12/18/2014
Body
China’s land reclamation activities at Fiery Cross Reef likely will result in its first airstrip in the disputed Spratly Islands, which would allow the People’s Liberation Army to alleviate some of its logistical and power projection deficiencies in the South China Sea. This paper analyzes the latest publically-available imagery of Fiery Cross Reef and assesses China’s possible uses for an airstrip.