China is Dredging Out Another Island Outpost in the South China Sea
China's "Great Wall of sand" is growing again after years of quiescence. The giant cutter-suction dredges (CSDs) that accompany Chinese island-building projects began arriving late last year at Antelope Reef, an obscure coral atoll in the Paracel Islands - and within months, the dredger crews have almost entirely covered the reef's surface in dredge spoils.
Antelope Reef is part of the Crescent Group of islands in the Paracel chain, about 150 nautical miles southeast of Hainan Island. The Paracels are occupied by China and claimed by Vietnam. Several atolls adjacent to Antelope Reef have outposts with varying degrees of development, but nothing as large as the project currently under way at Antelope Reef.
A new analysis by the Open Source Center - based on Planet Labs imaging - shows that land reclamation activity now covers about 15 square kilometers of former reef area (about 3,700 acres), starting from an intact coral ecosystem in December. The imaging suggests that the team at Antelope Reef may be able to create new land at a rate of 50 acres or more per day.
As of February 11, 22 large dredgers were at work on the site, removing coral heads from the inner lagoon and pumping the spoils up on top of the reef. Imaging shows familiar patterns of naval harbor development, as seen previously in the Spratly Islands: straight quay walls for berthing, a large sheltered anchorage without obstructions or shoals, a carved-out entrance channel, and abundant space for base infrastructure.
None of the vessels at the reef appear on commercial AIS tracking. Judging by AIS alone, the Crescent Group appears empty of vessel traffic, except for a handful of fishing vessels nearby.
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On top of the new land, a cluster of small structures has already sprung up, along with components likely to be used for building an on-site concrete plant, Open Source Center found. Earthmoving equipment, cranes, and supplies for construction can be readily seen on the ground.
Based on the dimensions of the reef and the areas reclaimed so far, there could be sufficient space to host a runway of 10,000 feet in length. A runway of this size would be enough to host China's largest military transport aircraft and strategic bombers, along with all smaller aircraft. All of the largest Chinese island bases built to date - Fiery Cross Reef, Mischief Reef, Subi Reef and Woody Island - incorporate runways of roughly this length.