In the wake of Congress’ newest $95 billion spending package for foreign aid, the U.S. Navy has chosen to employ new methods of countering China in the Pacific, The Defense Post reported.
While the spending package includes $8.1 billion for Taiwan and nations in the Pacific, the Navy plans to convert surplus oil rigs into mobile military bases. These bases will serve as resupply depots for vessels and will also act as missile defense systems, according to the report.
The project, known as the Mobile Defense/Depot Platform or MODEP, was developed by naval architecture firm Gibbs & Cox, which said these bases can carry 512 vertical launch system cells or 100 large missile launchers. That amounts to five times what a Navy destroyer can carry.
The concept for MODEP was unveiled in early April at the Sea Air Space Expo in National Harbor, Maryland.
David Zook, solutions architect and combat systems department manager for Gibbs & Cox, told Naval News, “Our target here is to find a solution to help the challenging problem of having capacity issues in the Western Pacific. For not enough cells, not enough missiles, not enough of being able to keep those ships in the forward station.”
A Navy official emphasized the benefits of MODEP, saying the system presents a “substantial reduction in risks and costs associated with land-based defense systems,” according to Interesting Engineering.
Cost was certainly accounted for in the Navy‘s decision to go with the MODEP.
The price tag is one-tenth that of creating a new missile defense system.
Is it a good idea to convert oil rigs into military platforms?
While this is a recent development for the Navy, work has been done in years past to examine the supposed benefits of the system.
A 2018 study identified potential vulnerabilities in these types of installations and found them ineffective, compared to traditional on-ground options.
While MODEP is an innovative and novel concept, the underlying intent is still worrying.
As previously mentioned, MODEP has been adopted with China in mind.
During his recent trip to China, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken was told by Chinese Communist Party leader Chen Jining, “Whether China and the U.S. choose cooperation or confrontation, it affects the wellbeing of both peoples, of nations and also the future of humanity.”
Chen made clear where this relationship could go, with war not being out of the question.
The Financial Times reported Blinken was expected to tell the Chinese to stop supporting Russia’s efforts in Ukraine or punitive measures will be taken.
With Blinken’s efforts in mind and the massive newly approved spending package, MODEP’s introduction in the Pacific suggests the U.S. is planning for the worst.
Hopefully, cooler heads will prevail.
