China may be using Kagitingan Reef as ‘intelligence hub’ —US think tank

The Kagitingan Reef also known as the Fiery Cross Reef may be serving as China's "intelligence hub" for its forces in the disputed South China Sea, a US-based think tank said.

In an article published on Friday, US think-tank Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) said that "a large communications or sensor array completed in 2017" on Kagitingan Reef "might be serving as a signals intelligence/communications hub for Chinese forces in the area."

The think tank said Kagitingan Reef is the smallest of China’s “Big 3” artificial islands in the disputed Spratlys.

"None of the other bases in the Spratlys so far has a comparable array, though smaller ones have been built on Subi and Mischief, suggesting that Fiery Cross might be serving as a signals intelligence/communications hub for Chinese forces in the area," the AMTI said.

"Three towers housing sensor/communications facilities topped by radomes, completed in 2017," it added.

The AMTI also said hangars have been completed in 2017.

"Hangars to accommodate four combat aircraft. Hangar space for another 20 combat aircraft and four larger hangars, capable of housing bombers, refueling tankers, and large transport aircraft, have been built farther south along the runway," the group said.

In January, Magdalo partylist Representative Gary Alejano claimed that the Kagitingan Reef has been developed into an airbase with several Chinese military facilities.

More than 200 Chinese soldiers were also reported to have been deployed in the region.

Aside from the Kagitingan Reef, other areas China had supposedly militarized were the Subi Reef, Mischief Reef, Tree Island, North Island, Triton Island, and Woody Island. —ALG, GMA News