China lands nuclear strike capable bombers on disputed South China Sea island

Deutsche Welle ^ | 2018-05-19

[TigerLikesRooster]

China lands nuclear strike capable bombers on disputed South China Sea island

The Chinese air force has for the first time landed several bombers on a South China Sea island. The move could fuel tension in the region amid concern that Beijing is expanding its military might to the disputed waters.

The China Daily state newspaper reported Friday that several bombers, including the long-range, nuclear strike-capable H-6K, conducted take off and landing drills at an unidentified island airfield in the South China Sea.

Read more: South China Sea - what you need to know

A defense ministry statement said in statement that the exercise was conducted on an island reef, but did not specify the area, saying only that it took place at a "southern sea area."

The ministry also said that several H-6Ks carried out stimulated strikes against sea targets during the drill.

Wang Mingliang, a military expert, was quoted in the statement as saying that the exercise in the South China Sea will help the Chinese air force "strengthen its combat capability to deal with maritime security threats."

The Washington-based Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative identified the exercise location as Woody Island, China's largest base in the Paracel Islands.

"I believe this is the first time a bomber has landed in the South China Sea," Bonneih Glaser, a China expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, tweeted.

[TigerLikesRooster]

[TigerLikesRooster]

China's H-6K bomber



From China Daily:

Air Force bombers land on island airport for first time

By Zhao Lei | China Daily | Updated: 2018-05-19 07:56

Observer says deployment to extend defense parameters 'tremendously'

The People's Liberation Army Air Force landed its H-6K bomber aircraft on an airport in the South China Sea during a recent exercise, marking the first time Chinese bombers have used an airport in the region.

Several H-6Ks from an unidentified aviation division, headed by division commander Hao Jianke, took off from an undisclosed air base in South China and made a simulated strike against sea targets before landing on an island in the South China Sea, according to a statement published by the Air Force on Friday.

The aircraft then conducted takeoff drills using the island's airport, the statement said. It noted the operation provided experience for Air Force bomber units to use islands as their bases.

The division involved in the exercise has taken part in patrols over the western Pacific Ocean, South China Sea and plateaus, according to the Air Force.

The statement quoted Wang Mingliang, a researcher at the PLA Air Force Command College, as saying that takeoff and landing exercises on islands in the South China Sea will help the Air Force strengthen its combat capability to deal with marine security threats.

Wang Yanan, editor of Aerospace Knowledge, told China Daily that after the Air Force's bombers are able to be deployed on islands in the South China Sea, their operational range as well as China's maritime defense parameters will be tremendously extended, adding to existing prowess to deter any plots to compromise China's territorial integrity from the sea.

According to the Chinese government, there are at least four large airports in the South China Sea - on Yongxing Island in the Xisha Islands and Meiji, Zhubi and Yongshu reefs in the Nansha Islands - that are capable of handling large aircraft.

In 2016, large jetliners from Chinese airlines carried out landings and takeoffs using airports on Meiji, Zhubi and Yongshu reefs.

The H-6K is the PLA's most advanced bomber and is capable of carrying supersonic cruise missiles to make precision strikes against land targets or ships. Foreign analysts speculate that the aircraft has a flight range of about 3,500 kilometers while China's CJ-10 series cruise missiles have a minimum range of 1,500 km, which means the bomber is able to hit targets at least 5,000 km from where it takes off.

Aviation Industry Corp of China, the nation's leading aircraft maker, is developing a new long-range strategic bomber, which observers say is likely to have an operational range of at least 12,000 kilometers and a maximum carrying capacity of 20 metric tons of bombs and missiles.

[FreedomPoster]

That’s quite the unsinkable aircraft carrier.

[Does so]

Some day, Guam will become "disputed". :(

Then, Hawaii...

[pepsionice]

You know, there’s a 50 km space between Guam and Songsong (the next isle), and you could plant another China isle out there....with enough money and effort. If I were the Chinese....I’d go and try to accomplish that.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

It is probably time for journalists to stop using the modifier “disputed” when discussing the Spratly Islands.

[Gen.Blather]

That “island” is one tsunami away from not being there at all.

[Vaquero]

Wow. Like one missle. And back to the sea.

[nikos1121]

you people have it all wrong it’s a vacation island

[jdsteel]

Don’ t they realize that Global Warming is causing seas to rise, and this island will soon be underwater again?????

[Vaquero]

you people have it all wrong it’s a vacation island

[TigerLikesRooster]

Then San Francisco. Followed by the entire California.

[Does so]

Nice picture of the air station. Did the US take that picture?

[StormEye]

Next on the list is Midway then Catalina Island.

[Retvet]

Remember the lying Chinese said these were not for military use? UN where are you?

[TigerLikesRooster]

Don't know. It is from Wikipedia.

[MV=PY]

"That’s quite the unsinkable aircraft carrier."

It won't sink but it looks pretty vulnerable.

And it can't move.

[PLMerite]

"you people have it all wrong it’s a vacation island"

If you squint your eyes, he could be Asian...

[Tallguy]

A single, rather small T-LAM strike by one of our fast attack boats would render that airport unusable. Most times an air strip can be re-constituted within 24 - 48 hours with a concerted effort. But on a small island? I would expect the damage would take months to repair because the equipment & building materials simply can’t be trucked in at night. Any ship bringing in the material would be subject to direct attack.

[Steve Schulin]

Yes, I remember. As for the UN, what can it do when China has veto power in the Security Council? The General Assembly doesn't have power to require action by any nation. I have friends who fully support the John Birch Society's position to get the US out of the UN now. Not only is the UN making the world worse, it is a threat to our national sovereignty. I don't think anyone in our local JBS chapter agrees with me that, given our veto power, the UN can't do stuff without our express support. A better solution than getting out of the UN is to stop electing Presidents, Senators and Representatives who share the globalist perspective which aims to cast national sovereignty into the dustbin of history.

FreeRepublic got started during the Clinton administration. There were calls to impeach him here long before the Lewinsky story broke. One of the reasons to impeach was that the President swears an oath to support and defend the Constitution, and Clinton's comments about national sovereignty abrogated that oath. Our military intervention into the internal affairs of the then Yugoslavia I think is best understood as our elected leaders' desire to put a stake through the heart of the notion of national sovereignty.