Seeing the Forest through the SAMs on Woody Island

By , and | February 18, 2016 | Categories: China, Paracel Islands, South China Sea
The recent deployment of Chinese surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) to Woody Island is a notable tactical development, but a far more significant strategic signal. Tactically, the HQ-9 batteries deployed to Woody Island could target aircraft at ranges up to 125 miles (200 kilometers), covering much of the Paracel Islands, which are also claimed by Vietnam and […]

South China Sea FONOP 2.0: A Step in the Right Direction

By | February 2, 2016 | Categories: China, Paracel Islands, South China Sea, United States
The Navy destroyer USS Curtis Wilbur passed within 12 nautical miles of Triton Island, the southernmost of the Paracel Islands, on January 30 in the second operation in the South China Sea in recent months under the Department of Defense’s Freedom of Navigation Program. And despite significant disappointment in some quarters, the operation was a […]