• freagle@lemmygrad.ml
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      7 months ago

      That’s a great question. Who knows what? Who knows who knows what? Who knows who knows who knows what?

      That’s the game.

      So the Chinese know where the planes are. The Americans don’t know the Chinese know. The Chinese know the Americans don’t know.

      The Chinese publish. Now, the Americans know the Chinese know where the planes are and the Chinese know the Americans know.

      This is preferrable to believing the Americans don’t know if they do know. It changes the behavior of military officers.

      It is also preferable for the Americans to know as a deterrent against a first strike.

      The big question is, if this advantage is worth it, then what else do the Chinese know that the Americans don’t know they know?

      • Sc00ter@lemm.ee
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        7 months ago

        OR they’re bluffing and they want to deter the US We know China would never lie about anything, especially something as serious as this!

    • Liz@midwest.social
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      7 months ago

      Basically they want people to think they’re stronger and that the US is weaker. It’s a PR campaign. The US almost certainly has had the same capability for a while and simply had no need to advertise.

      Recognize that the US would be foolish to fly a stealth fighter/bomber within range where multiple radar could lock on. They’d start their attack campaigns from far out and pick off the known ground radar installations at the perimeter, along with downing aircraft that tried to intercept them. After that, the US would have air superiority and only have to worry about mobile radar units. In any case, once they turn the radar on to look for the planes, they’re broadcasting their location and the plane can just launch a missile down their throat.

      • nilloc@discuss.tchncs.de
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        7 months ago

        Possibly, I’m not sure how stealthy the F22 was to begin with. Possible if the baseline single radar signature is next to nothing, the 60,000 figure is easier to produce.

        • foggenbooty@lemmy.world
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          7 months ago

          The F22 is has the lowest radar cross section in the world as far as I’m aware, so… pretty stealthy.

    • boyi@lemmy.sdf.org
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      7 months ago

      probably as a future deterrent, to avoid major conflict - that they are booming more and more formidable opponent and should not be taken lightly.

      • GONADS125@feddit.de
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        7 months ago

        So formidable… Earlier detection of a severely outdated aircraft that’s being phased out…

      • Promethiel@lemmy.world
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        7 months ago

        This. The realpolitik purpose of showing your death and anti-death toys is always at least a little about “don’t fuck with us” same way a cigar is usually someone’s mother.

        Monke brain still Monke beneath the abstractions.

        • boyi@lemmy.sdf.org
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          7 months ago

          I learn this new term today but I don’t think it fits. May be we can look at the Korean War as a case study when China intervened (around 1950) - how China changed the course of war just like that, when they were not that well equipped as compared to now.

    • possibly a cat@lemmy.ml
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      7 months ago

      Because other countries can’t respond appropriately unless they are aware. China would rather not be attacked, than wait to be attacked to reveal its capabilities.

      • Aussiemandeus@aussie.zone
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        7 months ago

        This is why Taiwan advertise everything they have. It’s effectively like being a porcupine, big spikes stick out so you don’t have to role up and take it.

        No point keeping secrets ahead of a fight you will no doubt lose if push come to shove. Lay it all out first and hope it’s enough that they think twice before trying.