China Installs Advanced Anti-Stealth Radar On Strategic South China Sea Island

China has expanded its military presence in the South China Sea by installing an advanced anti-stealth radar system on Triton Island, part of the controversial Paracel Islands.

The radar, which can detect stealth aircraft, increases China’s regional surveillance network, per a report by the UK think tank Chatham House.

The radar system, known as a synthetic impulse and aperture radar (SIAR), is similar to those installed at other Chinese bases in the region, including Subi Reef and Hainan Island.

SIAR operates in the VHF band and uses advanced signal processing to track airborne targets, even stealth aircraft that can avoid conventional radar systems.

Experts believe that this radar upgrade will close the major gap in China’s air surveillance coverage between its other key locations.

J. Michael Dahm, a senior fellow at the Mitchell Institute, explained that these radar systems need overlapping coverage to provide continuous surveillance of the region. Due to its strategic location on Triton Island, this radar station improves China’s ability to detect possible threats.

Left – Triton Island (part of Paracels) in 2022

Right – Triton Island (part of Paracels) in 2024.

New evidence shows that #China has not only illegally occupied but militarized South China Sea while it preaches peace at ASEAN.

Paracels were forcibly taken from #Vietnam. pic.twitter.com/yB8ptlJYSw

— Nguyen Thi hong (@NguyenThih36) October 17, 2024

Image Credits: Nguyen Thi hong/X

Satellite images show a second tower being built on the island. A large pad nearby appears to be a staging area for mobile anti-ship missile batteries.

Triton Island is strategically important because it is near Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), which is rich in oil and gas resources.

In 2014, China attempted to exploit these resources with an offshore rig, which led to a conflict with Vietnam.

While the conflict resulted in China withdrawing its rig, the installation of advanced military technology on Triton Island reflects the country’s continuous interest in the region.

Per Chatham House experts, these new developments may allow China to launch another drilling expedition in disputed waters. However, China has not yet made an official statement regarding the purpose of the radar installation on Triton Island.

References: RFA, The Week

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