MOSCOW—China tried to electronically jam US drone flights over the disputed South China Sea (SCS) in order to prevent surveillance on man-made islands Beijing is constructing as a part of an aggressive land reclamation initiative, US officials said.
Global Hawk long-range surveillance drones were targeted by jamming in at least one incident near the Spratly Islands, where China is building military facilities on Fiery Cross Reef, the Washington Free Beacon reported. China’s alleged ongoing reclamation of Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands.
That statement follows Thursday reports that the Chinese navy warned a US surveillance plane to leave the same area eight times in an apparent effort to establish and enforce a no-fly zone, a demand Washington rejected.
“This is the Chinese navy. … This is the Chinese navy.… Please go away… to avoid misunderstanding,” a radio call in English from an installation on Fiery Cross said. The warnings were reported by CNN, which had a crew on the aircraft.
Pentagon Spokesman Colonel Steve Warren said the US does not recognize China’s sovereignty claims over the new islands. He added that flights and Navy ships will continue their routine patrols, but will maintain a distance of at least 12 miles from the island.
Details of the drone interference are classified, but last week, David Shear, the assistant defense secretary for Asian and Pacific security affairs, said Global Hawks are deployed in Asia as one element of a buildup of forces near the SCS.
“We’re engaged in a long-term effort to bolster our capabilities in the region,” Shear told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “Just a few examples of the increases in our capabilities in the region include the deployment of Global Hawks and F-35s. Soon we will be adding to the stock of V-22s in Japan, as well.”
Shear said the Pentagon estimates that China will complete construction of an airfield on Fiery Cross Reef by 2017 or 2018. Meanwhile, rapid militarization has security experts worried about the potential for a conflict.
Rick Fisher, a China military affairs analyst, said China could increase pressure on the US to halt surveillance flights in Asia by first attacking one of the unmanned aircraft flights.
“Though UAVs like the Global Hawk are rather expensive, they are also regarded as more expendable because they are unmanned,” Fisher, a senior fellow at the International Assessment and Strategy Center, told the Washington Free Beacon.
“But failing to defend these UAVs runs the risk of China viewing them as ‘fair game’ to shoot down whenever they please.”
Beijing also might attempt to capture a Global Hawk by causing one to crash in shallow water, or by attempting to snatch one in flight using a manned aircraft, Fisher said.
Rebalancing
Vice President Joe Biden told graduates at the US Naval Academy on Friday that US foreign policy is rebalancing toward the Asia-Pacific region, and he said many of them will be stationed there “to keep the peace.”
Biden described tensions over China’s development in parts of the South China Sea as an example of challenges in that part of the world.
“In the disputed waters of the SCS, the United States does not privilege the claims of one nation over another, but we do unapologetically stand up for the equitable and peaceful resolution of disputes and for the freedom of navigation, and today these principals are being tested by Chinese activities in the South China Sea,” Biden said.
The vice president told 1,070 graduates that the sea continues to be an arena for potential conflict and as important as ever to the nation’s security.
“Tensions run high,” Biden said. “As I speak, they run high, but you will be there to keep the peace.”
Biden said many of the newly commissioned Naval officers will head to the Asia-Pacific region to help manage emerging challenges before they devolve into conflict.
“US foreign policy is rebalancing toward the vast potential of the Asia-Pacific region, but we can’t succeed if you don’t show up,” Biden said. “That’s why 60 percent of the United States Naval Forces will be stationed in the Asia-Pacific by 2020.”
The vice president also noted the vital role the Navy plays in protecting commerce at sea, as goods are transported around the world by ship.
“That remains the backbone of world commerce, 90 percent of it, and that’s only going to increase,” Biden said.
PNA/Sputnik with AP
Image credits: AP