China deploys submarine surveillance systems on the seabed of the South China Sea.

There is worrying news regarding the situation in the South China Sea; during a naval exercise, China deployed submarine surveillance equipment to the seabed.

China deploys anti-submarine warfare equipment on the seabed during military exercises.

Following the US Pacific Fleet Commander, Admiral Scott Swift, personally flying a P-8A Poseidon anti-submarine patrol aircraft on a reconnaissance mission over the South China Sea, tensions between the US and China have further escalated.

The Chinese Navy conducted a large-scale exercise in the South China Sea from July 22 to 31. According to Chinese media, this was a massive amphibious landing exercise involving combat forces of the Chinese Marine Corps, held southeast of Hainan Island, northwest of the Paracel Islands.

This is a combined landing operation involving large landing ships, transport helicopters, and high-speed wave-breaking vehicles such as hovercraft. This also marks the first time the world's largest hovercraft, the Zubr, belonging to the country's navy, has officially appeared publicly in an exercise.

However, the most noteworthy issue is that Beijing's media reported that, during this exercise, the Chinese navy deployed underwater acoustic recording devices as part of a submarine surveillance system on the seabed, in a plan to build a "wall against American submarines."

During a 10-day military exercise in the South China Sea, China deployed anti-submarine warfare (ASW) devices to the seabed.

A number of Chinese websites, including "Dongfang," "Global Times," and "Chinanews," also published a photo of a model of China's "Underwater Monitoring Network," implying that Beijing is building a model of an underwater acoustic monitoring system.

Mainland Chinese military experts commented that successfully building a submarine acoustic surveillance system on the seabed is something that not many naval powers in the world have been able to do; until now, only Russia and the United States have had the capability to build such a system.

Some experts even suggest that this system, combined with the surveillance capabilities of the "Gao Xin-6" (GX-6) anti-submarine patrol aircraft, will take China's anti-submarine reconnaissance capabilities to "a new level," with US nuclear submarines being detected immediately upon leaving their base on Guam.

It is known that during the Cold War, the US Navy deployed a widespread network of underwater sensors as part of a "sonic surveillance system" specifically designed to track Soviet submarines.

Graphical model of the operation of a submarine monitoring system on the seabed (Phoenix TV - Hong Kong)

The Soviet Navy also once possessed similar devices, deployed on the seabed in areas near the Soviet Union to prevent potential intrusion by American submarines. However, it is unclear whether this program was maintained after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

As for the US, although the number of sensor devices has decreased, the system in the Pacific remains relatively complete. Furthermore, the US Department of Defense is working to develop new, specialized tracking and surveillance technologies to counter Chinese submarines.

Within the development plan for anti-submarine warfare systems of the US Department of Defense's Advanced Research Projects Agency, there is a project to develop a new version of the oceanographic surveillance satellite network, combined with next-generation underwater acoustic eavesdropping devices.

Robot-based acoustic jamming devices will be deployed in all shallow and deep ocean waters, capable of detecting and tracking all types of conventional and nuclear-powered submarines from countries around the world.

According to Hong Kong's Phoenix TV, China's underwater surveillance system is capable of detecting submarines at distances ranging from a few thousand to over 10,000 kilometers.

China currently possesses over 60 submarines of various types, including several strategic nuclear missile submarines (carrying ballistic missiles) and nuclear attack submarines (carrying cruise missiles), and about one-third of its conventional submarines are considered relatively modern.

The immense pressure from the powerful submarine force of the Chinese navy is forcing countries in the South China Sea and East China Sea to accelerate the pace of acquiring or upgrading their submarine fleets.

Potential risks in the South China Sea and East China Sea

Currently, Japan possesses a very strong conventional submarine fleet, including older Oyashio-class submarines and newer Soryu-class AIP-powered submarines. Japan has already commissioned 6 out of the 14-16 Soryu-class submarines planned for its navy.

Furthermore, Japan possesses a very strong anti-submarine warfare force, including hundreds of American P-3C Orion and Japanese P-1 Kawasaki anti-submarine patrol aircraft, anti-submarine helicopters, anti-submarine frigates, and especially American-style sonar vessels.

The Japanese acoustic survey vessel JDS Hibiki (AOS-5201)

Japanese anti-submarine warfare systems have repeatedly detected Chinese submarines loitering near their territorial waters, even identifying specific classes of submarines. This has worried Beijing and forced it to accelerate the development of a strong anti-submarine warfare force.

Despite their poverty, Southeast Asian nations in the South China Sea are also struggling to acquire submarines. Currently, the South China Sea and the Spratly Islands are home to fairly modern submarines from various countries around the world, such as the Kilo-class submarines from Russia, the Scorpene from France, the Archer from Sweden, and the Chang Bogo from South Korea…

Furthermore, the South China Sea is subject to territorial disputes between China and a number of ASEAN countries; therefore, China's open deployment of anti-submarine warfare (ASW) vessels on the surface will further complicate the already tense situation in this region.

The country's navy has been secretly researching and developing a system for monitoring submarines on the seabed for over 20 years.

This type of system consists of thousands of sonar sound-receiving devices scattered across a sea area or regions around the world, linked by electrical or fiber optic cables. The information received is processed and transmitted to anti-submarine warfare (ASW) vessels, enabling them to "neutralize" submarines.

Chinese Navy GX-6 anti-submarine patrol aircraft

The use of these systems to monitor submarines is extremely insidious because it can protect important sea areas and shipping lanes against submarine intrusion on a regular and continuous basis, something that surface anti-submarine warfare systems cannot do.

While China has not yet been able to widely deploy underwater acoustic surveillance systems across the world's oceans, it has at least enabled its navy to monitor submarines in the South China Sea or East China Sea.

Furthermore, in addition to being deployed by military vessels, these systems can be easily deployed on mother ships disguised as merchant ships, scientific research vessels, or marine observation submarines, provided that the area has civilian power cables, fiber optic cables, or internet cables.

The Chinese Navy could use exercises, scientific research activities, and marine economic investment projects as pretexts to deploy these anti-submarine devices on surface vessels and submarines in various sea areas.

This is an issue that needs close attention from countries in the South China Sea and East China Sea regions.

According to Dat Viet Newspaper