These Destroyers are reportedly the best in the fleet. I read up on them here and they pose a very large problem against anything going against them.

http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ship/ddg-993.htm

Better than the Aegis class? I daresay the most advanced weaponry we should sell them is some of the old mothballed WWII battleships, like the Alabama or New Jersey.

Originally Posted by bulldogg

Better than the Aegis class? I daresay the most advanced weaponry we should sell them is some of the old mothballed WWII battleships, like the Alabama or New Jersey.

Nope, the Arleigh Burke class are the only ones with the AEGIS system.

ARLEIGH BURKE CLASS (AEGIS) GUIDED MISSILE DESTROYERS, USA

The first Arleigh Burke Class Aegis destroyer was commissioned in 1991. Contracts for the destroyers have been split between the Northrop Grumman Ship Systems (formerly Litton Ingalls Shipbuilding), based in Pascagoula, Mississippi and the General Dynamics subsidiary, Bath Iron Works, based in Maine. The first 21 ships (DDG51-DDG71) are categorised as Flight I and the next seven (DDG72-DDG78) as Flight II.
The revised Flight IIA ships entered production in late 1997. 17 have been commissioned: USS Oscar Austin (DDG 79), August 2000; Roosevelt (DDG 80), November 2000; Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81), March 2001; Lassen (DDG 82), April 2001; Howard (DDG 83), October 2001; Bulkeley (DDG 84), December 2001; Shoup (DDG 86), June 2002; McCampbell (DDG 85), August 2002; Preble (DDG 88), November 2002; Mason (DDG 87), April 2003; USS Mustin (DDG 89), July 2003; Chafee (DDG 90), October 2003. Pinkney (DDG 91), May 2004; Momsen (DDG 92), August 2004; Chung-Hoon (DDG 93), September 2004; James E Williams (DDG 95), December 2004; Nitze (DDG 94), March 2005. Halsey (DDG 97), July 2005.

The ships are armed with 56 Raytheon Tomahawk cruise missiles, with a combination of land-attack (TLAM) missiles with a Tercom Aided Navigation System, and anti-ship missiles with inertial guidance. The Standard SM-2MR Block 4 surface-to-air missiles with command/inertial guidance remain at the centre of the Aegis system. Both Tomahawk and Standard missiles are fired from two Lockheed Martin Mk 41 vertical launch systems.

These things are floating Armageddons.

The problem with a stagnated, constant politico/military conflict like this, especially when a country is bullying a smaller, less defensible country, is that there will be repercussions to both the sparring parties and any benefactors. One of those problems is that China's now going to be looking for ways around those two destroyers. As a deterrent, sure, I'd watch my back if I were trying to assault a blocking force like that. But as I said, tensions are going to escalate as the firepower escalates.

I think they bought all four of them from Fleet. They are upgraded to almost new condition. The anti-sub systems surpass most of our bigger destroyers because of being designed to run quiet.

Originally Posted by bulldogg

The US should not ever sell first class weaponry like the F-22 or F-35 or a SSBN to the Taiwanese for the simple reason that there is a VERY credible chance of peaceful reunification and then guess who has got their hands on the most advanced weaponry the US produces? Yeah. Backing Taiwan was a cold war gambit and in light of bigger and more dangerous fish I am all in favour of a "catch and release" scheme for this troublesome little island with its gangster elite and complete lack of respect for the rule of law both domestic and international.

I got it, we will go back to how things were in the 50's when the US was prepared to let China have their way with Taiwan, the only catch for China is that they will have to give up on North Korea, since it was Chinese intervention in the Korean War that is the basis for almost all US-Taiwan Defense pacts.

As for the Kidd's saving Taiwan, I doubt it, they will be as advanced, if not more, than anything China has in their arsenal but against hundreds or even thousands of air craft China would be throwing at Taiwan they are essentially ineffective, they will be able to pack a punch but it will only leave a bruise, not break anything.

Now, if we were to give Taiwan a couple destroyers or cruisers with Aegis it would be a different story, since they have the capability to track and engage hundreds of targets at the same time.

I am of the firm opinion this island is not worth it.

I've been there, dealt with the people both on and off that rock and they deserve China. Just my opinion... but they are in fact using the US and drawing us into something that most definitely smells like a Hyde Park dunny. The Taiwanese are known internationally as the most corrupt and incorrigible businessmen anywhere. Smugglers and poachers in business suits the lot of them. The PRC and Taiwan are a match made in heaven, let them sort it out and stay out of it is my advice.

If two criminals were beating the crap out of each other would you risk getting stabbed or shot to break it up? I say stand back, let them sort it out, don't let any bystanders get hurt, send the loser to the morgue and take the winner to jail.

Taiwan is a symbol, little more.

I'm probably about to be neutered but, I think there would be no war if both sides just said, "okay, it's over" and became PRC. The mainland and Hong Kong deal worked out fairly well and I think Taiwan would be received in the same manner. Except for what's left of the Formosans, everyone on Taiwan is Chinese with the exception of tourists and business people.

Originally Posted by Rabs

I just dont see why we dont give/sell them a SSBN. Then they have a nuclear deternt, problem solved.

Yeah I thought about that too (actually, I thought about the US giving South Korea nukes), but then you could have a domino effect of nukular armament (Japan, Indonesia, Myanmar may start wanting some)