The YJ-12 proves the point. We're going to have to fight to the beach.

via War on the rocks blog...

A realistic future scenario is an attack on two or more axes by two Chinese Flanker regiments (totaling 48 Su-30 MKK or J-11B Flanker fighter-bomber variants). These Flankers (roughly corresponding to U.S. Air Force F-15E fighter-bombers, capable of supersonic speeds, and possessing a combat radius of 1,500 kilometers) could each be armed with two to four YJ-12 ASCMs. Although the carrier strike group’s combat air patrol could shoot down a few of the Flankers before they launched their missiles, the strike group would still face the prospect of defending against over a hundred supersonic ASCMs approaching from several directions at a wave-top height. The group’s close-in air defenses would have less than 45 seconds to engage the missiles after they appeared on the horizon. The YJ-12s would employ a variety of sensor types to find their targets and execute dramatic cork-screw turns to evade final defenses. A study from the Naval Postgraduate School concluded that in past engagements of anti-ship missiles against alerted surface warships, 32 percent of the attacking missiles scored hits. If only five percent of such a saturation YJ-12 attack impacted targets, it would still be a bad day for the carrier strike group.

As I've said before.

The 100 mile launch point that the current Commandant is talking about is simply a sad joke.  Land based versions of this missile will go out 300 miles.

Like Navy Matters Blog has said...We're going to have to fight our way to the beach.

World War 2 scenarios of creating corridors for our amphibs to make runs into launch positions for our Amtracs; then protecting the Amtracs while they swim to the beach and the amphibs dash back out to sea; and then fighting our way to the objective is the only way that forcible entry will be done.

The fantasy that we can get far enough offshore to make things safe is a fantasy.

But its worse than that.

The sea base concept is in doubt now.  You set up a sea base 200 miles off shore and you're still vulnerable to attack with these missiles in service.

There is no easy way.

The US Navy and Marine Corps needs to steel themselves to reality.  If we're called to make an amphibious assault, its gonna be bloody, its gonna be messy and its gonna be risky as hell.