What is the Chinese naval group doing in the Philippine Sea?published at 12:17 GMT 4 December
Joshua Cheetham
BBC Verify journalist
We’ve been speaking to experts this morning about the group of Chinese naval ships pictured in the Philippine Sea yesterday.
It’s currently unclear where exactly these pictures were taken. The Philippine Sea spans more than two million sq miles (five million sq km) and borders Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Micronesia, and two US territories.
Mike Plunkett, senior naval platforms analyst at intelligence firm Janes, says the pictures show the vessels being replenished at sea. This involves the transfer of fuel, supplies and ammunition from one ship to another.
A closer look at the image shows a line running between the cruiser Yan’an and replenishment ship Luoma Hu, says Plunkett.
He suggests the other ship seen in the satellite image – a Jiangkai II-class frigate – is getting ready to join the replenishment ship as well.
Meanwhile it’s likely the Hainan was moving away from the group because it had just completed its own replenishment, he says.
“All of the above are standard operations for any first-rate navy and the Chinese have been doing it successfully for many years,” Plunkett adds.
“The ability to replenish ships at sea means that navies are not tied to bases and can stay at sea for longer and further away than would otherwise be the case.”
