Nonetheless, this could change in time to come, especially when the growing Chinese SAM threat may prompt regional militaries to look seriously into acquiring or enhancing their own SEAD capabilities, such as air- or sea-launched standoff weapons. Though Beijing may elect to describe its present SAM deployments as “defensive,” it is clear that such a move heralds a further step in fueling the militarization of the SCS.

Koh Swee Lean Collin is associate research fellow at the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies, a constituent unit of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies based in Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. He can be reached at [email protected].

Image: Flickr/Tomas Roggero