China deploys missile systems on the Spratly Islands.
SPRATLY ISLANDS- China leads airspace control over the West Philippine Sea after installation of missile systems in three geographies in the Spratly Islands.
According to a report in PhilStar, citing CNBC’s report, China secretly installed anti-ship cruise and surface-to-air missiles in three of their occupied outposts in the Spratly Islands specifically the Fiery Cross Reef, Mischief Reef and Subi Reef.
Reportedly, the missile systems were allegedly deployed on China’s military basements for already a month, as exposed by the source.
The setting up of the missile weapons follows after the previous installment of military jamming paraphernalia on both Fiery Cross and Mischief Reef.
As detailed in the report, the land-based anti-ship cruise missile installed, labelled as the ‘Chinese YJ-12B’ is capable of striking foreign surface vessels inside 295 nautical miles of the man-made islands.
Whereas the HQ-9B long-range surface-to-air missile is designed to attack aerial vehicles within the distance of 160 nautical miles.
With regards to the alarming issue, Lowy Institute’s international security director Euan Graham cautioned that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force may also potentially install jets in the disputed group of islands sooner.
“Ultimately, the PLA has a plan to use the Spratlys for their custom-built purpose – to extend the envelope of China’s air and seapower throughout the South China Sea. The only debatable issue there is sooner, or later,” Graham said.
Prior to the missile deployment in the Spratlys, it has also been reported that China brought military planes on Mischief Reef.
RAND Corporation’s Senior Policy Analyst Lyle Morris, speaking to Philstar, reportedly expressed that the transportation of military planes in the islands does not violate the threshold of “offensive militarization”.
Amidst the dispute, the Chinese Ministry of Defense spoke in relation to China’s unforeseen actions in the West Philippine Sea or the South China Sea. According to them, China has ‘natural rights’ to array variety of weapons and military troops in the Island.
“It is the natural right of a sovereign state for China to station troops and deploy necessary territory defense facilities on the relevant islands and reefs of the Nansha Islands,” they said.
