US Ally Conducts Flyby of China Military Base in South China Sea

    US Ally Conducts Flyby of China Military Base in South China Sea

    The Philippines has released footage showing a patrol aircraft flying past a militarized Chinese artificial island on Saturday while conducting surveillance in the contested Spratly Islands, and claims the Chinese side fired flares toward the plane. Why It Matters China asserts sovereignty over more than 80 percent of the South China Sea, a crucial global…

    Read More
    China boosts surveillance over Spratly Islands, says US think tank

      China boosts surveillance over Spratly Islands, says US think tank

      China has carried out major upgrades to its electronic warfare and surveillance systems across its major bases in the Spratly Islands to strengthen its intelligence capabilities in the South China Sea, according to an American think tank. Satellite imagery analyzed by the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative in a report last week showed new and enhanced…

      Read More
      An undisclosed number of MQ-9 Reaper drones have been deployed to the Philippines by the US Marine Corps. Photo: Handout

        Drones are on the rise over South China Sea with shift to data-driven strategies

        Across the strategic waterway of the South China Sea, claimant countries are increasingly relying on long-endurance aerial drones to carry out continuous patrols – overcoming the geographic and logistical limitations of traditional aircraft and ships. The US Marine Corps last month deployed MQ-9A Reaper drones to the Philippines, at Manila’s request, to “support Philippine regional…

        Read More