Beyond “Conventional Wisdom”: Evaluating the PLA’s South China Sea Bases in Operational Context

War on the Rocks – China’s Spratly Island outposts’ offer Beijing decisive information superiority against any challenger in the South China Sea. Their primary purpose is not military power projection and the deployment of weapons, but information power. The Chinese bases’ main contribution is to facilitate substantial command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnais­sance capabilities in the South China Sea.

Japan builds new surveillance warship targeting Chinese, North Korean submarines

South China Morning Post – The Aki is first ship in three decades built to hunt for submarines, as Japan sees a rise in unidentified subs, believed to be from China, within its waters. But Tokyo is also keeping a close eye on North Korea, which has been developing a platform for submarine-launched ballistic missiles.

(Thanks to Alain)

Russia’s Borei-Class & Delta IV-Class SSBNs To Deploy Burak-M EW Buoys

Naval News – The Russian Navy will be protected against adversary antisubmarine aircraft and drones. Burak-M buoys will make a sea area impenetrable. Communications by all channels will be jammed or complicated to the maximum by the new system. It is intended for Borey-class SSBN of project 955 and Dolphin-class of project 667BDRM, as well as diesel-electric submarines.

Chinese forces expel US warship in Xisha Islands of S.China Sea

Global Times – The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) on Tuesday expelled a US warship that trespassed into Chinese territorial waters in the Xisha Islands of the South China Sea, while experts said Wednesday that recent US naval activities in the South China Sea are a sign that the US is losing control in the region and wants to flex its muscles to gain influence in the region.