The Spratly Islands

[Adam the Akrodude]

It's staggering what the Chinese are doing there.

http://www.janes.com/article/51633/us-steps-up-south-china-sea-pr-battle-with-p-8-surveillance-flights-over-spratlys







http://www.lowyinterpreter.org/post/2015/10/28/Harassment-and-provocation-Chinas-media-reacts-to-the-US-action-in-the-South-China-Sea.aspx

Perhaps the US should not have pulled out of the Philippines (Clark & Subic)?

[tor lives]

I get what the US is doing, and their legal right to do it, but what happens when the first P-8 is shot down???
TOR

[Adam the Akrodude]

When does that island air base become operational I wonder? Won't be long before Chinese Suk's are based there. That's when things in the air will get a bit more heated! Those P-8 crews have massive steel ones I think! Let's hope it doesn't come to this. I just find it extraordinary that China now thinks it owns the South China Sea.

I wonder how the Philippino's feel now about kicking the US out of Clark & Subic Bay? I just can't see the Chinese having done this if those two US bases were still active. Looks to be something like a 3.5 - 4 hours flight from Guam now. Wonder if the RAAF will schedule deployments from Singapore of P-8's or RQ-4's in the future?