US guarantees Taiwan security. Now what?

Thumpalumpacus said:

The issue is not the PLAN warships, it's the missiles they've deployed to deny the area around Taiwan to surface combatants or resupply shipping. The hypothetical naval war here will not be about crossing Ts or whose guns have more range, it will be about land- and air-launched missiles forcing the USN to either maintain a safe distance or risk its ships to said missiles.

As noted above, and as we saw in the Pacific War, USN carrier strength will be vital, and in that sense you're very right; we have a huge lead in the doctrinal and operational aspects of carrier warfare, not to mention a big numerical superiority. But carriers make tempting targets for a missile barrage that could likely overcome the missile-defense systems of any carrier task force we could float, which is why I think those defenses urgently need upgrading in both numbers and quality.

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SaparotRob said:

You nicely elaborated on the point I might not have made. They got a crap load of missiles and they are all probably prioritized for carriers.
We must assume they will work as advertised. I believe it would be irresponsible otherwise.
It would be cool if a USN surface group ambushed a PLAN force in The Slot when the PLAN was trying reinforce whatever Guadalcanal is now called.

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