South China Sea Strategies for other nations (Not China)

Some maps for reference which appeared in other SCS threads in the forum.

Text color key to the map in Deino's post:
Red - China/Taiwan holdings
Blue - Vietnam holdings
Purple - Philippines holdings
Orange - Malaysia holdings

Just found ...

china-scs-features-jpg.25349

chinas_east_asian_maritime_claims.jpg
 

Brumby

Major
US May Sail More Ships in South China Sea, Navy Commander Says

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SAN DIEGO -- If Pacific Fleet Commander Adm. Scott Swift has regrets about last October's
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of the
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near the Subi reef and other regions in the territorially contested Spratly islands in the South China Sea, it's that the
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wasn't clearer about its intent with the mission.

"We lost control of the message for the Lassen piece, we didn't get out there and describe exactly what we're doing," Swift told an audience at the AFCEA West Conference in San Diego on Thursday. "[But] my view is innocent passage was absolutely the right mechanism to use to challenge those excessive claims."

White House and Defense Department officials were initially tight-lipped about that freedom of navigation operation, which China quickly denounced as a provocation. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter ultimately explained the mission in a Dec. 21 letter to Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain, a Republican from Arizona, but the two months of silence that preceded the letter led to confusion and speculation about what the transit meant and whose territorial claims were being challenged.

By contrast, Swift said, the freedom of navigation transit of the
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in the South China Sea last month featured a strong messaging strategy and clear intent.

This is simply a PR spin but unfortunately the damage has been done. IMO, the USN did not loose control of the messaging but lost control of the FONOPs through the micro management by the WH. It projects weak resolve by the present administration. How do you expect other countries to undertake more assertive FONOPs when the US is ensure of its own program?
 

confusion

Junior Member
Registered Member
So, the CSIS/AMTI people did an assessment on Vietnam's recent reclamation efforts at Cornwallis South Reef, Usual biases, aside, there's several interesting points made in the report. #1 Vietnam and Malaysia signed an agreement which appears to concede Vietnamese-held Cornwallis South Reef, Alison Reef, and Pigeon Reef to Malaysia. #2 Despite the setback caused by the typhoon, Vietnamese workers immediately went back to work on Cornwallis South Reef.

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Vietnam and Malaysia in 2009 made a joint submission to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf. In that submission, Hanoi claimed that its continental shelf in the Spratlys ends approximately 33 nautical miles northwest of its facilities on Cornwallis South Reef. In other words, Vietnam has recognized that Cornwallis sits on the continental shelf of either the Philippines or Malaysia. Vietnam’s occupation of the features predate its continental shelf submission by more than two decades, so Hanoi could argue that it was not done in bad faith. But in any future settlement, Vietnam would almost certainly be required to vacate these three submerged reefs. In the meantime, any reclamation work—which amounts to a permanent disturbance of another country’s seabed—is in violation of the United Nations Convention of the Law of Sea.

Cornwallis South Reef extends about 5 nautical miles north to south and 2 nautical miles east to west, encompassing a lagoon of roughly 8 square nautical miles. The only natural entrance to the protected lagoon is a shallow channel at the reef’s southern end. This channel is approximately 1,200 feet (360 meters) wide and an estimated 30 feet (9 meters) deep with projecting coral heads that present navigational hazards. Vietnam occupies Cornwallis via pillbox structures on the north and west sides of the reef. Vietnamese forces attempted to expand their footprint on the reef in 2015 by undertaking reclamation work at two other sites, on the southeast and southwest sides of the feature.

20151231_cornwallis_south_reef_ov.jpg


Sometime in late 2014 or early 2015, Vietnam dredged two deeper channels on either side of the southern portion of the reef, allowing access to the lagoon by larger ships that could not navigate the shallow natural channel. Each of these channels is roughly 300 feet (90 meters) wide. Using excavators and other construction equipment, Vietnam then built-up small artificial islands along each of the manmade channels and began construction of facilities.

By August 2015, Vietnam had reclaimed approximately 4 acres (16,000 square meters) of land on the southeast side of Cornwallis Reef, but only about 2.2 acres (9,000 square meters) remained after Typhoon Melor struck. The outpost in August sported one building, on its southwestern end, and the footprints of several more, while excavators and other equipment were engaged in reclamation. Following the storm, no ongoing work was apparent as of December 31, though the outline of a possible building footprint could be seen.




The site of land reclamation on the southwest side of Cornwallis South Reef on August 28, 2015 (before Typhoon Melor).

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The site of land reclamation on the southwest side of Cornwallis South Reef on December 31, 2015 (after Typhoon Melor).

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Vietnam’s northern Cornwallis South Reef outpost on August 28, 2015 (before Typhoon Melor).

In August, work on the southwest side of Cornwallis was more advanced than on the other side of the reef, with nearly 9 acres (3,600 square meters) of land reclaimed. A building was visible and excavators and other construction equipment were engaged in ongoing reclamation on both sides of the channel. In addition, a ship and what appeared to be a barge were anchored within the channel. Typhoon Melor wiped away most of this work, but Vietnamese forces quickly returned. Five excavators and some other equipment were back to work by December 31, and 4 acres (16,000 square meters) of reclaimed land was visible.

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Vietnam’s northern Cornwallis South Reef outpost on December 31, 2015 (after Typhoon Melor).

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confusion

Junior Member
Registered Member
Vietnam’s existing facility at the north end of Cornwallis South Reef consists of a single three-story pillbox structure measuring approximately 50 feet (15 meters) by 43 feet (13 meters). A shallow man-made channel about 50 feet wide allows access to the outpost from the sea and the lagoon. On the seaward side of the outpost, the channel is flanked by what appear to be concrete pylons, likely to prevent ships from wandering into hazardous shallow areas. The outpost has two docks and the roof sports an antenna and probable solar panels. Typhoon Melor does not appear to have damaged the outpost, though increased sediment is visible all along the reef around it.

Vietnam’s western Cornwallis South Reef outpost on August 28, 2015 (before Typhoon Melor).

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Vietnam’s western Cornwallis South Reef outpost on December 31, 2015 (after Typhoon Melor).

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Vietnam has a larger preexisting facility on the west side of the reef, consisting of three buildings connected by two bridges. The northernmost building is three stories tall and measures 59 feet (18 meters) by 52 feet (16 meters). It has two docks and an antenna and solar panels on the roof. The other two buildings are of similar dimensions the first and connect to it (but not to each other) by two footbridges. The building to the south has an antenna and two dishes on its roof, while the building to the east has no visible instruments. None of the three structures appears to have been damaged by Typhoon Melor.
 

Geographer

Junior Member
Thanks for posting that article, confusion. It's interesting how Vietnam is managing is widely dispersed forts around the Spratly Islands. Surely Vietnam and the other claimants evacuated their installations before the typhoon hit, right? Would it be possible for another claimant to seize those installations immediately after the typhoon passed before the original builders returned?
 

joshuatree

Captain
Thanks for posting that article, confusion. It's interesting how Vietnam is managing is widely dispersed forts around the Spratly Islands. Surely Vietnam and the other claimants evacuated their installations before the typhoon hit, right? Would it be possible for another claimant to seize those installations immediately after the typhoon passed before the original builders returned?

That's assuming they vacated their pre-existing facilities which the article noted as being undamaged from the typhoon.

Good article showing Vietnam's occupation of Allison Reef, Pigeon Reef, and Cornwallis South Reef are all beyond Vietnam's 200 NM EEZ, all low tide features, no where near another bonafide rock, and the last one having land reclaimed. All things glossed over by most just because it's not China.

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confusion

Junior Member
Registered Member
Thanks for posting that article, confusion. It's interesting how Vietnam is managing is widely dispersed forts around the Spratly Islands. Surely Vietnam and the other claimants evacuated their installations before the typhoon hit, right? Would it be possible for another claimant to seize those installations immediately after the typhoon passed before the original builders returned?
I don't think any claimant will make this mistake again. Taiwan lost a feature when they evacuated due to a typhoon; when they returned, the Philippines had already moved in.
 
now I read at BreakingDefence
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The gloves came off during today’s
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hearing on
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and
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with Pacific Command’s
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saying that China seeks “
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in
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” and is unequivocally militarizing the South China Sea.

“In my opinion, China is clearly militarizing its position in the
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. You’d have to believe in a flat earth to believe otherwise,” Harris told the committee this morning. But
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continues to claim that China is not militarizing the South China Sea, even though his regime is violating international law by
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in the first place, are building military-length runways on them and are stationing missiles and advanced radar sets on them.

Until very recently, US military officials were at pains to characterize China as a sometimes challenging partner in international affairs, one they characterized as a rising peer competitor but never as an opponent or an enemy. Saying China wants to be a hegemon — which is what China denounced the United States as for much of the last 50 years — comes perilously close to
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. Harris’ comments are not there yet, but we are edging closer to a Cold War in the Pacific.

The Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies issued this
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of the situation yesterday:

“This month’s deployment of
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, while notable, does not alter the military balance in the South China Sea. New radar facilities being developed in the Spratlys, on the other hand, could significantly change the operational landscape in the South China Sea. And along with the development of new runways and air defense capabilities, they speak to a long-term
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by China—one that would see it establish effective control over the sea and airspace throughout the South China Sea.”

China, of course, blames the United States for militarizing the South China Sea because we are executing legal
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(FONOPS) such as flying over the fake Chinese islands and sailing near them.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told reporters Saturday that those US actions, combined with exercises involving regional partners, were the reasons the sea is being militarized. China is really only trying to help the world by building these islands, putting up lighthouses, building military-length runways, stationing missiles and advanced radar sets on them and claiming they are sovereign China territory — although international law says otherwise.

“The above actions have escalated tensions in the South China Sea, and that’s the real militarization of the South China Sea,” Hong said.

Since China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi is in town today, and Adm. Harris doubtless knows this, you can take his comments as a direct shot at the Chinese claims to only safeguarding their rightful territorial claims.

Harris also restated the US intention to “routinely” execute Freedom of Navigation Operations in the South China Sea.

One other very interesting tidbit surfaced during today’s hearing when Sen. Kelly Ayotte pressed Harris about a gap in
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. Harris confirmed that the US can only meet 62 percent of the requests for attack submarines from commanders and that this particularly affects the Pacific theater. “My requirements are not being met,” Harris told Sen. Richard Blumenthal from Connecticut, who followed up on Ayotte’s question. “That’s a function of global demands.”

Ayotte, who hails from New Hampshire where the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard sits, was particularly interested in shortfalls in attack submarines. They are, of course, maintained and overhauled at
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. Blumenthal’s state, Connecticut, is home to the
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where both new
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and — in the near future — new
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, known as boomers, are built.
source:
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similar article to the one above:
China 'Clearly' Militarizing South China Sea: Pacific Command Chief
The admiral in charge of U.S. Pacific Command said China's introduction of HQ-9 surface-to-air missiles, radar system and 10,000-foot runway on contested islands within the South China Sea represented militarization in violation of national protocols.

In a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Navy Adm. Harry Harris called for continued freedom-of-navigation movements through the region to reinforce U.S. rights and discredit China's attempted power grab.

The hearing came a week after reports surfaced that China had deployed the surface-to-air missiles to Woody Island, the largest island in the Paracel chain in the South China Sea.

Harris, who has led PACOM for seven months, said the move did not surprise him at all.

"In my opinion China is clearly militarizing the South China Sea, and you have to believe in a flat earth to think otherwise," he told the panel.

Asked by Sen. Angus King, an Independent from Maine, why he believed China would take such a step at odds with international convention, Harris was blunt.

"I believe China seeks hegemony in East Asia," he said.

The push to militarize the South China Sea comes as North Korea makes headlines with nuclear and ballistic missile demonstrations that threaten to further destabilize the region and potentially trigger an international incident.

The commander of U.S. Forces Korea,
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Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, who testified alongside Harris, said tensions around the rogue state rose to the highest they have been in more than 20 years last August, when two South Korean soldiers were wounded by a North Korean landmine, ratcheting up hostilities between the two nations until a standoff could be reached.

Scaparrotti said his command would soon begin bilateral consultations on the feasibility of deploying the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, missile system to South Korea to join the
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in providing protection for the U.S. and Korea and answering North Korean saber-rattling.

Meanwhile, Harris said, China's provocations called for a calm strategy that emphasized U.S. alliances in the region and its military strength.

"I believe that we should maintain our credible combat power; we should maintain a network of like-minded allies and partners; we should continue to exercise our rights on the high seas and the air space above it, and we should encourage our friends, partners, and allies to do the same," he said.

Harris acknowledged to committee chairman John McCain, a Republican from Arizona, that certain Chinese weapons might potentially pose a threat to the U.S. carrier strike group in the region, particularly the DF-21 medium-range ballistic missile and the DF-26 intermediate-range ballistic missile, now under development.

"I think, though, that our carriers are resilient and we have the ability to do what needs to be done if it comes to that," Harris said.

For the U.S., the Chinese decision to militarize in the South China Sea may have at least one positive outcome, he said.

"I believe that China's actions are provocative, increase tensions and cause nations in the region to look to the U.S. as the security partner of choice, and away from China," Harris said.
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