Spain's $680 Million submarine can only dive, not resurface

[Siege]

[The Minsky Moment]

And moving on, I don't think anyone but the US (and Australia) would do much more than send a supportive note to DC and an angry one to Beijing. There's no European country with any pretension of protecting Pacific countries. The most we'd do is support the US, possibly financially and certainly morally.

There's a reason you never really hear about what Europe thinks when, say, North Korea goes mental - that's your bag. As Obama's said, many times, the US is a Pacific power.

And Palmerston weeps in his grave.

[The Minsky Moment]

Found it, now This is how you conduct an amphibious assault, also check out the large image in the link below the photo for the full details, whole thing expertly planned:

Indeed.  The followed the two key rules of any successful beach assault:

1) Pick an LZ with plenty of seating in the shade so that the officers can take noon tea safely on the beach.
2) Pick a target that doesn't have any missile inventory that could be unloaded on those neatly packed landing craft.

[CountDeMoney]

As Obama's said, many times, the US is a Pacific power.

Amen to that.

[Viking]

The Spanish claim on Gibraltar is a museum piece, no sane government would ever press it with a straight face. That's not to say that  Spanish governments are happy with Gibraltar's status, but they're not going to actually do anything about it.

In short, the status quo won't change either for Gibraltar or Ceuta & Melilla.

Spain has no claim on Gibraltar, they ceded it to Britain as part of the Treaty of Utrecht.

The wording is trickier than that, though, and was basically established in a way that'd prevent it from being anything else than British or Spanish. That includes eventual independence. Spain's posture is that status quo is ok, but full independence is completely out of the question.

Yes, Spain has first right of refusal if it's status changes. But now Spain has no claim.

[Valmy]

Any particular reason why Britain does not annex its colonies like France and US do?

[The Larch]

Any particular reason why Britain does not annex its colonies like France and US do?

When did the US annex its colonies? Guam? Samoa? US Virgin Islands? Puerto Rico is the only one that can be defined as "annexed", but not fully so.

And France still has a couple of non-annexed colonies, New Caledonia and French Polynesia.

[Brazen]

Let's face it, though, the US's biggest technology contribution to future Asia Pacific warfare, the LCS, isn't up to much either.

[Valmy]

Any particular reason why Britain does not annex its colonies like France and US do?

When did the US annex its colonies? Guam? Samoa? US Virgin Islands? Puerto Rico is the only one that can be defined as "annexed", but not fully so.

And France still has a couple of non-annexed colonies, New Caledonia and French Polynesia.

Alaska and Hawaii.  Puerto Rico is most definitely not annexed, something I hope we correct someday.

And New Caledonia and French Polynesia are not annexed because...they are not sure they want to.

[Neil]

Britain's colonies become Dominions, not a part of the UK.  At any rate, why would Britain want to emulate the failed examples of non-British colonial practices?  Only British practices have produced civilized results.

[Valmy]

Britain's colonies become Dominions, not a part of the UK.

Yeah...even things like the Channel Islands.  It just seems weird that even territories like Jersey and Gibraltar that are in Europe and very close are not made part of the UK.

[Brazen]

Yeah...even things like the Channel Islands.  It just seems weird that even territories like Jersey and Gibraltar that are in Europe and very close are not made part of the UK.

Until the war, most Brits thought the Falkland Islands were off Scotland 

[The Larch]

Britain's colonies become Dominions, not a part of the UK.

Yeah...even things like the Channel Islands.  It just seems weird that even territories like Jersey and Gibraltar that are in Europe and very close are not made part of the UK.

This video comes in handy for these discussions:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNu8XDBSn10

[The Brain]

[Berkut]

Britain's colonies become Dominions, not a part of the UK.

Yeah...even things like the Channel Islands.  It just seems weird that even territories like Jersey and Gibraltar that are in Europe and very close are not made part of the UK.

This video comes in handy for these discussions:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNu8XDBSn10

Hey, that was pretty damn cool...

I actually learned some stuff!