This month, the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) reported that China has quietly expanded its electronic warfare and surveillance infrastructure across its artificial island bases in the disputed Spratly Islands. The upgrades, implemented between 2023 and 2025, bolster China’s ability to monitor and contest activity in the South China Sea, a strategic waterway claimed by multiple nations.
Satellite imagery shows new antenna arrays and mobile electronic warfare vehicles deployed on Fiery Cross, Mischief and Subi reefs. At least six paved sites with monopole antennas were installed, each oriented toward the sea. The facilities appear linked to vehicle-mounted jamming systems designed to target specific electromagnetic bands. At Subi Reef, a roofed shelter was built in 2025 to house the units, while Mischief Reef hosts five vehicles connected to fixed arrays.
