unfortunately, a limited military conflict for the United States within the framework of the economic war with China is beneficial, but only in the short-term tactical perspective .......... The question is - does Trump understand the consequences? 1. China - both a sales market and a labor market will be lost. 2. The dollar is at risk of losing its primacy as a world reserve currency .... Further chaos in the stock markets will exacerbate the already deficit budget of the "superpower" ".................. only for the scenario of this apocalypse, the presence of tankers and the density of combat missions of aviation of the parties to the conflict do not play the most important role ...

[aszzz888]

Batman_2 (chuvarleev vladimir) Today, 10:21
+1
... The question is, does Trump understand the implications?? ....

Does he have a way out? Wherever you throw him (Trump) everywhere like a wedge.

[czes]

The propaganda text is about nothing.

[Old26]

The article is basically NOTHING. Reasoning on the topic, "and what will happen if there will be ....". In this entire publication, only one thing is indisputable. The Americans have a tanker fleet two orders of magnitude larger than China's. And this, of course, makes the aircraft application scheme more flexible. And everything else from the "ceiling-finger" series

Quote: Mytholog

They talk about tankers as if they were immortal. Or, at least, invisible.
China is not Iraq; they will bring it to hell.

No one is going to keep tankers at the forefront of attacking aircraft. And to shoot down - they can shoot down, a couple of pieces, if the Chinese aviation breaks through to the zone of operation of the tankers ...

Quote: bk0010

This means that at the beginning of the operation, the Chinese will have to hit the fuel storage facilities of the states in this theater of operations, let the air tankers carry air or try to be supplied from North America.

To do this, you still need to get to the fuel storage facilities. They're not on the front lines and it's not that easy to do ...

[Cyril G ...]

Quote: Old26

To do this, you still need to get to the fuel storage facilities.

MRBM. "Anti-aircraft" PKBR. Even within a non-nuclear scenario. The Chinese will quite successfully reach the areas where the tankers are based.

And of course, the anti-aircraft operation of the Chinese is extremely interesting.

[Cyril G ...]

Here the following question is interesting - what is the degree of serviceability of the tanker fleet and, most importantly, what is the provision of crews for these tankers?

[Old26]

Quote: Cyril G ...

Quote: Old26

To do this, you still need to get to the fuel storage facilities.

MRBM. "Anti-aircraft" PKBR. Even within a non-nuclear scenario. The Chinese will quite successfully reach the areas where the tankers are based.

And of course, the anti-aircraft operation of the Chinese is extremely interesting.

The Chinese MRBM KVO is such that they are useless without YABZ against fuel storage

[Cyril G ...]

And who told you that a war of the Russian Federation and China against the United States is possible without the use of TNW?
However, a little about the accuracy of the MRBM

https://rg.ru/2019/01/11/kitaj-postroil-maket-avianosca-dlia-trenirovok-raketchikov.html

[Old26]

Quote: Cyril G ...

And who told you that a war of the Russian Federation and China against the United States is possible without the use of TNW?
However, a little about the accuracy of the MRBM

And why does everyone think that such a conflict will necessarily be nuclear. Especially if only Taiwan is at stake?
As for the accuracy. The information, the link to which you gave, although dated 2019, is so outdated that I don’t even remember exactly when such a drawing (by the way, of a higher quality) was first published with a link to Chinese resources. About a year that way in 2011-2012. Moreover, the Chinese kept and keep stubborn silence, but what was primary: first they drew a contour, and then they hit it, or first they hit it, and then they drew a contour. In addition, there was no data from what distance this shooting was carried out. And the most important thing. Back in the middle of the decade, around 2015-2016, the Chinese themselves disavowed their initial reports that the rocket was homing at a moving sea target. Themselves declared (and not "Sokhu") that only ships in the base, and not moving ones, can hit such missiles. The Chinese have not yet managed to bring the radar system of such a rocket to a working condition ...

[Maikl59]

YOU, FOR THE BEGINNING OF YOUR NEGROWS, RETAIN .......

[Charik]

yes if only tankers are immortal and aircraft carriers and terminator soldiers

[Charik]

take off with a full load of weapons and fuel. - storytellers

[Arxangel nemcov]

But tankers also fly, not crawl on the ground. The Chinese have very decent long-range air defense. They paint a strange layout. The Chinese are on the same shore as Taiwan. It's easier for them. Amerikosov do not have so many forces and means nearby. Even if they bring up two "motor ships" with planes, these are already real goals.