Battleland

Of Carriers, and Cakes

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Navy photo / MSC Seaman Betsy Lynn Knapper

A five-foot-long U.S. Navy aircraft-carrier cake designed by Navy bakers to celebrate the Navy's 235th birthday in 2010.

As the Pentagon never tires of telling us, the fulcrum of the world is shifting from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Which explains the U.S. military’s pivot from one to the other. The latest evidence?

India has announced plans to build a 65,000-ton aircraft carrier by 2025 (the newest U.S. Ford class weighs in at about 100,000 tons). The Chennai New Indian Express reports the warship will be “named INS Vishal (literally meaning ‘huge’) with the latest fighter jets and choppers onboard.” In related news, the same issue of the newspaper reported that an Indian company will try to bake the biggest cake in history next week:

They will bake a 66,666 kg [66.6 metric tons, or 73.5 U.S. short tons] with 66 flavours, which will be cut on Independence Day. R J Rama Narayana, MD, AMN Global Project, said, “This is the first time in Chennai that such an event is going to be conducted. Over 200 bakers are to be involved in the baking on August 13. The cake will be cut by 66 participants who were born on August 15. Sixty six babies are also expected to be born on the same date at government hospitals in the city. We will gift them with gold coins.” He added that they have also invited 66 special guests, some of whom will be freedom fighters.

“The cake will be sold at Rs 750 per kg. The entry is free for those born on August 15 and Rs 599 will be charged for those accompanying them. For those not born on that day, the fee is Rs 799. The money collected will be given to the Tamil Nadu CM Relief Fund and to Ragavendra Temple’s Mantralaya to build a Navaratna chariot,” he added.

From carriers to cakes, to freedom fighters and chariots. Wonder how Beijing will react?