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A Boeing P-8 Poseidon aircraft is being deployed to Singapore amid growing tensions over territorial claims in the South China Sea:
The United States has deployed a P-8 Poseidon spy plane to Singapore for the first time. It is the latest in a series of US military actions seen as a response to China's increasingly assertive claims over territory in the South China Sea.
The US says it will also base a military reconnaissance plane at Singapore's Paya Lebar air base. US P-8s already operate from Japan and the Philippines, and surveillance flights have taken off from Malaysia. The P-8 was deployed on Monday, and will remain in Singapore until 14 December.
In addition to the P-8 deployment, the US says it will operate a military plane, either a P-8 Poseidon or a P-3 Orion, from Singapore for the foreseeable future, rotating planes on a quarterly basis. The US-Singapore agreement, announced after a meeting in Washington on Monday between US Defense Secretary Ash Carter and Singapore Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen, also covers co-operation on counter-terrorism, fighting piracy, and disaster relief.
Previously: China's Island Factory
China Builds Artificial Islands in South China Sea
Chinese Weaponry Spotted on Artificial Islands
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 10 2015, @03:14PM
should that first sentence rather read:
"The Boeing P-8 Poseidon aircraft deployed to Singapore IS ADDING to the growing tensions over territorial claims in the South China Sea"?
so far the chinese are just "playing in the sand" albeit with grown-up toys that can move quiet a bit more sand on the beach then your regular plastic baby-shovel.
seriously tho i hope they will also have back-packer camping areas on these island. 12 bucks per night if you bring our own tent. Spear-fishing is ok ^_^
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Thursday December 10 2015, @04:37PM
Singapore is worried about a foreign nation coming in, so it's inviting a foreign nation in to help protect it.
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Thursday December 10 2015, @05:08PM
Yep, and the US can't do anything about China's actions, so they send a token of support.
The fact that it justifies that a US plane has to take a different flight path to potentially listen in on all the parties involved is purely coincidental.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 10 2015, @08:30PM
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 11 2015, @12:01AM
"so far the chinese are just "playing in the sand" albeit with grown-up toys that can move quiet a bit more sand on the beach then your regular plastic baby-shovel."
Threatening another nation's naval assets as they pass through isn't "playing in the sand," it's clear territorial grabbing, especially when said nation has rights over the territory as per international law.