FPI / November 8, 2022
Geostrategy-DirectNew, highly detailed images of China’s build-up on artificial islands show intricate radar installations, airfields, and naval gun emplacements, indicating the communist regime has essentially locked down the South China Sea.
Photographer Ezra Acayan captured the images while flying in an aircraft near the man-made fortresses in the Spratly Islands. They represent some of the most detailed images yet available showing what China has been constructing on the islands.
Beijing moved swiftly in its attempt to lock down the sea by artificially expanding some existing islands, building new islands, and then establishing a permanent military presence on its newly-built outposts.
The complex of installations allows China to put up a solid deterrent to challengers of its claims and enable the communists to rapidly shut down, or at least directly challenge, any movements through the region under threat of activating all its capabilities that can be deployed on and around its island outposts.
Former Geostrategy-Direct.com contributing editor Wendell Minnick noted in a substack.com post: “They’ve clearly locked down the SCS. A spider web of EW, radar, missiles (air/anti-ship), airbases, etc. A mouse couldn’t swim through there without setting off a dozen mouse traps…”
Close-up photos of one island in Cuarteron Reef show naval gun emplacements on a series of towers of increasing height, backed by a radar gunnery director. Atop the setup is a large radome. The radar’s elevated position would give it a better line of sight over the horizon.
Military analysts say it looks as if the reef is host to a Type 730/1130 close-in weapon system (CIWS) and a H/PJ76 76mm multi-purpose deck gun.
“These would provide highly-localized defense against low-flying air threats, like cruise missiles, aircraft, and drones, as well as protection against vessels near the island,” Tyler Rogoway wrote in an analysis for The Drive.
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