28-3-2025 (BEIJING) In a significant military manoeuvre that has heightened tensions in the South China Sea, Beijing has positioned two of its sophisticated H-6 long-range bombers near the contested Scarborough Shoal, as revealed by recently obtained satellite imagery.
The unannounced deployment, captured by Maxar Technologies’ satellites, shows the aircraft stationed east of the disputed atoll—known to Chinese authorities as Huangyan Dao. The timing proved particularly noteworthy, coinciding with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s diplomatic mission to Manila, where he emphasised America’s unwavering defence commitments to the Philippines.
The strategic significance of these bomber deployments has not been lost on regional security experts. Peter Layton, from the Griffith Asia Institute in Australia, suggests this calculated move serves as Beijing’s demonstration of its expanding military capabilities and strategic reach, particularly in response to American influence in the region.
These H-6 bombers, whilst based on Soviet-era engineering, have undergered substantial modernisation to carry advanced weaponry, including anti-ship missiles and potentially nuclear-capable ballistic missiles. The International Institute for Strategic Studies reports that China’s Southern Theatre Command, responsible for South China Sea operations, maintains two regiments of these aircraft.
The contentious waters around Scarborough Shoal have witnessed numerous confrontations between Chinese coast guard vessels and Philippine fishing boats since Beijing established de facto control in 2012. Despite a 2016 ruling by the Hague’s international arbitration tribunal invalidating China’s territorial claims, Beijing continues to assert its sovereignty, dismissing the verdict.
This latest military positioning follows a pattern of intensifying Chinese military presence in the region, including previous exercises around Taiwan and increased bomber deployments since 2018, when improved runways in the disputed Paracel Islands first accommodated these aircraft.
The Philippine coast guard recently accused Chinese naval forces of conducting dangerous aerial manoeuvres in the vicinity, while both the Philippines’ National Security Council and military authorities have maintained silence regarding this latest development. Similarly, China’s defence ministry has not addressed queries about the deployment’s scope or timing.
Whilst Taiwan’s government steadfastly rejects Beijing’s territorial assertions, maintaining that only its citizens can determine their future, the situation exemplifies the complex web of territorial disputes and military posturing that continues to characterise the South China Sea region.
The precise flight altitude of the bombers remains undisclosed, though Maxar’s imagery captured distinctive “rainbow colours” near the aircraft—a phenomenon associated with processing satellite images of rapidly moving objects.
