Offensive and Defensive Strike
Abstract
This military capability (MILCAP) study focuses on offensive and defensive strike capabilities associated with seven Chinese island-reef outposts in the South China Sea (SCS). The SCS MILCAP studies provide a survey of military technologies and systems on Chinese-claimed island-reefs in the Spratly Islands, approximately 1,300 kilometers (700 nautical miles) south of Hong Kong (see Figure 1). These Chinese outposts have become significant Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) bases that will enhance future Chinese military operations in the SCS, an area where Beijing has disputed territorial claims (see Appendix B). The SCS MILCAP series highlights a PLA informationized warfare strategy to gain and maintain information control in a military conflict. Offensive and defensive strike capabilities on the island-reefs may best be described as modular. Infrastructure on the PLA outposts was built to accommodate close-in-weapons systems (CIWS), surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), surface-to-surface missiles (SSMs), large aircraft, fighter-sized aircraft, and helicopters. A vast majority of PLA weapons systems are road-mobile or relocatable. The major island-reefs Fiery Cross, Subi, and Mischief Reefs are large enough to accommodate virtually any mobile weapons system or aircraft in the PLA inventory. Delivered by ship or aircraft, future deployments of offensive or defensive lethal capabilities to the SCS island-reefs could occur with little or no warning.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 08, 2021
- Accession Number
- AD1128637
Entities
People
- J. M. Dahm
Organizations
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory