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Strategic Communications and the Senkaku Islands

So – a very good discussion on Midrats yesterday that included a look at China’s maritime claims in the ECS/SCS and regional responses – which of late have seen a ratcheting up of forces in the area.  In the wake of that discussion, I came across the illustration below:   
J31
 
of a cover for a magazine highlighting the J-31 light(er) weight stealth fighter prototype. Now, one expects prototypes to be posed in a variety of action settings that provide at tleast the illusion of capabiltiy. But there was something else (well two actually) that caught my eye.  The first (circled) is the presence of the Liaoning, the PLA Navy’s first carrier.  China was very careful to emphasize to other nations in the region that the mission of the CV was directed towards training and exploring flight operations at sea – in a purely “defensive” manner.  Recently that mask has slipped a bit as senior officials allowed as how it might have a more prominent combat role.

But there was something else — the islands in the background seemed familiar and of course, voila:

AJ201209050014M

Behold the Senkaku islands – the locus of heightened activity between the militaries and civilian maritime administration fleets of China and Japan (among others).  Nothing like including a pretty clear image of territory under dipute  and defended by your new carrier and stealth fighter/bomber (incidently, launching an ASCM — looks like a C704) to signal intent now is there? Reminds me of something similar a few years back… oh yeah:

New Picture (5)

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4 Comments

  1. They keep sending the message, but no one outside of here, and Sal’s place seem to be listening. It is to sigh.

  2. Pretty clear to those folks who have been following the PLA/PLAN actions over past decade…..these folks are up to no good….
    Pretty well doped out in THE STRAIT.

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