the last message from the vessel that radioed that they are sinking now and needed help. The crews of the hydrofoil BRP Basilan were also stunned upon hearing their messages. All of a sudden, without any sign of its approached something attacked the corvette at short range. They knew that it could not be a submarine; the active lashing of their sonar produced nothing. They hinted out that it might be an advance bottom dwelling mines that hit the corvette. The hydrofoil took caution as it headed toward the scene to rescue its survivors.
The helicopter was now in hot pursuit, to avenge the attack on their corvette, reached the area where the contact was pointed by the corvettes sonar but it found nothing. The Stingray had scampered away at high speed before they arrived. Darkness masked its escape from enemies’ eyes that were scanning the surroundings for targets. The Stingray simple vanished on the horizon.
6. POSITIONING
War didn’t prosper after the first confrontational clash of both opposing claimants, China and the Philippines. There was ongoing dialogue sponsored by the ASEAN hoping to find a solution to the ongoing dispute. The Philippine armed forces is weak, so the Filipino strategists believed that being weak, they must be holed-in deep in their hardened fortifications of their islands and wait for the invading forces to land on their shore before engaging in a frontal clash. In this scenario the Filipino strategist believed that the advantages were on them. They were secured and protected while the invaders were exposed. In order to weaken the strength of the invaders, the strategists call for a surgical strikes against valuable assets of the enemy and then evade, avoiding a direct confrontation which is suicidal because the might of the enemy is overwhelming. And when the war stretched for a longer period, the strategists will pressure the United States of America to take side with the Philippines invoking their Mutual Defense Treaty of 1951.
Typhoon Shield calls for a layered defense of the Philippine held Kalayaan Group of Islands by means of combined surgical air strikes with naval confrontation in limited scale against the invading force. The solid defense of the islands lies on the fortifications boosted by artilleries in hardened bunkers. Planned air attack against the invasion force has added significant advantage in the defense of the Kalayaan Group because the defensive air cover of the invading force is inadequate due to the lack of nearby airbase to support the operation. The nearest airbase of China in the area is on Paracel Island. The airbase on the island could not project any air power against the lowly enemy because the distance is a great obstacle to be overwhelmed. The Philippine advantage lies in the proximity of its bases to the Spratly area, which are the naval and air bases on the Palawan island, just two hundred miles away.
The United States of America is an ally of the Republic of the Philippines bounded by their Mutual Defense Treaty of 1951. The treaty calls for the U.S. to defend the Philippines if its metropolitan territory is invaded. But in the case of Chinese invasion of the Philippine claimed Kalayaan Group, the treaty does not put automatically the U.S forces to defend the Philippines because the U.S. government does not recognized the claim of the Philippines over the Kalayaan Group. Although the U.S. does not yet enter the conflict directly, still she supplied the Philippine armed forces with vital information, military intelligence and updated satellite data monitoring the enemy’s movements. Sharing of military intelligence information is stipulated in the treaty. Based on this supplied information of the Americans the Filipino strategists had managed to put up a credible defense plan against the invading force.
General Bane stared at the two big maps imposed on the plexi-glass and colored coded. One map shows South China Sea that encompasses the South China provinces and the Palawan Island of the Philippines. The other map shows only the Spratly; its islands, islets, sand cays shoals as well as large coral reef formations stetted in varying depths. Two days ago, he attended the National Security Council meeting held in Malacanang informing them the declaration of war against China and the reserved behavior of their ally, the United States of America.
A U.S. supplied information showed that there were conspicuous naval activities on their major base in Shanjiang that can only be interpreted that they are readying for a massive military confrontation. On their airbases also on Hainan and Paracel islands indicate that they are engaging in preparatory activities related to a major war scenario.
Although, there was no solid assurance from the U.S. government to back-up the Philippines in her defense of the Kalayaan Island Group, the government of the Republic of the Philippines declared war against the most powerful country in the region.
General Bane led the command of the combat operation called Typhoon Shield. After the strategy for the defense had been drafted and approved for implementation, General Bane now possessed the full authority to command the combined land, air and naval forces involved in the defense of the Kalayaan Island Group territory. Situated in one of the underground rooms buried underneath of Pag-asa Island is the heart of the communication of the operation called Typhoon Shield. The room is called Combat Operation Center. There’s a large display console at the room that was linked to various computers and signal processors that control search radar and radars that direct the different weapon systems. It has also communication links with the other islands, the bases in Pzlzwzn as well as their naval assets in the sera. The Combat Operation Center has also direct link and has authority over aircrafts involved in the operation. Inside the room, display monitors crammed the place. Each of it was vigilantly attended by single operator
“Officer,” said General Bane. “I want our patrol aircraft to verify the information furnished by the U.S. satellite stating that a powerful Chinese flotilla had sailed from their base with a direction heading toward the Kalayaan.
“Primer is the closest aircrafts relative to that area, Sir,” said the communication officer.
“Call Primer to head toward that direction,” ordered General Bane
The operator radioed the plane on their secured system.
“Calling Primer this is Seaside base,” radioed the operator.
Seaside is the call sign of the operation center on Pag-asa Island, the controlling agency of all the forces involved in the operation called Typhoon Shield, headed by General Bane.
“Go ahead, Seaside. This is Primer,” came the answer.
“State your posit. You have a new mission.”
“Two miles to orbit point, zero one six degrees east of Seaside.”
“Proceed to bearing two-eight-four from radius nine-zero. Verify the contact.
“Roger, Seaside.”
Primer is the call sign of F-27 maritime patrol aircraft assigned to patrol the northern zone. It is a propeller driven aircraft used extensively for the maritime reconnaissance. It carries search radar with a range of eighty miles and also carries FLIR detection system with a range of fifteen miles. The F-27 reached the area and detected the presence of the first flotilla at long range. The aircraft shadowed it at safe distance but when it was told by the base that enemy aircrafts were heading to its position the plane headed home.
The controlling agency in Pag-asa Island received the latest update from the U.S. regarding about the composition of the flotilla. They told their ally the Philippines, tht the Chinese flotilla consist of sixteen vessels of various types sailing in combative formation complete with air cover and heading toward the direction of Kalayaan Island Group.
The formation of the invading force was revealed to them by the U.S. intelligence. The group was led by one patrol boat of Jiangnan type, ahead of the flotilla by four miles. Following the patrol boat were three columns of mixed type of vessels. The center column was composed of two missile gunboats of the Hegu class, leading the group, and then followed by a frigate of Chengdu class. Then a Luda class destroyer followed, on its rear is the Jiangu class destroyer with two Shanghai class patrol boat followed its wake. The file stretched up to three miles in length. At the portside of the center column a mile away with a straight formation extending up
to two miles were composed of; two patrol boat, one frigate and one fast attack missile craft of Huangfen class. Between them and the center positioned a minesweeper boat. The third column on the starboard side of the center formation was composed of; a missile gunboat followed by two large hydrofoil patrol boat of Sichuan class. Logistic support vessel followed the flotilla on the rear, many miles away. Between the center and the third column a mine hunter vessel sailed alone
General Bane slumped on his seat upon reading the report. He knew that the flotilla’s force projection is dreadful. Its combined destructive power is awesome. He bowed his head and think deeply. The approaching invasion force is genuinely frightening to be confronted, a formidable force to contend with. Although they have already prepared as strategy to attack invading force using their naval forces, but based on the latest information of the U.S., confronting the flotilla frontally using their limited warships can be considered as a suicidal act. General Bane compared them to as motorcycle head-on collision with a big truck. Then he thought of the alternative plans that were already drafted. The aerial mining followed by an air assault is the best option.
General Bane reviewed the various data regarding about the nature of the underwater terrain of the area where the Chinese flotilla was heading. The compilations of data were gathered by their intelligence operatives that were combing the area for more than three years. This group had thoroughly studied and familiarized the underwater terrain of the surroundings. Based on the data gathered, it pointed that there is one specific area suited where to lay the mines, relative to the direction where the flotilla wiz’s heading. The mines must be laid on the deepwater passage est. of their Parola Island.
General Bane summoned Captain Salac, the head of the intelligence operating in the area, to hear a first hand account of their studies regarding to the nature of the underwater topography of the Spratly.
Captain Salac lectured the general about his findings.
“Forty miles northwest of our Parola, the coral formations restrict the navigable passage to its narrowest. The deepwater passage constrict to only five miles. This gap extended easterly. It is like a gate, five miles wide and twelve miles in length, before it slowly expands to become open water without any shallow parts. After twelve miles any types of ships can sail to any direction toward the heart of the Spratly without danger of being grounded,” told Captain Salac.
The two were discussing on the subject standing, facing a white board where the map was projected.
“Does the Chinese know this narrow gap?” asked by the general.
“I believed that they have no knowledge about this area, Sir. This gap was fully patrolled by our boat and no Chinese vessels had ever come nearer to this area,” told Captain Salac.
“Good. We will surprise them at this point. Aside from this, our enemy was fully convinced that we have no capability for aerial mining. “
The Philippine Air Force had modified four C-130 transport planes to accommodate and dispense aerial mines many years ago before the situation in the Spratly flared up. Added to these assets were the two amphibious planes also capable of aerial mining. These two types of aircrafts were a big help to the defense of the Kalayaan Island Group.
The coordinates of the area were furnished and the mission was implemented. Four C-130 planes together with the propeller-driven amphibious planes took-off from Puerto Princesa airport on Palawan. The flight was not escorted so as not to arouse suspicion that the planes were executing a