For the first time, China's air force has landed several bombers on a South China Sea island. The move could fuel tension in the region amid concern that Beijing is expanding its military might to the disputed waters.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/Xinhua/Liu Rui
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On Friday, the China Daily state newspaper reported that several bombers, including the long-range, nuclear strike-capable H-6K, conducted takeoff and landing drills at an unidentified island airfield in the South China Sea.
In a statement, the Defense Ministry announced that the exercise was conducted on a reef, but did not specify where, saying only that it took place at a "southern sea area."
According to the ministry, several H-6Ks carried out simulated strikes against sea targets during the drill.
Wang Mingliang, a military expert, was quoted in the statement as saying that the exercise in the South China Sea will help the Chinese air force "strengthen its combat capability to deal with maritime security threats."
The Washington-based Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative identified the exercise location as Woody Island, China's largest base in the Paracel Islands.
"I believe this is the first time a bomber has landed in the South China Sea," Bonnie Glaser, a China expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, tweeted.
South China Sea countries are building larger navies
Countries surrounding the South China Sea have been pumping more resources into their navies. China spends more than other regional nations combined, but smaller navies are still acquiring effective fleets.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/J. Drake
Pride of the Chinese armada
The first Chinese aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, was originally a Soviet model built in 1986. In 1998, the stripped hulk was sold to China by Ukraine and rebuilt by the Dailian Shipbuilding Industry Company in northeastern China. It was completed in 2012 and has been ready for service since 2016.
Image: imago/Xinhua
'Black holes' for Vietnam
In recent years, Vietnam has acquired six Russian Kilo-class submarines. Two were delivered in 2017. The subs are nicknamed "black holes" by the US Navy, because they run very quietly and are difficult to locate. They are specialized for missions in shallow waters and for defense against enemy ships and submarines.
Image: Vietnam News Agency/AFP/Getty Images
Flagship of the Philippines
The BRP Gregorio del Pilar is the flagship of the Philippine Navy. The vessel is one of three former US Coast Guard cutters that were acquired by the Philippines. The ship was first put in service in 1967 and it was modernized in 2011. In 2012, it was involved in the dispute with the People's Republic of China over Scarborough Shoal.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/A. Favila
Warships from European shipyards
Indonesia is in the process of buying new ships and modernizing its navy. Pictured here is the KRI Sultan Hasanuddin, a Sigma-class corvette. The ship was built in 2007 in the Netherlands. Germany also supplies warships to countries in the region. The Kasturi-class corvettes in Malaysia and Brunei's Darussalam-class high-seas patrol boats come from German shipyards.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/A. Ibrahim
Singapore's stealth ships
Singapore is unmatched for hi-tech in the region. Since 2007, the city-state has put six Formidable-class stealth ships in service. All of them were built in France.
Image: Imago/China Foto Press
The long arm of the US Navy
The only truly global naval power remains the US Navy. The seventh fleet is stationed in the Pacific. It is the largest forward-deployed fleet of the US Navy with 50-60 ships, 350 aircraft and 60,000 personnel. This includes the only US aircraft carrier stationed outside of the US, the USS Ronald Regan, stationed at the US naval base in Yokosuka, Japan.
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China's maritime 'aggression'
The tensions in the South China Sea center on Beijing's claiming virtually all of the sea as its territorial waters, a claim that has been vigorously disputed by Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei.
The US has accused China of militarizing the region and redefining its national boundaries to strengthen its claims across the South China Sea. Washington believes China will use the islands and its military presence on them to deny access to strategic sea routes.
In the Paracel Islands, a new helipad, wind turbines and large radar towers have been built. The radar towers on Triton Island could be used in China's disputes with Vietnam and with the US over freedom of navigation operations, which the US Navy has used to back its perceived right to free passage in international waters.
Earlier this month, China's first domestically built aircraft carrier left dock in the northeastern port of Dalian to begin sea trials of its engine, propulsion and navigation systems. The trials represent a landmark in Beijing's extensive project to modernize its navy as it continues to build up its presence in the disputed South China Sea and around Taiwan, which it sees as its own territory.
China's AG600: World's largest amphibious aircraft
China's AG600 aircraft, "Kunlong," is 37 meters (121 feet) long and has a 38.8-meter wingspan. The plane is part of China's plans to bolster its military presence in the contested South China Sea.
Image: picture-alliance/ZUMAPRESS.com/L.Xu
Successful maiden flight
The AG600 aircraft is around the size of Boeing 737. It is 37 meters long and has a 38.8-meter wingspan. On December 24, 2017, the plane took its maiden flight for about an hour from Zhuhai airport in the southern Guangdong province close to the South China Sea. At least 17 orders for the AG600 have been placed so far.
Image: Getty Images/VCG
Largest amphibious aircraft?
While the aircraft has been dubbed the largest amphibious plane in the world, it is considerably smaller in size than billionaire Howard Hughes' flying boat, Spruce Goose, which was 67 meters long and had a 97-meter wingspan. But Spruce Goose only managed one maiden flight in 1947.
Image: Reuters
Military and civilian use
The aircraft spent eight years in production and was built by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China. State media claims the AG600 will be used primarily to put out forest fire and perform maritime rescues. The aircraft, however, has military applications and bolsters China's military presence in the South China Sea.
Image: Reuters
An eye on South China Sea
The AG600 puts China's controversial island-building projects in the disputed South China Sea within range. A US-based think-tank reported last week that Beijing was building the infrastructure for fully-functioning air and naval bases on some of the South China Sea disputed islands. China's engineering feats in the region have raised concerns from its neighbors.
Image: picture alliance/AP Photo
Military modernization
The success of AG600 strengthens China's modernizing military. Earlier this year, China launched its first domestically-built aircraft carrier, the Type 001A. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), China spent $215 billion (181 billion euros) on military in 2016, well ahead of India at $56 billion and Japan at $46 billion.
