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
Related Stories
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/special/2014/newsspec_8701/index.html
The BBC has an interesting report on the South China Sea, where China are trying to build islands to improve or create a claim to large areas of the sea.
New islands are being made in the disputed South China Sea by the might of the Chinese state. But a group of marooned Filipinos on a rusting wreck is trying to stand in the way.
Matthew Fisher reports that to support part of its claim to about 85 per cent of the South China Sea, Beijing is building artificial islands on tiny outcroppings, atolls and reefs in hotly disputed waters in the Spratly Archipelago.
Tons of sand, rocks, coral cuttings, and concrete are transforming miniscule Chinese-occupied outcroppings into sizable islands with harbors, large multi-story buildings, airstrips, and other government facilities. Adm. Harry Harris Jr., commander of the U.S. Navy’s Pacific fleet, dubbed Beijing’s island-building project in the South China Sea “a great wall of sand" and says China has created “over four square kilometers of artificial land mass,” adding there were serious questions about Beijing’s intentions. The scale of China's construction in the Spratly Islands is clear in new satellite images. "What's really stunning in these images, every time you see a new set of images come out, is just the speed and scale at which this work is occurring," says Mira Rapp-Hooper.
A spokeswoman for China’s Foreign Ministry insists the islands are being built to give ships a haven in the typhoon heavy region. “We are building shelters, aids for navigation, search and rescue as well as marine meteorological forecasting services, fishery services and other administrative services” for both China and its neighbors, the spokeswoman said, according to Reuters, though no one was buying that explanation.
U.S. surveillance imagery has spotted weapons on artificial islands in the South China Sea:
The U.S. imagery detected two Chinese motorized artillery pieces on one of the artificial islands built by China about one month ago. While the artillery wouldn't pose a threat to U.S. planes or ships, U.S. officials said it could reach neighboring islands and that its presence was at odds with China's public statements that the reclaimed islands are mainly for civilian use.
"There is no military threat," a U.S. official told The Wall Street Journal on Thursday. "But it is about the symbolism."
While posing no military threat to the U.S., the motorized artillery was within range of an island claimed by Vietnam that Hanoi has armed with various weaponry for some time, the American officials said. Vietnamese officials didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
A Chinese Embassy spokesman in Washington wouldn't comment specifically on the weaponry, but said its development work within the Spratly Islands—known by the Chinese as the Nansha Islands—was primarily civilian.
China's first white paper on military strategy [single page], published on May 26th by the State Council Information Office, reveals that China is planning to project naval power beyond its offshore borders and focus on "open seas protection." Additional BBC reporting.
Original Submission
China has upped the ante by placing missile launchers on Woody Island in the South China Sea:
China has placed surface-to-air missile equipment on one of the disputed islands in the South China Sea, newly published satellite images appear to show.
Tensions in the region could rise after two batteries of eight missile launchers and a radar system were deployed to Woody Island in the past week, Fox News reported, citing images taken by the private company ImageSat International. An image dated 14 February showed the presence of the equipment, whereas the same area looked to be empty in an image dated 3 February.
Fox News cited a US official official as saying the images appeared to show the HQ-9 air defence system, which had a range of about 125 miles (200km) and could therefore threaten any nearby planes. Reuters news agency also reported that it had received confirmation of 'an apparent deployment' by China.
[...] A US navy destroyer sailed close to the disputed Paracel Island chain, which includes Woody Island, in a "freedom of navigation" exercise late last month. China, Taiwan and Vietnam have competing claims in the area and the US has objected to any "militarising" of the islands. China branded that action as "highly dangerous and irresponsible" and accused the US of being "the biggest cause of militarisation in the South China Sea".
Previously:
Chinese Weaponry Spotted on Artificial Islands
U.S. Spy Plane Deploys to Singapore Amid South China Sea Tensions
China is a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, but that won't stop it from ignoring this ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague:
An international tribunal in The Hague delivered a sweeping rebuke on Tuesday of China's behavior in the South China Sea, including the construction of artificial islands, and found that its expansive claim to sovereignty over the waters had no legal basis.
The tribunal also said that Beijing had violated international law by causing "severe harm to the coral reef environment" and by failing to prevent Chinese fishermen from harvesting endangered sea turtles and other species "on a substantial scale."
The landmark case, brought by the Philippines, was seen as an important crossroads in China's rise as a global power. It is the first time the Chinese government has been summoned before the international justice system, and the decision against it could provide leverage to other neighboring countries that have their own disputes with Beijing in the South China Sea.
"It's an overwhelming victory. We won on every significant point," said the Philippines' chief counsel in the case, Paul S. Reichler. "This is a remarkable victory for the Philippines."
But while the decision is legally binding, there is no mechanism for enforcing it, and China, which refused to participate in the tribunal's proceedings, reiterated on Tuesday that it would not abide by it. "The award is invalid and has no binding force," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "China does not accept or recognize it."
Now the U.S. can feel properly justified as it continues to do nothing. This news is also reported at Time , Reuters, The Guardian , and The Washington Post . Full response at Xinhua.
Previously: China Builds Artificial Islands in South China Sea
U.S. Spy Plane Deploys to Singapore Amid South China Sea Tensions
China Places Surface-to-Air Missile Launchers on Disputed Island
U.S. Admiral Warns of New Activity Near Reef Seized by China
The West Protests as the Chinese Military Continues to Operate in the South China Sea
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 10 2015, @02:36PM
That's an odd way to spell "anti-submarine warfare plane".
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 10 2015, @03:44PM
More like over-priced rudimentary ocean surveillance.
The P-8 sucks as an ASW platform: no MAD (magnetic anomaly detector) and too high a minimum air speed for precision low-altitude torpedo drops.
The Orion and Nimrod, and even the Tu-142, are more effective in the ASW role.
Hey, Boeing needed to keep that 737 line running somehow, didn't it?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_P-8_Poseidon [wikipedia.org]
(Score: 2) by deadstick on Thursday December 10 2015, @10:40PM
Hey, Boeing needed to keep that 737 line running somehow, didn't it
Where do you get your data, Trumpopedia? Boeing delivers almost 500 737's a year and has an 8-year order backlog.
It could replace the whole P-8 inventory in a month.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Aichon on Thursday December 10 2015, @03:44PM
It's both. It serves multiple roles, including anti-submarine, anti-surface, and electronic intelligence. But one look at the thing will tell you (since it looks more like a passenger jet or an AWAX than it does a fighter craft or a bomber) that it's not intended to get in a scrap by itself. It basically drops sonar buoys, listens to the airwaves, and then has some torpedoes and depth charges for if it needs them.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 10 2015, @03:50PM
AWAX? That a competitor for http://www.barnes.com.au/release-agents/j-wax-aerosal-can-1220 [barnes.com.au] ?
Or did you mean AWACS?
(Score: 2) by Aichon on Thursday December 10 2015, @03:56PM
Thanks for the correction. Quite right. Mea culpa.
(Score: 2) by aristarchus on Thursday December 10 2015, @10:11PM
He was thinking of a Brazilian spy plane.
(Score: 2) by frojack on Friday December 11 2015, @05:22AM
Looks like a passenger plane because it is a 737 painted grey.
The adversary that that makes the mistake of thinking it wasn't intended to get into a scrap by itself would quickly be educated to the fact it can drop a whole lot more than sonar buoys and depth charges. Maybe clicking the first link in TFS would help?
Simply because it can pick up radio signals does not make it a spy plane. A crop duster can pick up radio signals.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 10 2015, @03:03PM
Big Earl: Alright guys, I'm not gonna lie to you. This is gonna get kinda weird... Two dragons.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 10 2015, @03:06PM
http://gifsoup.com/view/1038815/starsky-and-hutch.html [gifsoup.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 10 2015, @05:28PM
What does Ryulong [reddit.com] have to do with this?
(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.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 10 2015, @05:39PM
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 10 2015, @06:45PM
If the US military doesn't know, they've been wasting even more tax dollars.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 10 2015, @11:37PM
You do realize that MH370 disappeared halfway between Australia and Antarctica, in the vastest middle of nowhere imaginable on this planet, right? Not near China, the Spratleys, Singapore, or anything else even remotely interesting?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 11 2015, @06:19AM
You do realize that MH370 disappeared halfway between Australia and Antarctica
1) What makes you so sure? Just those satellite pings?
2) It may have disappeared at that location, but guess where it was flying FROM?
It's not so easy to find a random needle in a haystack. HOWEVER if you know where a particular needle was originally you can follow the path of the needle from the relevant pictures.
There's plenty of satellite coverage, not like the US military is going to say too much about it:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2014/03/20/behind-the-spy-satellite-tech-that-led-mh370-investigators-to-australia/ [washingtonpost.com]
(Score: 1) by BrockDockdale on Thursday December 10 2015, @08:51PM
Hey all you millions reading about this all over the whole internet, whatever you do, DON'T TELL ANYBODY ABOUT THE SPY PLANE, OK!!?!?!