10 September 2026
9. US Naval Readiness Facing Chinese Expansion - JIM FANELL & GORDON CHANG 090926
The John Batchelor Show
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1945 USS ANZIO (CVE 57) ARRIVES SHANGHAI
US Naval Readiness Facing Chinese Expansion
Captain James Fanell addresses concerns over rust on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, framing it as routine maintenance strain from over 200 days of continuous combat sorties. China has leveraged the warship's appearance for cognitive warfare to push a narrative of American decline. Fanell warns that the U.S. Navy is severely overstretched due to extended deployments, a fleet reduced from fifteen to ten carriers, and decades of flawed ship designs. Meanwhile, China's rapidly expanding fleet conducts aggressive maneuvers near Taiwan and Japanese islands, positioning to potentially enforce a blockade or invade Taiwan. (8)
US Naval Readiness Facing Chinese Expansion
Captain James Fanell addresses concerns over rust on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, framing it as routine maintenance strain from over 200 days of continuous combat sorties. China has leveraged the warship's appearance for cognitive warfare to push a narrative of American decline. Fanell warns that the U.S. Navy is severely overstretched due to extended deployments, a fleet reduced from fifteen to ten carriers, and decades of flawed ship designs. Meanwhile, China's rapidly expanding fleet conducts aggressive maneuvers near Taiwan and Japanese islands, positioning to potentially enforce a blockade or invade Taiwan. (8)