Taking Naval Options Away from China || May 19, 2026
There were some recent tests in the Philippines involving the Japanese Type-88 anti-ship missile system and the U.S. Typhon launcher. These truck-mounted systems can move throughout the islands, rather than relying on fixed bases.
Deploying these systems across the first island chain would limit China's naval access to the wider Pacific. We're also seeing Japan step into a new era of defense policy, reflected by a broader regional effort to contain Chinese naval power.
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Comments (34)
Do you need to setup another Patreon account to fund purchase of a microphone that has a little cover so it will work in the wind. Geez man,
Peter's map: when East becomes North.
Can you have a podcast with Simon Dixon about China?
That was an interesting map. Is that a map that pacific nations use? It reminds me of the map you showed in the fall/winter for the Greenland related news.
North direction at the top of maps is the conventional way to display them.
So, no Thucydides trap here and Presidient Xi's warning of a modern day Peloponessian war is premature and too narrowly focused as he has more to worry about than just Sparta alone... unless, Sparta chooses to isolate itself from all its allies.
I wonder what happens when these Island nations get tired of being harassed and start doing coast guard inspections on Chinese ships. I know Japan and the Philippines have had about enough.
It feels to me like these types of analyses seem to skirt some real issues. Yes, the nations in the first Island Chain can potentially block shipping, but with the exception of the US and Japan, none of these nations could stand up to the Chinese Navy. The Philippines is regularly thwarted by the Chinese Coast Guard, never mind the Navy. If many of these islands tried to choke off Chinese shipping, China would send warships to handle the escort duties and open those sea lanes up fairly quickly. Then there's China's missile capabilities. Consider how effective Iran's program has been. Now multiply it by a sizable amount. Everything within range of China's missile and/or air force is at risk and most of the First Island Chain countries would not last long. Finally, if China were backed into a corner and saw an existential threat, I have no doubt that the CCP would go nuclear before they would capitulate. China may not be a naval force we need to worry about away from their shoreline, but in their backyard, they would be truly formidable.
And as a cherry on top, Taiwan is now learning drone technologies from Ukraine and they have an initiative called "No China supply chain" drones/missiles where drones/missiles are completely manufactured locally in Taiwan from supply chains that does not rely on China.
Wow, good news. Much preferred to gloom and doom. So, Trump's humiliation at the hands of Xi wasn't too problematic. With Russia so diminished now, I'm more convinced that West Taiwan will look northeast rather than attempt to cross the big moat. They're already speaking Mandarin there.
Pete do yourself (and ourselves) a favor and grab a $15 Chinese mic on Amazon
My grandparents were Christian missionaries in Sumatra Indonesia during WW2. My father was born there in 1935. They were of the few foreigners not in a concentration camp because they were Swedish, Sweden being neutral during WW2. They witnessed and I heard a lot of the horrors of the Japanese occupation. So I know there's a lot of jitters concerning the re-arming of Japan. But evil is not an ethnic trait, though many try to make it so, but they were evil then. Time has passed and people change. I now have a lot of respect for their culture and discipline. So who now is the new evil? Looking like more the USA than most right now...
Oh yes call Japan when Russia attacks Poland and rolls into Scandinavia .
Not to worry for the Chinese supporters here… Trump will probably trade all of this leverage for a $5 billion statue of himself made of tungsten.
Yeah, but did you stop to consider that it will be a beautiful statue - the greatest statue that anyone has ever seen??
https://x.com/theallinpod/status/2055823176987213966?s=20
Taiwan is safe until December….. Typhoon season starts next month……
Why is the map turned on its side?
It's an audience filter. You passed 👍
Japan changed it's rules, they can export weapons now, they are licensed to build Patriots, guess that means they get Flamingos and Sea Babies. Drones are just a database with bombs, they scale. Don't forget about India's island chain - it's armed. And when do US missiles show up in Vietnam ??
Dodgy audio Pete!
Good god get a microphone that works 😅
I understood several words perfectly.
How about Pakistan and Gadwar? (Bet it's getting busy.)
I get these gee whizz rockets can give China a good kick in the rump. But, I really think it's time to look past these extremely expensive, complicated, low supply weapons that could not stand the heat of a war lasting over one month and instead look at Ukraine for weapons of the future. And, that weapon, at the moment, is AI driven CHEAP, CHEAP, CHEAP drones. WHAT IF, the enemy du jour launched a thousand or two thousand $5k drones all programed to seek and destroy these new rocket systems? Every day? Ouch! Drones are the future son. If you aren't leading, you are losing.
Maybe. What about the range? Much greater distances in the Pacific. Additionally, what about the terrain? Small UAVs work great in Europe and the ME, but how would targeting work in jungle canopy? On the beaches or static targets, great, but what about the rest?
For context about the US NMESIS launcher test, they launched a Tomahawk from Tacloban airport to hit a target all the way up in the middle of Central Luzon. That's roughly 600 km, about the distance from Northern Luzon to Fujian province facing Taiwan. https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2026/05/us-fires-tomahawk-missile-from-typhon-launcher-in-philippines-for-the-first-time/
Some day you should do a video where u go they Dr pippa Substack and respond to it. She always has good info on it but she is stuck a Trump sycophant is becoming embarrassing
English translation?
Guys zipping around shooting stuff up ... a contemporary "Rat Patrol" of the sea lanes ...
Even if the US steps back countries will not pivot towards China, no body trusts or likes them and a lot of people who dont like Trump fail to realize this
Nobody trusts usa either
Speaking of Indonesia, I never played as Gaja Mada in Civilization, but he’s getting an Aircraft Carrier (re) named for him! Next time you go asking “Whatever happened to Mr. Garibaldi?” Well, the answer is he found a new passport and decided Island Life was for him: https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2026/05/indonesia-prepares-for-carrier-operations-ahead-of-garibaldi-transfer/
Nice! LuvnIt! ... Ooh-Yeeeah👁am ... 😛 ... ... ... hehe! ... ... ... 😼