nemo wrote: ↑Tue Mar 09, 2021 3:55 pm But they can't make 4 nanometer chips for at least 5 years.

but taiwan can . . .

The idea of France being a credible power alternative in the area is risible.

Au contraire

Four French nuclear ballistic missile submarines of a newer generation, the Le Triomphant class, are in service in 2010 in the force océanique stratégique of the French Navy:

Le Triomphant (S616) (entered in service since 1997)
Le Téméraire (S617) (entered into service since 1999)
Le Vigilant (S618) (entered into service since 2004)
Le Terrible (S619) (entered into service since 2010). Le Terrible was presented on March 21, 2008, and entered service at the end of September 2010 to replace the L'Inflexible, last of the retrieved Le Redoutable class ballistic missile submarine in 2008.
The armament systems of the ballistic missile submarines include in general:

16 missiles M45 with TN 75 heads (nuclear deterrence). French Nuclear deterrence also includes M51 missiles.
4 tubes of 533mm for F17 torpedoes and Exocet SM39 anti-ship missiles.
The mission of a French Nuclear Ballistic Missile Submarine is simple: leave the designated port of attachment, in the most discreet possible way, remain undetectable all along the mission to be able at any moment launch a nuclear strike, under orders of the President of France.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Submarine_forces_(France)

France has only aproximately 450 nuclear warheads mounted on Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs), compared to the several thousand that Russia and the United States possess. But for the purpose of deterrence, the destructiveness and reliability of a nuclear force is more important than its size. Moreover, French ICBMs are launched from bombers and submarines. This would make them almost unreachable by any defense system that targets missiles in their boost phase. French ICBMs also carry multiple independently-targeted re-entry vehicles (MIRVs) and employ sophisticated decoy systems. This would make them a difficult target for an umbrella-style missile defense, one that targets ICBMs later in their flight trajectories.

https://www.brookings.edu/articles/fren ... e-defense/

nemo wrote: ↑Tue Mar 09, 2021 3:55 pm
But they can't make 4 nanometer chips for at least 5 years.
but taiwan can . .

.
They are quite a long way off, though I think they are making 5 nm at present.
The chokehold is the fabrication technology itself which is under heavy export control.

https://semiwiki.com/forum/index.php?th ... ion.13371/

tsmc are in production at 5nm now, and expect to start 3nm this year

Hey! Colonial Heroes.
Keep all talk of your poofter nukes out of OUR backyard.

Piss in the wind all you want - but this is a job for long-term smart heads.
and PS, those on the ground, ASEAN, the "Quad" et al know far more than you fools about how that job should be done.

Nevertheless, UK, Eu, USA etc- you are most welcome to join in the party IF you remember your manners. (for a change)
- or piss off.

tsmc are in production at 5nm now, and expect to start 3nm this year

source?

If China did anything close to invading Taiwan the US Navy would setup a blockade of the Malacca strait where 90% of China's oil imports go through. In two weeks they'd be down to fumes, game over.

google?
oh, ok:
https://www.macrumors.com/2021/03/01/ts ... tion-2022/

remember this is taiwan, not prc
but the current chip crunch
and fab equipment embargoes to prc
makes prc meddling in taiwan more likely, imho
maybe they'll just buy tsmc, lol

Khmer_Risotto wrote: ↑Tue Mar 09, 2021 6:56 pm If China did anything close to invading Taiwan the US Navy would setup a blockade of the Malacca strait where 90% of China's oil imports go through. In two weeks they'd be down to fumes, game over.

indeed, which is why they won't
not yet anyway, but maybe by 2049

i imagine the PLAN buildup is to deter western intervention in 'less than war' scenarios
though politics would probably be enough