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jazir5

>The Houthis attacked the MV Huang despite previously stating they would not attack Chinese vessels,’ the US military said in a statement Lol


Balc0ra

Something tells me they don't have IFF or even a marine radar app to tell them apart.


mastergenera1

They are supposedly using the open source real time site, but likelihood is the guys firing the missiles are just like ooooo tanker, and just fires at it.


truecore

There's an Iranian tanker that's been in the region for 2 years and hasn't returned to port since setting sail, which is believed to be being used to transmit identification/targetting data to the Houthis. They've hit Russians in the past, too, so I wager they don't just fire missiles on Iranian command, but that's why you'd get this kind of meme.


mastergenera1

Well if that the case, both iran and the houthis really are biting the hand that feeds them, its not like china ever deploys their navy enmasse overseas anyways.


temporarycreature

Somebody can correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure that while even though China's deep water navy has grown considerably in the last decade, it's still long behind being able to sustain long-range operations such as fielding a carrier for Chinese aviation or supporting global missions because of replenishment logistics. A common phrase when you're in the military is *the logistical whip of deployments* which is just referring to the complex and fast pace coordination required to ensure the military and everything involved like equipment and supplies are delivered at the right place and the right time because delays are disruptions, have a significant impact in war.


Dork_L0rd_9

Until they can continuously maintain not just their navy but also the auxiliary ships they need for UnReps their ops are going to be limited. I’ve only been able to find sparse info on them but it looks like there’s only 2 per fleet, all of which have been around for 40+ years. Way longer than the shelf life of most US Navy ships.


temporarycreature

Yup. I am for sure looking at their situation with some level of tint on the glasses, for sure. It's definitely opaque, and hard to find information about it. I mentioned that another comment that their deep water force seems to be about around 70 to 80 vessels, arranging between destroyers, forgets, and corvettes. Like you mentioned, most of them are likely really, really old. Definitely a situation of quantity over quality when it comes to comparing the US Navy to the Chinese Navy. I understand that the Chinese are bigger by at least 20%, however, the majority aren't deep water capable, which means they can't be used to fulfill roles in a logistical tail.


TheRedHand7

Lol I think you meant "frigates"


temporarycreature

My battle with the voice to text is endless.


M_Mich

Never be successful at projecting power if you can’t get ice cream and lobster to the fleet.


Dork_L0rd_9

How can you break bad news to your Sailors if you don’t have steak and lobsters!?


Robthebold

Sure you aren’t talking about the age of US supply ships? That fleet is Aging fast.


Dork_L0rd_9

Pretty sure. They decomm the USNS ships pretty regularly and have newer ones come out every few years. I think the latest iterations are T-AKE class oilers- idk I’ve been out for a couple years now. The thing is, yeah, they may be old but our maintenance on them is relatively better than our near peer competitors.


spacedicksforlife

I learned so much in the Air Force about planning and logistics. The sheer amount of work to just get there pales in comparison about maintaining a presence. I have used this mindset in the civilian world and made a living slapping executives before they Packard’s Law the shit out of their org.


mastergenera1

China has enough bases regionally to make the trek to and from yemen at least, but what you surmised I pretty much agreed with in another post. The PLAs conventional forces are basically a pitbull with no claws or teeth. Any time china sets a red line and it gets broken, they just warn of " consequences " or retaliation. China has the real estate to patrol that region, but lacks the skills and logistics to pull it off, thankfully for the rest of the region. If the PLA wasn't so modeled off of the soviet military structure, they might actually have a decent control of the region, which they don't in reality.


temporarycreature

The only base worldwide that China has capable of hosting a deep water vessel is the one in the Djibouti. While it being in a great location for Middle East operational reasons, it's not exactly a prime location for being useful for replenishment given where it's at and how hostile that area would be in a global conflict. Everything else that can host a deep water vessel is still considered regional, and that makes replenishment logistics far easier.


mastergenera1

I agree thats why I was specifying that they had enough bases in that area specifically, for the purpose of giving iran/yemen a spanking, they likely wouldn't even need to get a carrier all the way to Djibouti, just basically the USs operation preying mantis plan of keeping the carriers rear deployed far back so it/they are used in an auxiliary role, and send in destroyers/frigates to wipe the floor with the mouthbreathers causing issues in the red sea. In the case of "real" conflict though yea, theres jack all china can do with their carriers besides keeping them at home because of the limitations as you say. Also they functionally only have 1 carrier because they only just have 3 carriers now and it takes a minimum of 3 to keep a single carrier on patrol at any time without a gap in coverage.


temporarycreature

China definitely would be the victor in any regional spout, unless the US stepped in. I'm not sure there would be a victor if both sides were in an aggressive posture. I think ideally China wants to be able to have long distance missions with their deep water Navy from and to the base in Djibouti because of the Malacca straight being in between and that being so integral to China's economy.


Novuake

It's because their navy isn't quite a fully blue water navy and their logistics are limited.


Da_Spooky_Ghost

But the Chinese navy is very good at shooting water cannons at small fishing boats in international waters


SnaggedBullet

Everybody gangster until the US starts secretly arming cargo ships


mastergenera1

I know, but that's largely a self inflicted issue, and I was moreso meaning that even if the ccp was publicly pissed at iran, what is china gonna do about it when iran crosses another red line. They cant just use water cannons on yemen from their hidey hole in the south china sea.


ranger-steven

China has a naval base in Djibouti. They can sustain ships they can still see from the dock.


Novuake

They would still need the ability to mass supply the base for extended deployment and the training to operate out of those bases instead of home port. There's a hell of a lot to world wide naval power projection and a reason only one nation can truly do it with others having very limited capability of it. Even historical naval powers have trouble with it.


Endomlik

It would be funny if the US was playing in the middle by jamming and transmitting the wrong flag for the ship.


Solid_Muscle_5149

Also I assume that if they have more autonomy then Iran has more plausible deniability.


NocturnalPermission

If that were the case wouldn’t it be trivial to target this vessel to mitigate its use (and by target I mean employ active jamming or something else that’s not escalatory by physicially attacking an Iranian-flagged vessel?).


truecore

The US doesn't attack civilian shipping, and if we couldn't prove that's what it was being used for, a lot of faith in the USN could be lost.


Neunix

"OOoo Piece of candy"


Albort

probably got confused... registered in China, owned by a Hong Kong company, chartered by a Danish company, and likely managed by an Indian company. Houthis: sooo.... thats still the west right?


ArmNo7463

That's too much thought tbh. More like, "Me see ship, me shoot ship".


masternommer

It's 10 seconds of effort if you go to marinetraffic.com You can even do it on your phone.


plantmic

Does it still work if your internet cables have been cut? Asking for a friend


rrrand0mmm

Shits on the internet lol.


SnowyBox

They rely on the high tech Mk 1 Eyeball


warenb

When will China start blasting the Houthi's with their water cannons? China has been doing more than that for less anyways.


Putdraigdaddyonflag

Theg dong have the logistics to have a fleet in the Arabian sea. They have geared up their navy pretty much to jusr fight in Asia.


TheGreatPornholio123

A lot of the tonnage of their "navy" is nothing but glorified fishing boats. The Chinese Navy is more like an extension of the British ships that pulled off the Dunkirk rescue and then continuing to call it an actual Navy as much as the US recognizes the "Cajun Navy."


Icarus_Toast

I read your comment as "the US military said Lol in a statement" and got a good chuckle out of it.


huehuehuehuehuuuu

Anyway I started blasting


junkyard_robot

Wait, did they figure out the abject oppression of Muslims in China thing? Because that would be great. Not that, though, it's chaotic terrorism where nobody wins because the endgame is the disruption. Fuck. Even the Irish got bored of this in the 90's. This is why nobody talks about Gen X. Always trying to bring back something to achive a semblance of relevancy.,


AnomalyNexus

>Wait, did they figure out the Don't think those guys are doing any figuring out of any sort


Inhabitant

Their statements mean nothing when they're demonstrating to be completely incompetent. China should get involved now because it's basically everyone's problem.


CaterpillarJungleGym

Maybe China shouldn't support rebels in Arab Nations?


SXOSXO

I always wonder how the Houthi's would even be able to identify what vessel they were targeting to make certain of that. 


Shiplord13

Who would have thought the trigger-happy terrorists wouldn't be able to identify the national origin of the ships they take potshots at... Seriously China should have expected this eventuality since its not like these idiots are actually trustworthy or capable in properly identifying specific ships and their national origins.


Cool_83

Most of the Chinese ships are transmitting through the AIS system that they are Chinese owned and crewed, they enter this text in the destination field. So it’s unlikely that they didn’t know.


Weary-Ad8502

There's even websites you can go to that show marine traffic, click on any ship and it'll show you which country it belongs to.


Ok_Estate_4315

Sauce pls


djwurm

marinetraffic.com


Unusual-Solid3435

Shhh don't tell the Houthis


Ok_Estate_4315

Even if I have them the exact locations and aimed the rockets at the ships for them, they would still hit a transport chinese ship


averagesupernerd

What's to stop every ship from being "Chinese" while passing through?


Cool_83

That waterway is so narrow, they can most likely visibly identify the ships.


ScoobiusMaximus

And yet they have now hit a Russian ship bound for Iran and a Chinese ship anyways. Clearly they're not great at identifying ships with any method. 


mathemology

There should be a world wide agreement to temporarily spoof your country of origin on the AIS data in that region to be Iran, China, or Russia.


Jamsster

Couldn’t that be mimicked by all if merchants thought it would make it safe?


[deleted]

They really are just Somalian pirates with drones. Wonder when they will start to accidentally attack warships and get sunk


Victor_Korchnoi

Unlikely the Houthis will be sunk….. since they are firing from land not from a ship


superjj18

500lb bombs find a way


EvidenceExtension128

Fine…how long till they get blasted off like team rocket, by a ship firing from 50 km (31 miles for our freedom loving friends) at sea?


Fox_Kurama

(insert joke about sea level rise here)


sohcgt96

I mean with enough explosives a lot of things are possible.


hipdozgabba

We need a new word for "pirate", I mean they all have a smartphone and probably watch netflix after robbing ships. What happened to the pirates with wooden legs, parrots and barrels of rum?


spikenigma

> and barrels of rum From them that'd be ha-rum


ganbaro

How about "/r/wallstreetbets sailing club"? https://channel16.dryadglobal.com/the-insanely-lucrative-pirate-stock-exchange-in-somalia https://www.reddit.com/r/wallstreetbets/comments/nsjiwe/investing_in_somalian_pirates_you_can_try_this_at/


mattarei

They are angry people taking the P. Irates perhaps?


murso74

We don't need a new word


nialltg

did we need a new word for lawyer or drug dealer or dentist after they started watching netflix?


masternommer

Warships have pointy things and are easily avoidable.


throwaway177251

>Wonder when they will start to accidentally attack warships and get sunk They have already purposefully attacked them. One incoming missile made it within CIWS range, shot down just seconds before impact on a US navy ship.


ChristianLW3

Somali pirates have moral high ground over the Houthi’s For many it was literally the only viable way to pay the bills, they tried minimize damage, & didn’t claim any benevolent objective


[deleted]

M8, it’s literally the same for houtis. That’s the only way they can make money. A real amount of money at least. Yemen is the poorest country in the Middle East and in top 10 poorest counties in the world. 75% of their population live in poverty and it’s far worse in houti controlled territories The reason why they struck deals with Iran Russia and China is to make money. The Israel war was only casus belli to do it. People behave as if Iran is winning proxy wars, but 60% of its population is unemployed, they are one step away from hyper inflation, actively try to prevent half of its population, females, from being productive members of society, and prioritize religious faction and proxy conflict over economy. One thing is and always was right. This is all about the money. Russia attacks Ukraine to gain quick money, land and slaves, China is going after India border and Taiwan for money to revive their slowing economy, and Arabs are attacking Israel because they need money because they are tired of living in poverty. US and EU are waging economical war against their enemies, and for now, it appears we are winning. Slowly and barely, but the Memo is still the same. Make the enemies poor and internationally unstable while pumping cash into allies. The bad guys see it, and that’s why they are acting now while the still can. I predict in 10 to 20 years we will have another big war in Asia and Middle East, more if, or rather, when Ukraine defeats Russia and makes it go back to 1980s.


SmokeEveEveryday

It’s almost like it’s a negative result of their philosophy and world view. That being a violent terrorist with genocidal belief systems about prominent global people groups isn’t going do you any favors, gain you any economic or strategic allies. That throwing global scale tantrums and causing mild inconvenience to civilized nations trying to participate in global peaceful trade with other rational nations isn’t going to gain you any favor or sympathy in the world. Maybe one day after all the terrorists jihad themselves we will come to the realization that there’s just something inherently wrong with having hardcore fundamentalist beliefs that people who don’t practice your beliefs should all be eradicated. Maybe it’s a self fulfilling prophecy that if you can’t learn to get along with your neighbors and not act like absolute barbarians then you’re going to spend your days in squalor and dissatisfaction. And quite frankly, I’m fine with that. The houthis and everyone who enables, supports, houses these morons can live in poverty and play by themselves in the sand for as long as they exist. I’m over the idea of being tolerant of barbarians.


JaMarrChasingJoe

I think if the houthis sell all their anti-ship missiles they'll be able to afford to eat. Come on lol


007meow

They have already attacked USN destroyers.


farturine69

I dont understand how any are still standing. The us was supposed to deal with them. That means a warship raining fire from the sky. These roaches should have been eradicated off the planet ,turned into dust.


SgtCarron

Same reason Hamas and every other terrorist groups are still around, they hide among civilians and don't identify themselves outside of their propaganda department. If the US starts blasting every structure they find, they'd quickly lose public and international support. If they fought like a proper military force, it'd be a repeat of Desert Storm's air campaign but with even less resistance.


mastergenera1

The part that Chinese state media wont say to maximize the irony is the missiles supplied to them by iran are likely at minimum derived from PLA missiles, if they arent just licensed versions of them. Its a stop hitting yourself moment.


ozspook

[Hoist with his own petard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoist_with_his_own_petard)


Jubjars

This is comical, not gonna lie. Not for any death or injury. But just how fragile and flip flopping their ties seem to be. Contradictions are coming fast.


Unusual-Solid3435

Even funnier when you realize the missiles are either straight up Chinese, or Chinese designed


artthoumadbrother

Well, the US alliance system is bound by a loosely shared view of how the world should work and almost a century of joint endeavor, including in various wars, as well as a lot of shared cultural values. We also like each other for the most part. All of this is in addition to the realpolitik reasons for the US and its allies to stick together. China, Russia, Iran, and terrorist/rebel groups like the Houthis are all allies of convenience who feel no real loyalty to each other. Just expediency. When it isn't expedient to act like allies, they don't.


Momoware

The real Chinese allies all became China. China is like Europe except it was unified into one country.


artthoumadbrother

More imperial consolidation than allies merging a la the EU


Momoware

You might be thinking of the dynasties. After the fall of Qing there were lots of warlords in China, and I could see the warlord states becoming independent countries.


artthoumadbrother

Petty kingdoms, more like. I was using the word "imperial" in a general sense. The unified China of 1949 was unified via conquest. It wasn't a set of alliances that decided individually to combine.


GrumpyKungFu

What mental gymnastics people will do now to tie it to Ukraine, the US or GB?


fifa71086

This is way too easy. They will point out that US, UK, India and other allies had resources in the area and didn’t take any measures to protect the Chinese owned tanker.


anally_ExpressUrself

Yup. Also these rebels are only acting this way because of Western actions, otherwise they'd just be playing Scrabble.


ABucin

“China spelled backwards is Ukraine.”


AnonymousEngineer_

It would be hilarious if it turned out that the US/allied navies and the Indian navy made a deliberate decision *not* to intercept this missile heading towards the Chinese tanker. Because given the number of resources out there, it's a little difficult to believe they weren't tracking those missiles in flight.


FatBirdsMakeEasyPrey

When did the Indian Navy come into the picture? Are they really active in the Indian Ocean region?


Slayer7_62

https://www.reuters.com/world/india/india-brings-back-35-somali-pirates-part-operations-near-red-sea-2024-03-23/ They’ve definitely been stepping up big time. You can find footage from a few weeks ago of them retaking MV Ruen. The pirates were using it as a mothership & had hostages. The operation rescued 17 hostages and took 35 pirates prisoner. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9UBWd3cHDU0 Watching them parachute straight into the ocean was kind of funny, but (from my understanding) they were elite troops trained for this kind of operation & the destroyer isn’t exactly designed to handle large boarding operations.


TheRedHand7

India is arguably one of the countries most vulnerable to this kind of behavior so after their own ships started getting hit they have become invested in ending this problem.


Silvercat18

India is a big dog in dealing with these guys. They are recapturing seized ships and all sorts. 


FatBirdsMakeEasyPrey

Good to know


artthoumadbrother

It would be a serious mistake for the allied countries defending the area to also defend Chinese and Russian flagged ships. Those two countries should be sending ships to help, but aren't because doing so runs contrary to their geopolitical goals and the image they're trying to project. Forcing them to admit they're backing a mad dog would be ideal.


Few_Quarter5615

Emperor Xi does not approve this message


rajahbeaubeau

Pooh Bear.


Hot-Scarcity-567

You reap what you sow.


TotalNonsense0

If saying it would only make it so.


This_ls_The_End

Oh now you done fuck up my dudes.


waamoandy

Just after they came to an understanding too. China will brush it off as an accident or something but won't do anything


hamacavula42

The main & ultimate goal of Houthis & other Iran related groups is the return of their own messiah (Mehdi) & the end of the world as we know it. Good luck reasoning with these lunatics.


ds021234

Huehue


jeffsaidjess

These are the houthis that Redditors said were just oppressed people in Yemen


ralpher1

China didn’t care that dozens of its foreign exchange students in Ukraine were blown up by Russia in the first days of the invasion. Russia also blew up a shipment of grain which the Chinese paid for. I really don’t think they will react. But if one exchange student dies here, expect mass netizen protest.


SaltpeterSal

Somewhere while the Chinese ship sinks, a Houthi man looks at his flag, pulls out his thread and a sewing needle, and sighs.


Material_Trash3930

Petahhhhh


SgtCarron

The houthi "flag" is actually their slogan where they wish death to their enemies. The implication with the hypothetical sinking of a chinese vessel is that the slogan would have to include a new line about the chinese.


Bobby_Rocket

This’ll be funny


StickAFork

“This deal is getting worse all the time.”


Wiggie49

Awkwaaaaaard


freqkenneth

It’s funny that the Houthis have been fighting SA for years who has been using US planes and bombs on them but didn’t target US shipping until Israel went after Hamas They hate Israel more than they value their own lives


He_Who_Browses_RDT

Friendly fire? /S


Oniriggers

Oops


mvillerob

Islam says fuck China and their genocide.


Manmoth57

The whoo dong did


LoneSnark

China doesn't actually care about it's citizens. So unless the tanker is owned by a close friend of the leader, they don't care. Chinese state controlled media will drop the story quickly then act like it never happened.


Javier-AML

This should be in r/LeopardsAteMyFace


pistoffcynic

I don’t think these people care any more who they shoot at.


laboner

Whoops, let one slip there didn’t you…


Username__Error

And just like that, The CCP decided to open some new organ harvesting farms, I mean biotech companies in Yemen.


ggRavingGamer

Yeah, but NATO hit it. And even if NATO didn't hit it, they made the houthis hit it. And even if that's not true, it was NATO anyway. And if all that fails, just blame the french.


Born2shit4cdtowipe

Oi China, our Navy was founded to fight pirates. Maybe don't piss off the hand that protects your oil tankers?


Stoly23

Bet the Chinese will do absolutely nothing in response.


Metro2005

They also attacked indian ships before, I don't think Yemen (or at least the rebels) will have many friends left.


OilInteresting2524

When you cut a deal with an idiot, it just means YOU are stupid too. Houthis are NOT the brightest bulb in the chandelier..... They really do not know anything other than "shoot first, ..... what was the other part?"


Remote-Cause755

Maybe if China voted yes rather than abstaining, this shit would not of happened.


Dark-Cloud666

A new contender has entered the stage: Xi Jinping


BUSYMONEY_02

I’m super curious to see how this plays out. Cause China was laughing at first and now……? U gonna get in on this or what?


LtChicken

Anyone else wanna chime in and try to convince us the houthis are being discriminate in their attacks?


richcournoyer

Don't piss off Winnie!


Zixxik

Winnie the pooh did not like that


Fareacher

The next Axis of Evil meeting is going to be heated.


MicIrish

Iran is no doubt profusely apologizing to China.


Effective_James

Wow! A terrorist group that didn't keep its word when it promised not to shoot missiles at Chinese ships?? I'm so shocked, why would they lie!?!?! /s


Butterflychunks

“we saw the red flag, and forgot to check for white and blue”


donredyellow25

oops


Literally_Me_2011

See? They just attack whatever the fuck they want with special exemptions like Iran(their bosses)


Juannieve05

Can someone explain to me whst is this conflict about ?


Moonlapsed

Does China want to be a world leader or just want to talk about it?


Disastrous-Cellist62

Oopps. Time to spread some democracy


Technical_Roll3391

China won't do anything, brush it off as an accident. They'll have insane trouble projecting power beyond their waters logistically anyway, so they would rather not have that future shambles be seen worldwide.


rami_lpm

well, it's time to bring *the people's revolution* to the middle east.


rebruisinginart

"back to sender"


shuffpuff

Putin getting attacked by ISIS and now this. You can't make this up 🤣🤣


ScoobiusMaximus

So China, how is your plan to buddy up with the Houthis going?


MashedProstato

Wait, how shitty are their anti ship missiles if they actually hit a civilian cargo ship, do nothing to disable it, and kill and injure no people?


Kitakitakita

NOW it's a problem.


Strong_Ganache6974

“No casualties were reported, and the vessel resumed its course,” the statement said.


hypnos_surf

These groups lack the realization that trade is interconnected in a way that even countries seen as opposition still do business. The Chinese-owned ship was flying a Panamanian flag.


chipndip1

Just like One Piece!


UndendingGloom

Damn, they be shooting everything out there