Ben Ho Wan Beng

Stories by Ben Ho Wan Beng

(Re)assessing the near-term Chinese carrier threat in a Taiwan scenario

(Re)assessing the near-term Chinese carrier threat in a Taiwan scenario
(Re)assessing the near-term Chinese carrier threat in a Taiwan scenario

In this new op-ed, Ben Ho of IISS looks deeply at the question of how China may use its aircraft carriers in a Taiwan invasion.

The B-21’s possible future role in maritime strike

The B-21’s possible future role in maritime strike
The B-21’s possible future role in maritime strike

Little is known about the details of the newly unveiled B-21 bomber, but IISS’s Ben Ho writes that from what we know, its mission set could expand to the sea.

The Next Pacific War: Lessons From Wake Island For The PLA

The Next Pacific War: Lessons From Wake Island For The PLA
The Next Pacific War: Lessons From Wake Island For The PLA

China’s increasingly aggressive rise puts the Pacific theater in play in a way it hasn’t been since 1945. In this essay, Singaporean scholar Ben Ho Wan Beng and retired US Marine Gary Lehmann look at what a critical but overlooked World War II battle has to tell us about the potential strengths — and weaknesses — of the Marine Corps’s new concept for waging the next Pacific war. — the editors

Hey Navy, LCS Is Too Big To Hide

Hey Navy, LCS Is Too Big To Hide
Hey Navy, LCS Is Too Big To Hide

The debate over the operational relevance of the controversial Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) continues. The Navy has again spoken up for the much-maligned platform, suggesting to Breaking Defense that the LCS could operate in the Pacific like the PT boats of World War II or cavalry units in a Napoleonic army. Rear Adm. Donald Gabrielson said…

The Case For Carriers: Rebutting Norman Polmar

The Case For Carriers: Rebutting Norman Polmar
The Case For Carriers: Rebutting Norman Polmar

Defense Secretary Ashton Carter‘s controversial Dec. 14 memo has sparked intense debate amongst the defense community. In that document, Carter directs the Navy to procure more fighter jets and truncate the Littoral Combat Ship program, among many other measures. Carter’s far-reaching proposal spawned an even more radical proposal by an esteemed naval analyst to shake up…