China has deployed anti-frogmen rocket launchers intended to fend off Vietnamese intrusions on one of its man-made islands in the contested South China Sea
China has deployed anti-frogmen rocket launchers intended to fend off Vietnamese intrusions on one of its man-made islands in the contested South China Sea, Chinese state media reported Wednesday.
The report, published on the Weibo account of the state-run Defense Times newspaper, said China installed Norinco CS/AR-1 55mm rocket defense systems on Fiery Cross Reef in the strategic Spratly chain — just days after the two rivals said they would work to “manage and properly control” their maritime disputes.
The system has the capability to discover, identify and attack enemy combat divers, according to the report. A similar system known as the DP-65 anti-diver grenade launcher was seen on Fiery Cross in 2012, according to IHS Jane’s Defence Weekly.
Fiery Cross is controlled by China but also claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan.
The Defense Times report did not say when exactly the rocket-launcher systems were installed, but alluded to them being a response to soaring tensions between Beijing and Hanoi in 2014 after China sent a massive oil rig to the area near the Paracel Islands, which are also claimed by Vietnam.
The report comes just two days after the rivals said in a joint communique China released Monday that they had agreed to “manage and properly control maritime disputes, not take any actions to complicate the situation or expand the dispute, and maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea.
