Unpublicized deployment occurs ahead of US defense secretary’s visit
China has deployed two long-range H-6 bombers around the Scarborough Shoal, marking its latest move to reinforce its sovereignty claims over the contested atoll in the South China Sea. Satellite images obtained by Reuters confirm the presence of the bombers in the region, though Beijing has not publicly acknowledged the deployment.
The deployment comes just days before U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s visit to the Philippines, which also lays claim to the shoal, located within its 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone. China’s defense ministry has yet to respond to inquiries regarding the scale or timing of the deployment.
Heightened tensions in disputed waters
Philippine officials, including those from the National Security Council and military, have not issued an immediate statement on the development. During his visit to Manila on Friday, Hegseth reaffirmed the United States’ “ironclad commitment” to its mutual defense treaty with the Philippines, emphasizing that China’s assertive actions make deterrence essential in the region.
Satellite images from Maxar Technologies, taken on Monday, show two aircraft positioned east of Scarborough Shoal, which China refers to as “Huangyan Dao.”
Increased military presence and geopolitical signaling
China’s coast guard has frequently clashed with Philippine fishing vessels near the atoll’s entrance, and in recent months, tensions have escalated. The Philippine Coast Guard recently accused the Chinese navy of executing dangerous flight maneuvers near the shoal.
Despite an international arbitration ruling in The Hague in 2016 that rejected China’s territorial claims, Beijing has continued its military presence in the area. In an email to Reuters, Maxar confirmed the aircraft in the images were H-6 bombers and explained that “rainbow colors” near the planes were due to image processing artifacts caused by their high speed.
Security analysts suggest the deployment was likely a strategic signal rather than a coincidence. Peter Layton of Australia’s Griffith Asia Institute noted, “Beijing is showcasing its military sophistication while also reminding the United States that China, too, possesses long-range strike capabilities.”
Growing Chinese military operations in the region
Military observers have noted an uptick in China’s H-6 bomber activity in the South China Sea. The aircraft first landed on improved runways in the Paracel Islands in 2018, and since then, their presence has steadily expanded.
The H-6 bomber, based on a Soviet-era design, has been modernized to carry a range of anti-ship and land-attack missiles. Some models are even capable of launching nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles.
China has previously deployed H-6 bombers in military exercises near Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its territory. In October, war games featured the aircraft near the island, and in December, they were seen operating around Scarborough Shoal as part of broader drills conducted by the Chinese military’s Southern Theatre Command.
The Southern Theatre Command, responsible for overseeing operations in the South China Sea, maintains two regiments of H-6 bombers, according to the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Unlike the December drills, which were widely publicized, China has remained silent about the latest deployment. While satellite imagery rarely captures bomber patrols in action, past official statements from China’s defense ministry have framed such exercises as measures to “resolutely safeguard China’s national sovereignty and security and maintain peace in the South China Sea.”
The altitude at which the bombers were flying near Scarborough Shoal remains unknown. Meanwhile, Taiwan’s government continues to reject Beijing’s territorial claims, asserting that only the island’s people can determine their future.