It’s happened again, more nuclear silos found China

Second massive site discovered

I found China's 2nd nuclear silo field, in Eastern Xinjiang. @nukestrat + I estimate that it could eventually house 110 silos. In total, China seems to be building ~250 new silos––the largest expansion of China's nuclear force ever.

NYT

The number of new Chinese silos under construction exceeds the number of silo-based ICBMs operated by Russia, and constitutes more than half of the size of the entire US ICBM force. That being said, Russian + US nuclear arsenals still dwarf China's by a significant margin.

Well, it looks like we’re playing a shell game, but either way there could be thousands more shells coming

fas.org...

TWITTER

We buy pectin for next years jam every year when we make the strawberry jam, always keeping six or seven packages on the shelf.

ecosalon.com...

Mutually assured destruction, now 100 times over instead of just 50.

a reply to: MDDoxs

MAD keeps everyone in the theater on a level playing field.

originally posted by: staple
a reply to: MDDoxs

MAD keeps everyone in the theater on a level playing field.

What happens when MAD is the intended goal?

a reply to: JinMI

MAD is not a "goal"...it is a deterrent.

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
a reply to: JinMI

MAD is not a "goal"...it is a deterrent.

That's a rational argument, sure.


I don't think Chinas government is rational, hell most of our own for that matter.

a reply to: TritonTaranis

China is about 30 years behind the curve. They can build all the silos they want; it won't matter.

With modern day satellite technology China can't take a wiz without someone knowing about it. China's rocket technology has been improving, but just because they build a silo in a desert somewhere doesn't mean there is anything in them. Missile silos are fairly antiquated technology. They don't move, and they automatically become a target. The best strategy is for China to build hundreds of silos, and put nothing in them. This strategy is akin to..."waste more of the other guy's gear and time".

Is it disturbing that a country would be building hundreds of nuclear missile silos today? Absolutely it is. But, this just illustrates the far more serious threat posed by SLBM Boomers sitting on the seafloor. And, China is in the Dark Ages of the SLBM world. Boomers are the real Grim Reapers of the MAD deterrent. They don't target your strategic assets. They target your population centers and critical infrastructure. They level entire cities, seaports, power, dams and cripple an entire continent before you can even get the silo doors of land based assets open. And, they do it with lightning speed and precision accuracy. The absolutely terrifying destruction which can be unleashed by just a single Boomer is almost incomprehensible.

People get worked up when they hear about China doing something militarily like this, but many times they also forget one important fact. Russia has more missiles pointed at China, than Russia has pointed at the USA, a lot more. Whatever China is up to is indeed an escalation, but likely not one aimed at the western world.

Like many things with China, sometimes it's all batter and no fish.

I'm guessing some of these are empty

give the US (or Russia or whoever) more targets.

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
a reply to: TritonTaranis

China is about 30 years behind the curve. They can build all the silos they want; it won't matter.

With modern day satellite technology China can't take a wiz without someone knowing about it. China's rocket technology has been improving, but just because they build a silo in a desert somewhere doesn't mean there is anything in them. Missile silos are fairly antiquated technology. They don't move, and they automatically become a target. The best strategy is for China to build hundreds of silos, and put nothing in them. This strategy is akin to..."waste more of the other guy's gear and time".

Is it disturbing that a country would be building hundreds of nuclear missile silos today? Absolutely it is. But, this just illustrates the far more serious threat posed by SLBM Boomers sitting on the seafloor. And, China is in the Dark Ages of the SLBM world. Boomers are the real Grim Reapers of the MAD deterrent. They don't target your strategic assets. They target your population centers and critical infrastructure. They level entire cities, seaports, power, dams and cripple an entire continent before you can even get the silo doors of land based assets open. And, they do it with lightning speed and precision accuracy. The absolutely terrifying destruction which can be unleashed by just a single Boomer is almost incomprehensible.

People get worked up when they hear about China doing something militarily like this, but many times they also forget one important fact. Russia has more missiles pointed at China, than Russia has pointed at the USA, a lot more. Whatever China is up to is indeed an escalation, but likely not one aimed at the western world.

Like many things with China, sometimes it's all batter and no fish.

Dont think you understand the intentions

The more silos they build

The more they get to play hide the nukes, the shell game

they could build many thousands of silos and have 800-900 odd nukes

the goal is is you don't know which silos you'll strategically strike, you'll be lobbing nukes at empty shells

This is when the US/Soviets built so many nukes

Its a very very expensive game and arms race

I wouldn't want to be Mars in the guess who is coming dinner plan for life on it once again. Pretty sure it has seen this one already.