was so powerful that it broke the keel of the boat.
Below the surface of Balabac Strait a Chinese submarine cruised silently. Its battery was fully charged and was armed with torpedoes. Its mission is to patrol the area that serves as an entrance to the South China Sea, which the Chinese considered as their inland sea. The submarine was positioning in advance even though war had not yet started. It was guarding the entry point of South China Sea where a possible Philippine Navy coastal submarine might used in order to enter the area. It acts like a sentry guarding the entrance of a cave, in order to intercept any intruder who wished to enter their domain. The submarine occupants heard the distant explosion. They knew that one of their newly laid defenses had found its target. It was an explosion of mine and not a direct attack or handiwork of any war machine. They have every reason to put the blame on the intruder who trespassed on their territory. China had given them ample warning that any vessel who is going to transit the area must ask first their permission so that their vessels will be directed to a safe passage. They have sufficiently informed the international communities that the Peoples Republic of China has the right to establish any defense network on its sovereign territories to protect its boundaries and safeguard the interest of the state. But there are entities that didn’t heeds to its warning and violated its sovereignty. The trespasser stumbled on one of their defensive weapons, the advance torpedo mine.
BRP Iloilo received the distress massage of the mine hunter and immediately rushed to the site. It went active with its sonar while the helicopter took off and headed toward the area in advance. It dipped its sonar in search pattern around the vicinity of the incident. It did not take a long time for the helicopter to get a contact. Its sonar picked up the signature of a submarine patrolling nearby.
“Rafter I’ve got contact on bearing two five zero,” radioed the helicopter to the corvette, BRP Iloilo.
“Trail your contact, Spearhead I’m heading to the area. Charger will assist you in due time, “answered the corvette. I’m heading toward the area. Charger will assist you in due time,” answered by the corvette. The hydrofoil attack craft BRP Bangued, called Charger arched toward the position of the now sinking mine hunter. After throwing its available rescue equipments to the survivors, it went offensive. It lashed its sonar. It picked up the position of an unknown submarine.
But the helicopter got it first.
“Rafter I got for bull’s eye,” said the radio.
“Sink it Spearhead! Sink it,” ordered by corvette.
“Roger Rafter.”
The Lynx helicopter hovered above the waves; its dipping sonar is lashing the escaping submarine. Then it shuddered as it ejects its two torpedoes. The torpedoes splashed on the water and dashed in straight line toward the target below. Its guidance is the echo return of the active mode of the sonar before it shifted into its own sensor after gaining sufficient range. The submarine tried desperately to lure the torpedoes away from them but the lock-on of the torpedoes can’t be fooled. It homed on its trget and exploded violently.
“Rafter, I hit the target!”
“Yes, Spearhead, good work. Search for more and secure the area.”
After scouring the area and found nothing is around, the helicopter returned to the deck of the corvette, BRP Iloilo which is now active in assisting the hydrofoil in rescuing the survivors of the sunk mine hunter boat. The corvette after thorough search of the area for any possible survivors for many hours, and convinced that no more survivors to be rescued, decided to sail back to their home base together with the hydrofoil, for further possible mission to be conducted.
After the incident the Philippine government issued declaration of war against the Peoples Republic of China, with international press covering the press release.
The declaration:
The government of the Republic of the Philippines condemns the treacherous attack of our naval vessel in our own territorial sea by an intruding Chinese submarine.
In this incident, China has committed an open act of aggression. Their inherent policy of reliance on the use of force in solving the disputes is very dangerous. Their egocentric behavior shows their lack of neither respect nor conformity to the principles of international laws covering our seas.
The Peoples Republic of China should have stopped their military adventurism and precisely the creeping invasion long time ago if they are really sincere in seeking peace, stability and cooperation in the region. But what they have shown is deception. They have pretended to seek peaceful solution but deeply harbored a motive of claiming the whole South China Sea by the use of force.
The government of the Republic of the Philippines will not allow this deception to flourish. It will not allow China’s creeping invasion goes unhampered. The act of treachery that resulted to the lost of innocent lives and property could not be justified anymore by a mere dialogue that was devoid of sincerity.
The Republic of the Philippines declares war against the Peoples Republic of China. The Armed Forces of the Philippines stands ready to protect its citizens, defends its sovereign territories and pursue its national interest.
The statement ends.
Hours later, China also declares war. The Chinese Foreign Minister announced it in his press conference with international press covering it.
The Peoples Republic of China has the right to deploy its defenses through out its sovereign territories. Any military movements within its boundaries are a defensive action and its sovereign rights. Pre-positioning of its military forces is essential to the defense of its territories.
The sinking of PLA Navy submarine patrolling our territorial waters is an act of war against peace-loving citizens of the Peoples Republic of China. In this incident, our sovereignty was grossly violated in aggressive manner, without respect to our undisputable claim to the whole of South China Sea which was internationally recognized.
The armed forces of the Peoples Republic of China belong to the people; their duty is to safeguard the gains of the people’s revolution no the achievements of national construction, and to defend the sovereignty, territorial integrity end security of the country.
This constitutional mandate to our armed forces is sacred.
The Peoples Republic of China declares war against the Republic of the Philippines.
Our government warns any foreign nation not to intervene in this regional dispute that has no bearing on their own national interest because the armed forces of the Peoples Republic of China will defend its sovereign territories against any illegitimate claimants as well as those countries which were promulgating false assertions.
The statement ends.
5. FIRST FORAY
“Synergism tactics,” said Gou Xing, the head of South Sea Fleet Maritime Special Warfare Command. He was standing at the center of rectangular table inside the conference room. Seated facing him were the crew of the flying boat called the Stingray and the personnel of its supporting elements. He briefed the group about the special mission that they are going to carry. It was considered special because the outcome will influence the next war plan to be promulgated by the strategists. It was a test, a probing to the system of defenses employed by the enemy who is now controlling the vicinity of a major choke point of South China Sea, the Balabac Strait and the surrounding waters.
“Officers, let me refresh your awareness about the incident east of Balabac Strait. As we all knew, one of our submarine was attacked and sunk by our enemy in our own water. It was hard for us to accept this kind of information but that is the truth. It was sunk by a single torpedo fired from a helicopter that was stationed on the deck of the corvette which was escorted by a fast assault craft where a mine hunter boat cleared the course. As you can see their defenses were interlocking. Each one protects the other. But the corvette got a major role in the group. In this incident, Synergism tactics is well implemented because the vulnerability the less capable craft was compensated by the corvette while its detection capability was expa
nded by the capability of the helicopter. So, gentlemen the priority of our mission is to take out this modern corvette out of our territory. Once it was taken out, our fast attack crafts will take care of the rest of the members of the group. The helicopter will become worthless because it has no landing platform to rely on. Considering its limited endurance in operation, it will simply retreat towards on one of their islands for sanctuary. If not it will crash on the sea for lack of fuel.”
After the briefing the crew of the flying boat prepared the craft. The flying boat called the Stingray was now fully armed and equipped. It was now ready for its first attack mission. The Stingray was the product of their long research about the possibility of applying the theory of wing-in-ground effect to a flying boat. The Stingray is the first Chinese flying boat to put into use the wing-in-ground effect theory successfully. At three hundred knots speed, at standard sea level pressure, the lift generated by the wings of the flying boat is nearly equaled to the total weight of the craft, thereby creating a steady altitude course-hugging the waves like a gliding stingray. When the Stingray is loaded with weapons and fuels, its own computer calculates its intended speed to counter the added factors.. The primary purpose why the Stingray was developed is to counter those high-technology warships of Taiwan and the U.S. who has vested interest in the region. These nations have warships that possess sophisticated sensors that can detect incoming enemies at long range. These warships can also effectively track the enemy and engaged them before they can come nearer into their position.
Now, the Stingray came into its existence. Their counterforce has arrived and the playing field became even. The Stingray that was capable of hugging the waves at high speed, with a very small radar cross-section, was impossible to be detected at great distance. This characteristic creates in element of surprise making its enemy unaware of its presence. Its image can only be detected at short range. At the range that it will presumably acquired by the enemy, the makers of the Stingray have assumed that the craft can attack its enemy with greater efficiency compared to them. And in the cases that both target and the attacker fire with each other in exchange at close range, the target will suffer most hit. The probability of hitting the Stingray moving at high speed on the near surface has yet to be tested and proven. Most of the anti-ship missiles hit its target because the ships are lumbering targets and they are bigger to be acquired by the missiles’ sensor. The Stingray is very different from those common sea crafts. It is stealthy and it can dash at high speed in escape by hugging the water. All these capabilities made the Stingray an elusive target but a potent attacker.
The Stingray slowly emerged from its hardened concrete hangar. All eyes were trained on it. The spectators looked at the craft with admirations. Its poise was superb to them as the light flooded the entranced of the structure as well as the driveway leading to the runways of the South Sea Fleet base. For the first time the Stingray was revealed outside the confines of few individuals who made the Stingray. Now the flying boat was exposed to different individuals but its secrecy will be preserved for these selected persons came from the high hierarchy of the PLA organizations representing various commands. The Stingray followed the path toward the common runway in slow pace. When it entered into the runway it accelerated as the spectators glued their eyes in silent applause. Upon seeing how it performs. As the Stingray accelerated, slowly it lifted its body, barely touching the ground now. It retracted its wheels in orderly fashion as its enormous wings angled to a