China Builds Secret Nuclear Submarine Base in South China Sea
China has secretly built an underground nuclear submarine base in the South China Sea, posing a new threat to powers in the region, the Daily Telegraph has reported.
Satellite photos of the base obtained by FOX News show a large harbor and massive tunnels that defense experts say could shelter as many as 20 nuclear subs, according to the Telegraph.
The base, centrally located along a major sea route and just a few hundred miles from neighbors, may pose a threat to U.S. naval dominance of the region.
Analysts for Jane's Intelligence Review, a defense magazine, said that the secret base could allow Chinese subs to "break out to launch locations closer to the U.S.," according to the Telegraph. The base has immediate access to very deep waters, which would make launched submarines very difficult to detect.
The Defense Department has estimated that by 2010 China will have five operational 094-class nuclear submarines capable of carrying 12 nuclear missiles each, the paper reported.
Some military analysts believe this secret build-up of forces by the Chinese government is speeding up even as it presents a far different face in public as it prepares for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the newspaper reported.
FOXNews.com - China Builds Secret Nuclear Submarine Base in South China Sea - International News | News of the World | Middle East News | Europe News
Well..the base is no longer a "secret" and they have to have "something" to spend their money on!
05-02-2008, 04:47 PM
China Builds Secret Nuclear Submarine Base in South China Sea
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