Chinese military secretly installed missile defense system in South China Sea?
Beijing - China's military has reportedly installed a sophisticated missile defense system at its three base military sites, located in the South China Sea region in the western Philippines. It was done quietly.
Quoted from CNBC, Thursday (3/5/2018), which launched direct sources in US intelligence, calling the action allows Beijing to continue its projection of power in the territory waters laden dispute.
The intelligence assessment says the missile platform was moved to outposts in the Spratly Islands in the last 30 days. The placement of defense weapons also comes on the heels of military jamming equipment installations, which can outwit the communications systems and enemy radar in the South China Sea.
Overall, the new coastal defense system is a significant addition to Beijing's military portfolio, in one of the most contested areas in the world.
On the other hand, despite claiming to remain neutral, the United States (US) expressed concern about claims of overlapping sovereignty on the Spratly Islands.
"We are consistently calling on China, as well as other prosecutors, to refrain from further land reclamation, the construction of new facilities, and the militarization of disputed features, and are committed to managing and resolving disputes peacefully in the South China Sea," a Pentagon official said to CNBC.
"Further militarization of the outposts will only heighten tensions and create greater distrust among the prosecutors," he said.
The latest intelligence report says the Chinese military has deployed anti-destroyer missile cruise missile and missile missile systems at Fiery Cross Reef, Subi Reef and Mischief Reef, all of which are in the Spratly Islands region.
Meanwhile, the Spratly Islands are contested by six countries are about two-thirds east of Vietnam and southwest of the Exclusive Economic Zone (ZEE) of the Philippines.
The anti-destroyer cruise missile system, called YJ-12B, allows China to attack enemy ships sailing within 295 nautical miles (about 546 kilometers) of the Spartly Islands reef fence.
Meanwhile, the long-range missile-fired missile system HQ-9B, has a defense radius of the target aircraft, military drones, and cruise missiles as far as 160 nautical miles, or about 296 kilometers.
The unveiling of the missile defense system was first detected through satellite imagery, which had intended to monitor alleged expansion of China's military base in the Woody Islands.
"The Woody Islands serves as the center of Chinese government and military in the South China Sea," Gregory Poling of the Center for Strategic Studies and International Studies told CNBC.
"We assume that whatever we see in Woody, will eventually refer to an expansion of southern influence, which could threaten China's neighbors," he added.
China Able to Control South China Sea
The South China Sea, home to more than 200 small islands, plays an important role as a gateway to the global sea route, where about $ 3.4 trillion trades pass through it every year.
Many sovereign claims overlap over the islands, coral reefs, and atoll rocks, which have turned the waters into an arms competition area.
China plays an important role by placing about 27 military posts throughout the South China Sea.
Beijing first claimed ownership of the Fiery Cross Reef and Subi Reef region in 1988, and has since continued to equip it with port facilities, aircraft hangars, communications systems, administrative offices and runways along a total of 10,000 feet (about 3,000 meters).
Last week, US Navy Admiral Philip Davidson, described China's increasingly strong presence in the South China Sea as "a major challenge to US military operations in the region."
In written testimony to the US Senate Armed Services Committee, Davidson said the development of the Chinese military operations base seems to be more complete.
"The only thing that is lacking is the troops deployed.After being seized, China will be able to expand its influence thousands of miles to the south, and further invasion projects into Oceania," wrote Davidson.
"In short, China is now able to control the South China Sea in all scenarios of open war risks with the United States."
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