PLA monitoring foreign submarines in South China Sea

After Vietnam received its first Kilo-class submarine in November, China has adopted an underwater strategy to monitor the activities of foreign submarines in the disputed South China Sea, writes US defense expert Harry Kazianis for the Tokyo-based Diplomat magazine.Quoting an article written by Lyle Goldstein and Shannon Knight for the United States Naval Institute's Proceedings magazine, Kazianis noted that China has deployed fixed ocean-floor acoustic arrays off its coastline, while research suggests that China is deploying the new system for anti-submarine warfare.

Kazianis praised the work of Goldstein and Knight, which cited several Chinese-language journals such as Shandong Science, China Science Daily, Naval and Merchant Ships and Ship Electronic Engineering. He added that their research has shown that China is now hard at work deploying ocean-floor surveillance systems in its proximate waters.By foraying into this important area of military technology, China is attempting for the first time to address its weakness in conducting anti-submarine warfare, according to Kazianis. "An investment in fixed acoustic arrays seems to be a big down payment on reversing such a glaring military weakness," the expert said, adding that such technology can also help to protect the country's ballistic missile submarines in the region.Kanzianis noted that it is a new twist in Beijing's anti-access/area-denial strategy (A2/AD), and if the technology is perfected it could also be used against the United States in a potential conflict in the Asia-Pacific.

Meanwhile, an article for the Global Times, a newspaper published under the auspices of the Communist Party mouthpiece People's Daily, indicated that the People's Liberation Army Navy has already established its first underwater listening network. The system based at Sanya in southern China's Hainan province monitors the movement of foreign submarines in Chinese waters, the paper said.



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