China deploys missiles on disputed island

China has deployed an advanced surface-to-air missile system on a disputed island in the South China Sea, dramatically ratcheting up tensions in the region

CHINA

VIETNAM

Spratly Islands

BRUNEI

MALAYSIA

TAIWAN

300km 185 miles

Paracel Islands: Under Chinese control – claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan

SOUTH CHINA SEA

PHILIPPINES

Chinese claim line

INDONESIA

PARACEL ISLANDS

Triton Island

30km 20 miles

Woody Island / Yongxing Dao

Sansha city

Runway: 3,000m long

1 km 0.6 miles

HQ-9 SURFACE-TO-AIR MISSILE SYSTEM: Chinese-made mobile system equivalent to Russian S-300 SAM

Length: 6.8m Range: 200km

Speed: Mach 4.2 (1,440m/sec)

Flight ceiling: 27km

Guidance system: Inertial guidance with mid-course update and terminal active radar homing

Launcher with four missiles

Sources: UNCLOS, FAS, Air Power Australia