We may never know, but I’ll bet we will get a darned good idea after the data can be evaluated by one disinterested source. Until then it will be confused, a jigsaw puzzle with many pieces missing and others trying to be forced into place.

That “earthquake” was a great excuse to get some ships in that area, I bet those vessels they sent are also equipped to eavesdrop on the naval communications of other countries, too. Incidentally, isn’t it curious the Chinese had seismic observatories in that region?

The US Navy is also developing some littoral warfare ship designs I believe are optimized for low-intensity warfare in just this type of marine environment: lots of islands, narrow straits, confined, shallow waters, places where carriers and submersibles are at a disadvantage. Obama is very interested in the Western Pacific, as we have always been, and there has been some talk of reopening the US bases at Cam Rahn Bay and Da Nang to US warships. The Vietnamese are more afraid of the Chinese than they are of us.

This doesn’t mean either power is contemplating war with the other, just that for both sides, a little pre-planning is only prudent.

It’s a Chinese plot so they can invade Malaysia to protect them from themselves.

4) The Mile High Club. Pretty young thing on the flight deck, a bit drunk, f**ks everything up.