Sam Spade's San Francisco

The pictures, obtained by respected military magazine Jane’s Intelligence Review, have raised concerns that the Chinese have carved out a secret base straight out of the plot of a James Bond thriller.

In the photo: Telltale: A satellite view of Sanya reveals signs of a submarine base according to the Pentagon. Click on the image to enlarge in a separate window.

They show vast tunnel entrances that are thought to lead to huge caverns capable of hiding up to 20 nuclear submarines from spy satellites.

Sanya is a fast-developing holiday resort that has hosted the Miss World competition since 2003. It is on Hainan Island, which is about 160 miles from the coast of Vietnam.

Jane’s Intelligence Review says the base has implications “for China’s control of the South China Sea and the strategically vital straits in the area, and underlines Beijing’s desire to assert tighter control over this region”.

Resources:
Jane's Intelligence Review

Chinese Sub Sneaks Under USS Kitty Hawk! - story from Sam Spade's San Francisco
USS Kitty Hawk: official ship's website
No Song for Me - Chinese sub story from Sam Spade's San Francisco
Song S-20 Class Chinese Subamrines: GlobalSecurity.org
Chinese Song-class sub story from National Terror Alert
Visiting Sanya, Hainan Island, China
Global Sanya
Hainan Island travel guide
Chinese Submarine Fleet is Growing: article from the Herald-Times
Chinese Submarine Facts from Sinodefence.com
New Chinese Submarine from StrategyPage
World Navies Today: Chinese Submarines
website of the Commander, U.S. Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet
Chief of Naval operations, Submarine Warfare Division, US Navy
Submarine classes of the U.S. Navy
USS North Carolina (SSN 777) Nuclear Submarine Launched: Sam Spade's San Francisco
USS North Carolina (SSN 777)
U.S. Navy Jobs
U.S. Navy Submarine Facts
U.S. Navy Squadrons and Submarines
U.S. Fleet Forces Command


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