Chinese fighter intercepts Navy Poseidon

[BridgeTroll]

How China's fishermen are fighting a covert war in the South China Sea

In the disputed waters of the South China Sea, fishermen are the wild card.

China is using its vast fishing fleet as the advance guard to press its expansive territorial claims in the South China Sea, experts say. That is not only putting Beijing on a collision course with its Asian neighbors, but also introducing a degree of unpredictability that raises the risks of periodic crises.

In the past few weeks, tensions have flared with Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam as Chinese fishermen, often backed up by coast guard vessels, have ventured far from their homeland and close to other nations' coasts. They are just the latest conflicts in China's long-running battle to expand its fishing grounds and simultaneously exert its maritime dominance.

"The Chinese authorities consider fishermen and fishing vessels important tools in expanding China's presence and the country's claims in the disputed waters," said Zhang Hongzhou, an expert at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/fishing-fleet-puts-china-on-collision-course-with-neighbors-in-south-china-sea/2016/04/12/8a6a9e3c-fff3-11e5-8bb1-f124a43f84dc_story.html

China's fishing fleet is an indirect arm of their navy /coast guard.  Their fishing fleet routinely violates other countries rules and regulations.  Argentina got tired of it... and sank one of em...

http://www.ticotimes.net/2016/03/15/argentina-coast-guard-sinks-chinese-fishing-boat-in-south-atlantic

[finehoe]

You guys will like this:  http://www.cfr.org/asia-and-pacific/chinas-maritime-disputes/p31345#!/

[spuwho]

US to retain military assets in Philippines after joint ops is complete. Kind of funny because the Chinese keep saying the islands are not for military purposes, and the increased joint movements with the Philippines is not to antagonize the Chinese. But yet each do exactly that.  A kind of diplomatic "say what we want, not what we do" approach.

Per NBCNews:

U.S. Sending Commandos, Combat Aircraft to Philippines

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/u-s-sending-commandos-combat-aircraft-philippines-n556091

The United States on Thursday revealed for the first time that American ships have started conducting joint patrols with the Philippines in the South China Sea, a somewhat rare move not done with many other partners in the region.

At the same time, Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced at a joint news conference with Philippine Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmi that the United States will be keeping nearly 300 troops, including Air Force commandos armed with combat aircraft and helicopters, in the Philippines through the end of the month.

It's part of a military build-up sure to inflame tensions with Beijing in the South China Sea.

The U.S. will also begin sending forces on increased rotations into the Philippines, it was disclosed, to beef up training and to support increased military operations in the region.

Speaking in the guest house of the presidential complex, Carter said the U.S. military moves are not meant to provoke anyone, but instead said "we're trying to tamp down tensions here.."

According to the Pentagon, the U.S. forces that will remain here are already in the Philippines participating in the Balikatan or shoulder-to-shoulder combat exercises which will end Friday. About 200 airmen, including special operations forces will remain at Clark Air Base, along with three of their Pave Hawk attack helicopters, an MC-130H Combat Talon II special mission aircraft and five A-10 combat aircraft.

This initial contingent will provide training to increase the two militaries' ability to work together, laying the groundwork for forces to do joint air patrols as well as the ship movements.

Also, up to 75 Marines will stay at Camp Aguinaldo to support increased U.S. and Philippine combined military operations in the region.

The troops and aircraft are expected to leave at the end of the month, but other U.S. forces and aircraft would do similar rotations into the Philippines in the future. A defense official would not say how frequently those rotations would happen, but said the size schedule and makeup would fluctuate. The official was not authorized to discuss the issue publicly so spoke on condition of anonymity.

The increased troop presence is part of a broader U.S. campaign to expand its assistance to the Philippines, as America shores up its allies in the Asia Pacific. And it comes as territorial disputes with China, including Beijing's increasing effort to build manmade islands in the South China Sea, roils nations across the region.

The U.S. and others have consistently said the military exercises and assistance packages are not aimed at China but represent America's continued support for its allies in the region. But China views any increased U.S. military presence and activities in the region as a threat.

[BridgeTroll]

China... Russia... not all intercepts are the same...  Great analysis!

https://www.stratfor.com/analysis/why-russia-harasses-us-aircraft

Why Russia Harasses U.S. Aircraft
Analysis APRIL 20, 2016 | 09:00 GMT

Summary

Since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, tension with the West has been high, affecting eastern Ukraine, Syria and hot spots across the former Soviet sphere. Less overtly, Moscow has been working to protect areas vital to Russian interests by raising the stakes of U.S. operations there. This has manifested in numerous aggressive interceptions of U.S. military aircraft in flight, especially over the Black and Baltic seas. The interceptions, which are reportedly occurring more frequently, aim to dissuade Washington from operating in that airspace.

Analysis

On April 14, a Russian Su-27 fighter jet performed a barrel roll maneuver over a U.S. Air Force RC-135 spy plane flying in international airspace over the Baltic Sea. Just three days earlier, two Russian Su-24 bombers flew dangerously and repeatedly close to a U.S. destroyer, also in the Baltic Sea. The most recent intercept came less than a week before the NATO-Russia Council is set to convene for the first time since 2014. Along with the fighting in Ukraine and Afghanistan, military transparency and risk reduction — timely and relevant topics given the interception incidents — will be up for discussion at the meeting.

Not all interceptions are aggressive. In fact, the tactic is standard practice among militaries, both in the air and at sea. Around the world, aircraft and ships from a multitude of countries routinely intercept, visually inspect and escort other aircraft and maritime vessels passing through sensitive airspace or waters. Air forces, navies and coast guards worldwide regularly perform intercepts of this kind to enforce an air defense identification zone such as that in the East China Sea, to police operations such as NATO's Baltic Air Policing mission or, as necessary, to conduct ad hoc tactics. In these capacities, interceptions are almost invariably non-threatening; they are simply a means by which nations enhance their situational awareness and protect against contingencies.

But some interceptions deviate from the norm. In a deliberate ploy to deter a nation's forces from transiting a specific space, aircraft or ships may display aggressive maneuvers, harassing and intimidating targets. These interceptions resemble a high-stakes game of chicken, daring the foreign craft to continue on its route, despite the increased risk of collision, or back down.



Though the tactic carries a risk of damage to both sides, the initiator holds the advantage. Usually in aerial interceptions, a sleek, fast fighter jet targets a lumbering bomber or reconnaissance plane. The initiator of the encounter is often far less valuable — in monetary cost and in the number of flight crew aboard — than the intercepted target, raising the stakes for leaders (and crew) as they decide how to respond. As a fighter jet carries out dangerous maneuvers around it, the target is left to wonder about the interceptor's intentions and skill.

For Russia, close interceptions offer a means to deter U.S. craft without sparking outright combat. The tactic has worked for Moscow already: In July 2014, a Russian jet's aggressive flight so alarmed the crew of a U.S. RC-135 over the Baltic Sea that it accidentally fled into Swedish airspace to evade the interceptor.

But close intercepts do not always go as planned. In the April 2001 Hainan Island incident, for example, a collision during a close intercept left a Chinese pilot dead, his J-8II interceptor destroyed and a U.S. EP-3E signals intelligence aircraft seriously damaged. A number of Cold War-era close intercepts also caused collisions, particularly between ships. This led to the 1972 U.S.-Soviet Incidents at Sea Agreement, which sought to reduce the chances of collision and manage escalation when collisions did occur. Further efforts to limit the risk of escalation produced the 2014 Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea, which included Russia and China, as well as a 2014 agreement between the United States and China to regulate incidents between the two.

But the past few years have demonstrated that the agreements are not enough to stop such dangerous close encounters, at least not between the United States and Russia. And given the substantial tension between the two countries, a midair or at-sea collision resulting from a close interception could trigger retaliatory measures, leading to an escalation that neither side wants. Even so, as long as tension persists between Russia and the United States, the interceptions are likely to continue.

[coredumped]

Legislation introduced by 4 senators (2 republicans, 2 democrats) to step it up in the region:
https://www.foreign.senate.gov/press/ranking/release/cardin-gardner-menendez-schatz-introduce-asia-pacific-maritime-legislation-to-enhance-us-regional-leadership-support-allies-

The legislation:

   * Authorizes the Secretary of State to provide Foreign Military Financing assistance and International Military and Education Training activities in the Asia-Pacific for maritime security capacity building;
   * Authorizes appropriations for the State Department's Southeast Asia Maritime Law Enforcement Initiative;
   * Authorizes the Secretary of Defense, in concurrence with the Secretary of State, to provide assistance for the purpose of increasing maritime security and domain awareness for countries in the Asia-Pacific region;
   * Upgrades the Philippines' military procurement status to the same level that our closest allies enjoy under U.S. law;
   * Prioritizes Asia-Pacific regional allies and maritime ASEAN member states for the transfer of excess defense articles: and
   * Requires the administration to report on plans for freedom of navigation assertions, maritime security partner capacity building and China's activities in the South China Sea.

Ready for more war?

[spuwho]

Those A-10's we left behind in the Philippines have already started patrols over Scarborough Shoal. As many remember, the PLA-CG recently kicked out Filipino fisherman so they could survey the shoal for reclamation.

Being only 120 miles from the Philippine mainland was enough to trigger action.

The staus quo is clearly under duress. Its a matter of time before an incident occurs.

[spuwho]

It just went up a notch today.

Per Reuters:

The guided missle destroyer USS William P Lawrence traveled within 12 miles of Fiery Cross Reef just now and was met by a scramble of PLAF fighters and 3 PLAN warships notifying it to leave.

Both sides are stating their positions.

China says the US is justifying why they have to be there.

The US says that they are proving freedom of the seas.

The fact that Obama will be in Asia (Vietnam) next week may have something to do with the increase in bluster as well.

China is calling it a "blatant disregard of their sovereignty".

Just waiting for the next shoe to drop.

[BridgeTroll]

It just went up a notch today.

Per Reuters:

The guided missle destroyer USS William P Lawrence traveled within 12 miles of Fiery Cross Reef just now and was met by a scramble of PLAF fighters and 3 PLAN warships notifying it to leave.

Both sides are stating their positions.

China says the US is justifying why they have to be there.

The US says that they are proving freedom of the seas.

The fact that Obama will be in Asia (Vietnam) next week may have something to do with the increase in bluster as well.

China is calling it a "blatant disregard of their sovereignty".

Just waiting for the next shoe to drop.

The only country "blatantly disregarding sovereignty" is China...

[Adam White]

It just went up a notch today.

Per Reuters:

The guided missle destroyer USS William P Lawrence traveled within 12 miles of Fiery Cross Reef just now and was met by a scramble of PLAF fighters and 3 PLAN warships notifying it to leave.

Both sides are stating their positions.

China says the US is justifying why they have to be there.

The US says that they are proving freedom of the seas.

The fact that Obama will be in Asia (Vietnam) next week may have something to do with the increase in bluster as well.

China is calling it a "blatant disregard of their sovereignty".

Just waiting for the next shoe to drop.

The only country "blatantly disregarding sovereignty" is China...

Whose sovereignty is China disregarding?

[spuwho]

It just went up a notch today.

Per Reuters:

The guided missle destroyer USS William P Lawrence traveled within 12 miles of Fiery Cross Reef just now and was met by a scramble of PLAF fighters and 3 PLAN warships notifying it to leave.

Both sides are stating their positions.

China says the US is justifying why they have to be there.

The US says that they are proving freedom of the seas.

The fact that Obama will be in Asia (Vietnam) next week may have something to do with the increase in bluster as well.

China is calling it a "blatant disregard of their sovereignty".

Just waiting for the next shoe to drop.

The only country "blatantly disregarding sovereignty" is China...

Whose sovereignty is China disregarding?

When they kicked out Filipino fishermen off Scarbourough Shoal, it was Phillippine sovereignty that was broached. The shoal falls inside the Phillippine 200 mile economic zone and is subject to Phillippine jurisdiction.

Fiery Cross Reef has several claimants in this case.

As noted in other posts, foreign navies have traversed the Bering Strait and we dont scramble warships and tell them to leave. They pass quietly.

[BridgeTroll]

Philippines primarily... Vietnam also...

[Adam White]

Philippines primarily... Vietnam also...

How so? Or are you arguing that their claims to these islands are somehow more legitimate than China's?

Their claims are just as legitimate or spurious as China's. But, I suppose how one interprets that depends on one's own biases.

[BridgeTroll]

Philippines primarily... Vietnam also...

How so? Or are you arguing that their claims to these islands are somehow more legitimate than China's?

Their claims are just as legitimate or spurious as China's. But, I suppose how one interprets that depends on one's own biases.

An honest glance at a map shows this not to be true...

[Adam White]

Philippines primarily... Vietnam also...

How so? Or are you arguing that their claims to these islands are somehow more legitimate than China's?

Their claims are just as legitimate or spurious as China's. But, I suppose how one interprets that depends on one's own biases.

An honest glance at a map shows this not to be true...

I guess that's why Argentina has the "Malvinas" and Hawaii belongs to Kiribati.

[Adam White]

It just went up a notch today.

Per Reuters:

The guided missle destroyer USS William P Lawrence traveled within 12 miles of Fiery Cross Reef just now and was met by a scramble of PLAF fighters and 3 PLAN warships notifying it to leave.

Both sides are stating their positions.

China says the US is justifying why they have to be there.

The US says that they are proving freedom of the seas.

The fact that Obama will be in Asia (Vietnam) next week may have something to do with the increase in bluster as well.

China is calling it a "blatant disregard of their sovereignty".

Just waiting for the next shoe to drop.

The only country "blatantly disregarding sovereignty" is China...

Whose sovereignty is China disregarding?

When they kicked out Filipino fishermen off Scarbourough Shoal, it was Phillippine sovereignty that was broached. The shoal falls inside the Phillippine 200 mile economic zone and is subject to Phillippine jurisdiction.

Fiery Cross Reef has several claimants in this case.

As noted in other posts, foreign navies have traversed the Bering Strait and we dont scramble warships and tell them to leave. They pass quietly.

Chinese claims to these islands predate the claims of the Philippines.

As far as scrambling warships, etc - that isn't 'violating sovereignty' (it's arguably defending one's own).