"It's disturbing how ill-informed & naive the average American is on China."
@USNavy Admiral publicly states #China is the "number one challenge" of the 21st century and represents the most dangerous trend in #geopolitics.
Eye-opening speech.
I cut the 60 mins down to 5 👇
Rear Admiral and Commander of Office of Naval Intelligence, Mike Studeman, delivered a chilling address on the threat posed by China.
"It's mind blowing how big the problem is. It's very unsettling to see how much the US is not connecting the dots on the challenge."
"The problem is so massive most people don't know how to have a framework for it. We need to have more conversations with the country to understand the problem."
The Adm. says it's a tougher problem than the US faced against the Soviet Union in the Cold War.
Let that sink in.
In contrast, China views the US differently.
"We are clearly the number one enemy. We are characterized as such. Most Chinese fully believe that in their minds."
Why?
"They think America is dangerous. They don't think democracies are efficient. They think they're ineffective."
"The China challenge could be the most nonpartisan issue that could unite the country in significant ways."
The Adm. makes a plea:
"Can we please lower the amount of internal bickering within the US and focus on the international challenges that actually affect every American?"
This is the single most important video of the year.
"We're going to find that we could very well lose the peace. We worry about winning the war, prevailing, but we can also lose the peace in the meantime."
The entire speech is worth watching and full of fascinating insights.
A Bomber Task Force (BTF) deployment of USAF B-1B Lancer aircraft, Airmen and support equipment from the 9th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, arrived at Misawa Air Base, Japan, on 15 April. (PACAF)
New @jointstaffpa map shows the flight paths of Chinese (red) + Russian (yellow) military aircraft operating near Japan, Taiwan, + South Korea in the past year.
Japan scrambled 704 times in response, with two-thirds (464) due to Chinese aircraft. 3x as many PLA drones detected.
704 scrambles in FY2024 (1 April to 31 March) is a modest 5% (+35) increase over the prior period.
During exercise Strait Thunder-2025A, the Chinese PLA released several maps and visuals of Taiwan, some marked with target icons and depicting key locations burning and under attack.
Quick compilation (and more info below):
Here’s everything that happened (as it was happening):
BREAKING: China launches joint military exercises around Taiwan, practicing a “blockade on key areas”
On 1 April, PLA Eastern Theater Command deployed Army, Navy, Air Force, & Rocket Forces to “close in on Taiwan from multiple directions.”
- Sea-air combat readiness patrols
- Joint seizure of comprehensive superiority
- Assault on maritime & ground targets
- Blockade on key areas & sea areas
“It is a stern warning & forceful deterrence against ‘Taiwan Independence’ separatist forces.”
The PLA released a theme poster called “Closing In: Sinister Moves of Taiwan Separatists Courting Disaster Upon Themselves.”
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command began conducting joint military exercises around Taiwan on Tuesday, 1 April 2025, according to an announcement by Senior Colonel Shi Yi, spokesperson for the theater command.
Why is China doing this now and what are these exercises designed to do? @WarintheFuture explains:
Six USAF B-2 Spirit stealth bombers — 1/3 of America’s fleet — forward deployed to Diego Garcia over the last week 🇺🇸
The Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group (CSG) continues strike operations against the Houthi. Carl Vinson CSG, en route to the Middle East, is 1-2 weeks out.
A comprehensive review of U.S. strike operations against the Iran-backed Houthi in Yemen, which began on 15 March and continued every day since:
🚨 Unclassified Report — Inside America’s 14-day ongoing strike campaign against the Houthi
At least 158 precision air and naval strikes targeting Houthi infrastructure & leadership.
My most detailed brief ever and an unprecedented look at U.S. strike operations in Yemen:
On Saturday, 15 March 2025, just before 11:44 EST, U.S. SECDEF confirmed with U.S. Central Command: “We are a go for mission launch,” initiating a series of precision strikes against 30+ Iranian-backed Houthi targets across Yemen, including a “target terrorist @ his known location.”
Strike operations, led by the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group (HSTCSG) in coordination with the U.S. Air Force, have continued every day since (now on Day 14).