Top AFRICOM Commander Says Chinese Naval Base In Djibouti Is Now Large Enough To Support An Aircraft Carrier

Recent satellite images of #China's support & logistics base in #Djibouti show how development work has carried on at the site through #Covid19 with new #PLAN modifications taking shape in the horn of #Africa https://t.co/mdGsDJDRY2 pic.twitter.com/2yFlpXFJBs

— d-atis☠️ (@detresfa_) May 9, 2020

Chinese sailors watch a People’s LIberation Army Navy (PLAN) pull into Djibouti. Xinhua Photo 

 USNI News: AFRICOM: Chinese Naval Base in Africa Set to Support Aircraft Carriers 

A recently completed pier at the Chinese naval base near the entrance to the Red Sea is large enough to support an aircraft carrier, the top U.S. commander for Africa told lawmakers on Tuesday. 

Referring to the Chines naval base in Djibouti, U.S. Africa Commander Army Gen. Stephen Townsend told the House Armed Services Committee that the People’s Liberation Army was expanding its existing naval installation adjacent to a Chinese-owned commercial deep-water port and also seeking other military basing options elsewhere on the continent.  

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Update #1: China's base in Africa now big enough to host aircraft carriers, AFRICOM boss says -- Stars and Stripes  

Update #2: Why is the US concerned about China’s naval base in Djibouti? -- TRT  

WNU Editor: Not everything is rosy between China and Djibouti .... Djibouti-China marriage ‘slowly unravelling’ as investment project disappoints (France 24).

The Chinese Have Foritifed Their Base In Djibouti

With its multiple layers of defense, thick walls and corner towers the base in Djibouti resembles a medieval fortress or a fort along the Great Wall of China. H I Sutton

Forbes: The Chinese Navy’s Unusually Heavily Defended Fortress Near The Indian Ocean

The Chinese Navy is building a string of overseas bases. So far the largest and furthest afield is in Djibouti on the Horn of Africa. This strategically-located base appears ready to receive large warships, maybe even aircraft carriers. One aspect of the base is particularly interesting: It is a modern-day fortress built from scratch. If the Communist country was hoping to give off non-imperialist vibes as it expands its presence overseas, then it may have chosen the wrong architects.

And it is not just castle aesthetics, the base really is designed to be highly defendable on a scale rarely seen, even in war zones. Construction of the walls started in early 2016, and was substantially complete by spring 2017. The base has been built up since.

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WNU Editor: This is not a naval base. This is a fortress.

Satellite Images Show That Chinese Navy Is Expanding Its Base In Djibouti On The Horn Of Africa

Recent satellite images of #China's support & logistics base in #Djibouti show how development work has carried on at the site through #Covid19 with new #PLAN modifications taking shape in the horn of #Africa https://t.co/mdGsDJDRY2 pic.twitter.com/2yFlpXFJBs

— d-atis☠️ (@detresfa_) May 9, 2020

Forbes: Satellite Images Show That Chinese Navy Is Expanding Overseas Base

China’s navy, formally known as the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), has become more active in the Indian Ocean and Middle East. A cornerstone of its increasing reach is an overseas naval base in Djibouti on the Horn of Africa. Recent satellite images indicate that China is continuing work at the fortified Support Base there.

The images show that the pier is now substantially complete, so it should be able to accept ships soon. One image from March this year has been shared on Twitter by user @detresfa_, an open-source intelligence analyst. It shows an excavator working on the reclaimed land, a small but telling detail. Analysis suggests that this may be the start of a new quay or second large pier, significantly increasing the capacity of the base.

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WNU Editor: This is why Djibouti is permitting China to expand its military facilities on its territory (hint .... they owe a lot of money to China) .... China’s Engagement in Djibouti (Congressional Research Service).

Is The Next U.S. - China Military Flashpoint In Djibouti?

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Jared Keller, Task & Purpose: China Swallowed Islands In The South China Sea. Now It Wants To Eat Djibouti Like Groceries

The Chinese military has sent a clear message for the U.S. Navy in the South China Sea: Your FONOPs will not be fun ops. Now, it appears likely that China's aggressive naval ambitions may spread beyond its artificial islands to the country's nascent military presence in Africa.

Just two days after the Navy destroyer USS McCampbell sailed near islands disputed in the South China Sea, People's Liberation Army Navy officer Senior Capt. Zhang Junshe issued a stern warning that the United States would be to blame for any kinetic encounter between U.S. and PLAN vessels — the latest in a series of escalating encounters between the two navies that included a suggestion from another senior Chinese military officer that their vessels should attack U.S. Navy ships outright.

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WNU Editor: The "skirmishing" has already begun .... Pentagon: Two U.S. Airmen Injured By Chinese-Deployed Lasers In Djibouti (May 3, 2018).

A One Year Update On China's Base In Djibouti

Tyler Headley, The Diplomat: China’s Djibouti Base: A One Year Update

China’s first overseas military base provides an interesting test case for its global ambitions.

Since its construction, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Support Base in Djibouti has become an increasingly important outpost in the Horn of Africa. The base’s geostrategic location yields insights into China’s machinations for the region.

Roughly two years ago, China’s negotiations with Djibouti for the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) first overseas military base successfully concluded. On July 11, 2017, the PLAN deployed ships from the South Sea Fleet to officially open the base. The opening ceremony on August 1, 2017 was followed a month and a half later with live fire exercises

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WNU Editor: This is the model that China will use when making deals with other governments for a base on their territory.  And my impression is that this has been a Chinese foreign and military policy success.

Why Is China Testing A Laser At Their Military Base In Djibouti?

C4ISRNet: Who’s testing a laser in Djibouti?

Laser war is already here, and it might be so annoying it turns fatal. I am speaking not about directed energy weapons, the high-powered beams of light that most closely resemble the blasters and lasguns of science fiction. No, this is a simpler menace, one less about melting holes in objects and more on the side of blinding cameras and, occasionally, pilots.

The news in this particular case is a Notice to Airmen from the U.S. military, sent out April 14th and in effect until at least June 14th, warning pilots of a laser in use near China’s military base in Djibouti.

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Update #1: US warns pilots of laser attacks in Djibouti (Jane's 360)
Update #2: US Pilots Warned of Powerful Lasers Coming From Near China’s Djibouti Base (Sputnik)

WNU Editor: I am willing to bet that this laser (if it is there) will be used by the Chinese against aircaft/drones that may enter the "airspace" above its base.

China's Djibouti Militay Base Is Its Platform To Assert Its Geopolitical Ambitions In The Region

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South China Morning Post: China’s Djibouti military base: ‘logistics facility’, or platform for geopolitical ambitions overseas?

Official peacekeeping mission notwithstanding, new outpost has docking facilities that can handle most vessels in China’s naval fleet

Chinese troops at the country’s only overseas military base conducted their first live-fire exercises last week in Djibouti on the Horn of Africa, near some of the world’s busiest shipping routes.

Beijing has described its military outpost as a logistics facility for resupplying Chinese vessels on peacekeeping and humanitarian missions. But satellite imagery and unofficial reports show the base has military infrastructure, including barracks and storage and maintenance units, and docking facilities that can handle most vessels in its naval fleet.

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WNU Editor: China is heavily dependent on oil shipments from the Middle East. They need a naval base close-by that can provide the necessary logistics to resupply their ships. Most countries are reluctant to house the Chinese, but for Djibouti .... I guess the Chinese found their price.

China's New Military Base In Djibouti Is A 'Game-Changer' In The Middle East

David Rothkopf, The National: China has opened a military base in Djibouti. The geopolitics of the Middle East will never be the same again

Last week, China sent an unmistakable message that its role in the world is changing.

The world changed this past week in ways that it may take decades to fully appreciate. With the opening of its first overseas military base in Djibouti, China sent an unmistakable message that its role in the world is changing. The implications for the Middle East and Africa are immediate, but the larger message is that China is no longer pretending to be an inward-looking, exclusively Asian power.

Of course, that stance, one that dates back centuries in Chinese history, has largely been a fiction for decades. Since acquiring nuclear weapons in the 1960s and building an inter-continental ballistic missile capability that now includes submarines and land-based delivery systems and estimates exceeding more than 90 missiles capable of reaching the United States, the country has been a formidable global power for a long time.

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WNU Editor: China's economic and military presence in the Middle East is small when compared to the U.S. ..... but it is a sign that times are changing, and more to the point .... one can only imagine the presence that China will have ten years from now.

China Deploys Troops To Open Its First Overseas Military Base In Djibouti

Daily Mail: China sends troops to open its first overseas military base in Djibouti as Beijing claims the naval station could help it ensure global peace

* Ships departed from Zhanjiang in southern China for Djibouti on Tuesday
* State media has called it a landmark move that will help secure global peace
* China says the base will help with peacekeeping and humanitarian missions

Ships carrying Chinese military personnel have left for the country's first military base in Djibouti in the horn of Africa.

China began construction on the military base last year which they say aims to supply naval vessels taking part in peacekeeping and humanitarian missions off the coasts of Yemen and Somalia.

State-media has called it a landmark move that will increase China's ability to ensure global peace.

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More News On China Sending Troops To Open Its First Overseas Military Base In Djibouti

China sends troops to open first overseas military base in Djibouti -- Reuters
China ships troops to its first overseas base in Africa -- AFP
Djibouti: Chinese troops depart for first overseas military base -- BBC
China ships troops to Djibouti to set up first overseas base -- DW
China sends troops to Djibouti, establishes first overseas military base -- CNN
China sets up base in Djibouti -- Xinhuanet
China sends ships, troops to 1st overseas military base in Horn of Africa -- RT
China is shipping out troops to occupy its first overseas military base -- Quartz
China begins sending troops to its first overseas military base ever -- VICE News
China's First Overseas Military Base -- The Atlantic
Why Is China Setting Up a Military Base in Africa? -- Newsweek
Why Djibouti is strategically important for world military powers -- Indian Express
Beijing Explains Why China Needs Its First Overseas Military Base -- Sputnik