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Hey everyone! First time applicant here. Anyone else currently rated?

CENTCOM is saying different from ship trackers

Ok now let’s take your one inch deep analysis (close trade route -> gain leverage -> everything is awesome) and ask the obvious follow up questions: We don’t use much oil from the straight.. cool. So it shouldn’t affect our prices much right? Wrong. We live with something called the global economy and when supply of a commodity drops, effects of that percolate through the whole system. American oil companies will sell to the highest bidder just like anyone else so higher international demand will cause domestic prices to spike. Sorry, we don’t get to go on military adventures around the world and then suddenly pretend our own economy is isolationist. What happens when China is cut off from a huge portion of their oil imports? I guess in the world where we don’t consider follow on effects we’re just gonna ignore that. Are they just gonna sit back and take it? Are they going to put pressure on us to open the straight again? Are they going to raise their export prices to offset increased energy costs? Hmmm I wonder what country imports the most Chinese stuff….. Or What happens when (god forbid) one of our ships, now dicking around much closer to Iran than they were before, gets hit? Or hits a mine? Iran still has a very real missile, mine, and drone threat and now we’re basically just doing the navy version of seizing Kharg island—parking a bunch of juicy targets right off their coast. Again, the escalation ladder is sitting right in front of us and you guys are completely blind to it. What happens with the civilian population when the Iranian economy is fully destroyed by our blockade? I’m sure they’ll come running happily into the open arms of the country that’s doing it to them. It’s definitely not going to cause a rally around the flag effect much like trump’s tweet about killing their whole civilization. Any minute now the populace is going to rise up and turn the country into a flowering democracy…

Chinese Seamen?

Of course an AI would say Cyber is primary, tip of the spear.

We still kick ass when it comes to CSAR! 👍👍 For a laugh, I asked Copilot (the AI, not the guy in the right seat!) which is about as deep as we want to get on here... U.S. MILITARY LESSONS LEARNED – OPERATION EPIC FURY 1. BLUF Operation EPIC FURY validated U.S. dominance in joint high‑intensity warfare but highlighted critical vulnerabilities in missile defense capacity, force protection, logistics endurance, and partner integration under sustained saturation attacks. 2. OPERATIONAL OVERVIEW Start: 28 Feb 2026 Lead: U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Mission: Destroy Iranian missile capability, naval forces, and defense industrial base to prevent power projection and nuclear breakout. Scope: Large‑scale joint, combined air–maritime–cyber campaign against a peer‑capable regional adversary. 3. KEY LESSONS LEARNED A. JOINT INTEGRATION WORKS—BUT REQUIRES SCALE Observation U.S. forces achieved rapid air superiority, effective SEAD, and joint fires synchronization across domains. Lesson Joint integration is a decisive advantage, but only when properly resourced for sustained operations, not short campaigns. F‑35, long‑range bombers, submarines, and ISR platforms dominated early phases. Implication Future conflicts with peer adversaries will require: Larger munitions stockpiles Faster reconstitution Broader distributed basing B. MISSILE AND DRONE SATURATION IS THE PRIMARY THREAT Observation Iran employed mass volleys of missiles and drones, overwhelming regional defenses despite high intercept rates. Lesson Interceptor inventories are finite Missile defense success is measured in resilience, not perfection Saturation attacks still produced casualties and infrastructure disruption Implication The U.S. must: Expand interceptor production Integrate regional air/missile defense (IBCS‑like systems) Harden bases and civilian infrastructure C. CYBER AND SPACE ARE NOW FIRST-MOVE DOMAINS Observation Cyber and space effects were employed before kinetic strikes, degrading enemy C2, sensors, and communications. Lesson Cyber is no longer a supporting arm—it is a primary maneuver element Pre-positioned access is decisive Implication Cyber operations must be planned at campaign level Requires persistent access, legal frameworks, and resilient U.S. cyber defenses D. LOGISTICS AND SUSTAINMENT LIMIT CAMPAIGN LENGTH Observation The operation consumed massive quantities of: Precision munitions Fuel ISR flight hours Human endurance resources Lesson The U.S. can strike faster than it can sustain at current industrial capacity. Implication Industrial surge capacity is now a combat enabler Future wars will be won by logistics endurance, not opening salvos E. FORCE PROTECTION REMAINS A VULNERABILITY Observation U.S. personnel suffered hundreds of wounded and multiple fatalities, primarily from missile attacks on regional bases. Lesson Even with air superiority, fixed bases are vulnerable. Implication Expand dispersal, deception, and hardened infrastructure Improve warning and sheltering procedures across AORs F. PARTNER NATIONS ARE BOTH STRENGTH AND LIABILITY Observation Gulf partners enabled access but suffered direct retaliation and infrastructure damage. Lesson Allies require integrated—not parallel—defense architectures. Implication Defense cooperation must include shared command-and-control, not just basing agreements 4. STRATEGIC TAKEAWAYS U.S. dominance is real—but not inexhaustible Mass matters again (munitions, interceptors, logistics) Cyber-first warfare is now normal Missile defense determines societal resilience Campaign durability—not shock—is the decisive variable 5. WAY AHEAD (RECOMMENDED ACTIONS) Expand munitions and interceptor production lines Integrate cyber deeply into joint campaign planning Invest in regional missile-defense integration Harden and disperse critical basing Reform industrial mobilization planning

Looks like the first ship has already ignored the blockade. Asian-American type.

Also, Dude, chinaman is not the preferred nomenclature. Asian-American, please. -

Well, for all you anti-Trump types, if you didn't shove that complete idiot Kamala Harris up against him in 2024, we might be in a different boat! Now, who exactly do you plan to run in 2028? Gavin Newsome? Pete Buttigieg? Harris again? Gretchen Whitmer? Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez?!? 🤣🤣🤣 Don't blame us, blame yourselves for not taking the opportunity to present a viable candidate instead of complete nutbags that make our nutbags look half-sane! Chirp all you want about Trump, and he is a moron; but deep down you know damn well your side had nothing better!

How you know you’re over the target…. AD75 | DeMaio - Assemblymember DeMaioCA Democrats Advance “Stop Nick Shirley Act” to Criminali...DeMaio warns AB 2624 (Bonta) would restrict the release of investigative videos and impose penalties on watchdogs who expose fraudCA State Assemblymember Carl DeMaio is slamming state Democrats for vo

Again, where do you see anyone “supporting” any of the things you have previously highlighted (irrational plans, idiotic statements). I don’t support about 50% of the things he stands for (classic NY liberal with serious visions of grandeur - and no apparent real belief in anything except self) and about 75% of what he says (blasphemous at times, contradictory at times, repetitive usually, and narcissistic at times). That just shows you how evil and misguided the democratic platform is currently (in my opinion). Not every self proclaimed Christian (and def not atheists) will agree with me on my take on Trump as the significantly less smelly of two turds, as evidenced by hundreds of discussions on various topics here in BOs.

Seize any tanker and sell to Cuba (or other struggling Western hemisphere economies not currently US friendly) with conditions (disavow communism (e.g. Russia, China), free and open elections, US assistance in setting up new constitutional governance structure, etc …). Admittedly a bit quixotic, but give cash proceeds from oil to third world countries in need (food, humanitarian aid, etc). Bangladesh is still almost as poor, desperate, and underdeveloped as it was in the late 1960s.

Concur The offense defense tango continues, offense is throwing mass cheap systems and the challenge to defense is how to answer that. Probably an all of the above is the best feasible option Defensive systems, decoys, mobile low footprint systems, etc… It seems you need a force that is composed of opposite ends of a value spectrum, some high end exquisite systems to kick things off, medium systems level and a shit ton of cheap attrition tolerant mass to constantly throw at your opponent

I think air defense really shined. Now the question is how do you get a good mix of capabilities and cost. Patriot/THAAD are nice, but you can't afford to smack every shahed with one. Hardening critical infrastructure and capabilities to prevent easy kills by cheap systems is looking wise, as well.

Even in the "fixed" version, General Discussion and Squadron Bar are nowhere near the top, which I would call suboptimal.

1000%. This is the absolute most un-American thing that is somehow enshrined in American law. I totally get and would support a similar concept IF it were after appropriate due process and the person found guilty, much like what happens to people's trucks and guns after they get caught AND convicted of poaching. But to put the burden of proof on the citizen is completely upside-down and the fact that it hasn't been struck down only proves how far removed the Supreme Court is from actually reading the Constitution and doing it's job. With the qualified immunity removal in some states, legislators that passed that need pass a law to hold themselves to the same standard. If they pass a law that would would meet a similar threshold of 'obviously illegal' (like Colorado's ban on verbal only counseling to help a teenager wondering if they should actually be the other gender that got struck down 8-1), they need to be tried and convicted of violating their constituents' rights. A good starting point would be an identical punishment to what a law abiding citizen would have gotten under their unconstitutional law.

Exactly this. Haven't we already done this with a few ships from the ghost fleet?

Yeah I get it but the unresolvable loop in the original Iran thread has reached a point where nothing more can really get done, besides there’s enough in the open source world to have discussions worth what it costs to access BO… The articles are starting to ask what this can teach us about a Taiwan scenario, what is China learning, etc…. We should discuss the big elephants in the room.

To the extent things have gone quiet, it's largely due to you libs going on and on about personality issues. Yeah, we get it, he says stuff that's in poor taste. All of us wish, and have stated, our desire for a president with classier chops, but this is where we're at. You all pin that on us. I'm fine with it because I understand the choice that had to be made: elect a jerk, or elect complete ineptitude. The one part about Trump's manner I do appreciate: it drives you guys nuts. I will admit that's a bonus I'll miss when he's gone. The ranting and raving about it on this forum, however, is just tiresome when we should be exchanging ideas about strategic happenings instead. Apparently they did get the memo. And I distinctly remember predicting, right here on this message board, barely three days ago, that there was a lot more at play to "opening" or "closing" the straight than met the eye - you responded with this mess. Now, here we are, and lo and behold, what's happened? We closed the straight. It's almost like I can see a larger play at work. You'd call it 4D chess. I just understand that we're the ones with all the strategic leverage. I promise you I can't predict the future, it was just the obvious play. So yes, while Iran has played their very last card by closing the straight, we played a card I saw in the deck that trumps it: we closed it harder. Others here didn't really get it. They can close it, but we can up the ante and beat them at their own game. Or did you actually think we were just going to let them control that waterway on their own terms? Like seriously? Did you think Iranian and Chinese oil tankers would be doing business as usual all the while the lights went out on our allies and we flounder in the channel? Get real dude. We're a superpower. That's not chest-beating. It's looking objectively at who's who in this conflict. Of course we want it open. But it's going to be open on our terms, not theirs. So give it time. I'll spell out the next part for you again: Iran depends on the straight for 90% of their exports, 85% of their government revenue, and additionally import HALF of the gasoline they use to generate power. They need it open far, far more than we do, as they hemorrhage $3 billion dollars a week and risk massive long-term (self inflicted) damage to their oil infrastructure. As I said before, we can play the waiting game while they waterboard themselves. That's the strategic leverage. Can you see it? Or are you queuing up yet another anti-Trump tirade? This is effectively the sequel to my last post, with the added benefit of hindsight including events which I suggested would take place, actually having taken place. You didn't respond thoughtfully when it was prognostication. You didn't address how Iran is far more dependent on the straight that we are. Maybe now you will since it's actually happening?

Sorry to interrupt the political sword fighting, if only we had a thread for that 🤔, but does anyone have a thought on how Iran will run this blockade? I highly doubt China would put personnel on an Iranian oil tanker bound for China... However, if they told us they were doing so, what's the move? I'm sure we could disable the ship, but then what? Are we going to storm the ship and take those chinamen prisoner? Even if they don't put Chicoms on an oil tanker, what's the worst that can happen from an Iranian perspective? They run the blockade, we disable/commandeer said vessel, and then what, just sell the oil and pocket the cash? I'm not sure that's a great look for us. Thoughts that don't revolve around a monkey shit fight over Trump would be surprising yet welcomed.

Not today ISIS.

Ignore his rhetoric. No one here defended it, and we already know your position. What policy actions has Trump taken that you believe we are selling our souls in supporting? I'm truly curious if this is just another "liberals think conservative positions are evil" or "his rhetoric is too extreme to consider anything else?" You bend over backwards repeating the same thing and never addressing any of the actual counterpoints, so I'm trying to keep the question focused.

Not really, considering it’s an accurate description of your dialogue a majority of the time. I just possess a capability you don’t: I have no problem admitting when I’m wrong.

Literal definition of irony.