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Although the Chinese facilities on the Spratly Islands have raised the claimant’s vigilance, Beijing’s “Ship Knowledge” magazine noted that they have large doors and are difficult to defend regardless of size and location. Also, the island’s airport is too small to be effective.
According to a report by the South China Morning Post on the 6th, the magazine analyzed and warned that these artificial islands expanded by the People’s Liberation Army in the South China Sea are vulnerable to attack and unlikely to be very effective anywhere. combat mission.
Since 2015, Zhongyi has built islands and expanded the reefs of the Spratly Islands. According to the Washington think tank, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the PLA has also built airstrips and other military installations, and has deployed equipment such as anti-aircraft artillery and nearby weapons systems. These actions have raised the fear of South China Sea claimants such as Vietnam and the Philippines. They are concerned that China could use these constructions to attack fighters or shoot down missiles.
In an article in the latest issue of the magazine “Ship Knowledge” it was stressed that these artificial islands cover four aspects: 1. The distance between them and mainland China; 2. Small scale; 3. The capacity of the airport is limited; 4. They can be attacked by multiple routes. In addition, “Ship Knowledge” warned that they do not yet have significant offensive capabilities. The article pointed out that these artificial islands have unique advantages in protecting China’s sovereignty and having a sense of existence in the South China Sea, but they have inherent disadvantages in self-defense.
The article said that these artificial islands are located deep in the South China Sea, away from mainland China, and warned that the islands lack a chain of interconnection between them, so once they are attacked, it will be difficult to provide support for.
The analysis pointed out that taking Yongshu Jiao as an example, although it has a track, it is 1,000 kilometers from Sanya, Hainan, which means that even if the PLA sends the fastest combat support ship, it will take more than 20 hours to arrive. The article also said that these artificial islands of Nansha are too far away to effectively deploy the PLA’s most advanced J-16 multipurpose fighter. Furthermore, due to distance restrictions, these fighters cannot patrol the relevant area and can be easily intercepted or attacked by surface warships.
The article also noted that most of Nansha’s man-made islands have only one runway and there is not enough space to build facilities that can support more than one fighter jet at a time. In case of conflict, this means that the unloaded or refueled fighter plane must occupy the runway and no other military aircraft can be used.
On the other hand, because these tracks are close to the ocean, they are easily damaged when exposed to tides and tropical climates. The article also claimed that these artificial islands are too small to withstand large-scale attacks. Also, most of the islands are flat, with little vegetation or rocks. This means that once attacked, there is almost no cover. The PLA must protect equipment and supplies. At best, you can only use steel and other materials to build shelters. These building materials must be shipped from the mainland and cannot withstand a series of missile attacks.
The article also warns that nearby islands are owned by hostile claimant nations. If in any conflict, United States allies such as the Philippines or Malaysia participate in the war, there will be more attack routes, such as the Philippine island Palawan in the east of the Spratly Islands or the west. The Straits of Malacca and so on.
(Zhongshi News Network)
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