Fiery Cross Reef hosted 0.01 sq km of urbanization on December 25, 2009, as detected by SpaceKnow. Beijing's island building and airfield construction at Fiery Cross Reef appears aimed not only at strengthening its sovereignty claims, but also at extending its ability to project power into the South China Sea, where Beijing was previously constrained by distance from the Chinese mainland and the Chinese military's relatively limited aerial refueling capabilities. The following is based on a translation of an article on a Chinese news site: Chinese military commentator Du Songtao says that China’s airport on Fiery Cross Reef, with an area of 23,000 square meters and a runway 3,125 meters long, can accommodate the simultaneous operation of 8-10 Boeing 737 airliners for civil purposes, including … Fiery Cross Reef: Why China's New South China Sea Airstrip Matters.
Satellite images show a PLANAF at the Fiery Cross Reef on the strategically located Islands situated north of the South China Sea.
Fiery Cross reef, once merely a mass of rocks and a coral reef, now has a runway and several other buildings, including basketball courts and a running track.
China started occupying the reef since January 31, 1988 after its military ships successfully blocked Vietnam’s army engineers from entering the feature (1). Jane's Information Group, … lies 46nm northwest from Maralie Reef. Fiery Cross Reef is one of six land features that the PRC occupied in 1988 and has been under its effective control over the past 26 years. Explore more on Fiery Cross Reef.
Fiery Cross (Kagitingan) Reef, one of Beijing's artificial islands in the Spratly Islands, has been transformed into a fortified airbase complete with military installations. Fiery Cross Reef or North West Investigator Reef (9°35’N., 112°54’E.)
China first took possession of the feature in 1988. In addition to the PRC, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam also claim territorial sovereignty over the reef. Credit: SpaceKnow Fiery Cross Reef had 0.13 sq km of urbanization on April 18, 2015.
With the exception of two small rocks, the entire Fiery Cross Reef is covered by the water at high tide. Find Fiery Cross Reef Latest News, Videos & Pictures on Fiery Cross Reef and see latest updates, news, information from NDTV.COM.
For example, below is Fiery Cross Reef in 2006. Fiery Cross Reef is a rock located in the Spratly Islands. CSIS Asian Maritime Transparency Initiative / DigitalGlobe Here is Fiery Cross Reef in 2015, after China converted it into an island. Fiery Cross is about 110 nautical miles southwest of Subi Reef.