PLA ‘sand castles’ in the South China Sea have vulnerabilities (Opinion)
A satellite image of Subi Reef, which China turned into an air and naval base. It is just 24km southwest of Philippine-occupied Thitu Island. (Image: Google Earth)
China has a formidable-looking set of military bases on reclaimed reefs in the Spratly and Paracel Islands, but it could be that they have feet of clay/sand.
Adm Philip Davidson, former head of the US Indo-Pacific Command, warned in a 2018 congressional testimony, ‘In short, China is now capable of controlling the South China Sea in all scenarios short of war with the United States.’
He was referring to China’s militarisation of 20 outposts in the Paracel Islands (of which Woody Island is the largest) and another seven in the more southerly Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.
In 2015, Chairman Xi Jinping promised former US President Barak Obama that China would not militarise Spratly reefs that once barely protruded above the surface of the sea,
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Defence Notes
-
![How US Special Operations Forces are using AI to transform modern warfare]()
How US Special Operations Forces are using AI to transform modern warfare
USSOCOM is expanding the use of artificial intelligence, autonomous systems and human-machine teaming to improve decision-making, survivability and operational reach in contested environments.
-
![DARPA, Raytheon and Northrop Grumman join forces to improve missile production]()
DARPA, Raytheon and Northrop Grumman join forces to improve missile production
Working together with DARPA in the Burn n’ Go programme, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon are supporting the development of a common, single-use solid rocket motor design to equip diverse weapon systems.
-
![SOF Week 2026: US military tests AI algorithm to support missions in low-light scenarios]()
SOF Week 2026: US military tests AI algorithm to support missions in low-light scenarios
The US Army and USAF are evaluating an AI-enabled imaging capability from Deepnight designed to enhance low-light and no-light operations across multiple platforms and environments.
-
![Industrial capacity under scrutiny as US approves further $8.6 billion Middle East arms sale]()
Industrial capacity under scrutiny as US approves further $8.6 billion Middle East arms sale
The fast-tracked emergency approvals come as the conflict in the Middle East stretches out into its third month, after Iranian attacks depleted US allies’ missile stockpiles and testing air defence systems.
-
![Intelligence innovation: From data overload to decision advantage (Podcast)]()
Intelligence innovation: From data overload to decision advantage (Podcast)
As militaries face an overwhelming flow of data, the challenge is shifting from collection to delivering fast, actionable insights that drive decision-making. Advances in AI and data integration are helping armed forces move beyond siloed systems to generate real-time intelligence across domains and allies.
-
![SAHA 2026 to Convene the Global Defence Ecosystem]()
SAHA 2026 to Convene the Global Defence Ecosystem
SAHA 2026 brings global defence and aerospace leaders to Istanbul for partnerships, launches, panels and high-value meetings.
