My answer to How would you defend the San Francisco Bay Area from an amphibious invasion force?

Answer by Abbey Laurel-Smith:

KISS (Keep It Simple and Stupid) Understand the enemy. Figure out why it is coming in via SF and use it’s own strategy to defeat it.

First, California is closer to the equator and in a unique area in the pacific (all the way to Australia) where the salinity is thinner, water is deeper, cloud, wave formation and other elements moves the other way round and at different rate from anywhere else in the world. I will therefore use all these (natural interference) to mask my ad-hoc assets’ from enemy radar and infra-red seeking equipments.

These and many other features that i will not mention here makes this belt (this area) the most perfect spot for Vietnam, North Korea or even Easter Island to launch a sea or a sub-surface attack on the United States (all the way to the gulf coast and Florida) unhindered for days – and melt away with loots before anyone could do anything.

This is my way of saying what we have in place now is totally useless in the face of a determined attack.

They have (Russian made) long range endurance equipments for such an attack now. But weak on distance, unique radar (sorry can’t give name or type), refurbishing and supply capacity. Thank God Putin won’t sell these to them.

Second and most immediate: Since 7th Fleet has been wiped out, and i hate the old set up that is in place, I’ll have no time to set up new defense and new fortifications to meet 21st century standard. So, I’ll set up a couple of ad-hoc LED powered off shore platform as my command base for operation, for monitoring, for jamming, attacking, etc. Why? Because, the whole grid in and around SF would have either been taken down or monitored by the invading force’s submarines.

I’ll let the invading force come within twenty miles of the Bay area. Then use a couple of fast and high flyers from the north and south as an attacking decoy – swooping in (beyond range) and swooping out further out – to tease and separate the attacking battle group.

By doing this, I hope to force the invading force to elevate their radar and point all monitoring equipments scanning and fanning through the sky in these directions… thus allowing me to use San Francicso’s or California’s best cover and natural advantage (fog, cloud, dense rain and sub tropical weather) to launch a massive (water level and below radar) wave of massive attack helicopter assault on the amphibious force – while at launch.

Any counter move will be matched by artillery barrage from selected (but mobile) offshore platforms rather then inland. This way, it becomes easier to screw up and confuse the attacking force’s plan, because they must have scouted and log in all inland based defenses in their op. plan.

Like it or not, the attacking force’s underwater battle group would be forced to reveal their location by committing to respond to this attack. Then I can go for supplies and replenishing vessels – if I won’t be committing war crimes in my EEZ.

I will not wait for them to land anywhere near the bay.

And just in case they have a trick or two up their back side, i’ll activate NORAD, ask them to watch out for a loose Santa coming in from the arctic and the antarctic.

Once this is all over, then i’ll proceed to set up an up to date defensive system for navigating the waters of the whole western coast. Read “letter to Veterans” in my blog at Veterans’ talkback for a brief insight into my plan.

How would you defend the San Francisco Bay Area from an amphibious invasion force?