New Dredging Activity Spotted by Satellites in the South China Sea
China and the Philippines have been at the center of a widely reported territorial dispute in the contested waters of the South China Sea. Teams of analysts pore over media reports, eyewitness accounts, and satellite imagery to document changes in the islands, shoals and reefs that dot the region.
In late November, Planet’s satellite constellation captured an image that detailed new dredging activity on Ladd Reef, a small coral reef in the region. Analysts attributed the construction to another player in the region, Vietnam.
Reuters reports:
Ladd Reef, on the southwestern fringe of the Spratlys, is completely submerged at high tide but has a lighthouse and an outpost housing a small contingent of Vietnamese soldiers. The reef is also claimed by Taiwan.
In an image taken on Nov. 30 and provided by U.S.-based satellite firm Planet Labs, several vessels can be seen in a newly dug channel between the lagoon and open sea.
While the purpose of the activity cannot be determined for certain, analysts say similar dredging work has been the precursor to more extensive construction on other reefs.
To see the full extent of construction on the reef, check out this before and after Planet imagery:
Get the full story—read the exclusive Reuters report.
