Our last clear advantage is gone. The Chinese steal our sub data...

via USNI News.

Chinese government-sponsored cyber thieves stole hundreds of gigabytes of data related to sensitive Navy undersea warfare programs from a government contractor earlier this year, a defense official familiar with details of the breach told USNI News on Friday.

The official confirmed details reported in a Friday afternoon story in The Washington Post in which hackers took “614 gigabytes of material relating to a closely held project known as Sea Dragon, as well as signals and sensor data, submarine radio room information relating to cryptographic systems, and the Navy submarine development unit’s electronic warfare library.”

The data is described in the story as sensitive but not classified.

Story here. 

Sensitive but not classified?

I don't believe that for one minute!  The Chinese have been tenacious and dedicated to stealing as much information from us as possible and our so called best and brightest have failed at every turn.

What worries?

We know they have the prints to the F-35.  We know that they have gained information to close the gap between us to where they are damn near our equals, but we did have one card in the hole in case of a war in the Pacific.

Our sub fleet.

They might destroy the USAF and give the Surface Navy a serious run for their money but we would send tons of shipping to the bottom of the ocean due to our fantastic submariners.

We have the world's best sub crews and tech.

It was an unmatched lead and we knew it just like they did.

With this news the gap will be closed.

I'm real close to declaring the Chinese the winner in the upcoming war.  We just don't seem to be able to gather the political or even MILITARY will to meet the threat.

Politics has us facing a comfortable enemy (Russia) while the Dragon circles ready to devour everything in it's path.  Whats worse is that military leadership is also focused on the comfortable fight in the Middle East or Europe instead of getting ready for the hard thing in the Pacific.

Sun Tzu would be proud.

The Chinese are inches away from perfect victory.  Of course we're giving it to them on a plate but why get in the way of an enemy (us) if we keep fucking things up.

Prediction.

After 2025 (sequestration will return out of necessity by 2020) there will be no doubt and it will be publicly accepted that China is militarily superior to the US. 

By 2030 we won't even bother to engage if they decide to attack certain nations in the Pacific.  I really expect Vietnam to be on the top of their "to do" list...the beating they got in the late 70's cannot stand so that will be a fight, the Philippines will be a virtual vassal state by then and Japan will stand alone...no one likes them in the region and even the S. Koreans will cheer their demise. 

Are we seeing the death knell of US supremacy?

Note:  I don't know why but the Pacific has ALWAYS been hard for the US.  I don't know why but it has.  Every real threat to the survival of THIS country has come from the Pacific but we always face Europe and prioritize their survival first.  If you don't believe me then consider our nation's toughest fights.  Korean War.  Vietnam War.  WW2 in the Pacific...you can even toss in Afghanistan if you're willing to be geographically  generous.  The Pacific is the soft underbelly of the US.