Southern Theater Command Conducts Multiple Live-Combat-Oriented Exercise Subjects in the Territorial Sea, Territorial Airspace, and Surrounding Maritime and Air Domains of Huangyan Dao

南部战区位黄岩岛领海领空和周边海空域开展多个实战化科目演练

PLA Daily (解放军报) 1 August 2026

Summary

On August 1, the PLA Southern Theater Command conducted a joint naval-air exercise around Huangyan Dao (Scarborough Shoal) covering reconnaissance and early warning, deterrence patrol, maritime and air control, and joint strike under the rubric of 实战化科目 (live-combat-oriented subjects), explicitly testing naval-air coordination and 体系制胜 (system-of-systems victory) capabilities. The exercise is timed to Army Day and directly responds to the Philippines' recent unilateral declaration of territorial sea baselines around the shoal, which the statement explicitly rejects as illegal. The framing — combining operational subject categories with a legal-political assertion and a standing alert declaration — documents how the Southern Theater Command is using exercise announcements to contest Philippine administrative moves in near-real time, though the statement names no specific units, platforms, or force scale.

The Southern Theater Command explicitly named Huangyan Dao (Scarborough Shoal) as the exercise location and framed the operation around contesting Philippine-declared baselines, marking a notable escalation in PLA operational signaling at Scarborough Shoal and the most explicit PLA military exercise announcement tied directly to that feature in recent reporting.

Translation

On August 1, the People's Liberation Army Southern Theater Command organized a joint naval-air exercise and training operation in the territorial sea, territorial airspace, and surrounding maritime and air domains of Huangyan Dao, with a focus on live-combat-oriented subjects (实战化科目) including reconnaissance and early warning, deterrence patrol, maritime and air control, and joint strike. The exercise effectively tested the forces' capabilities in naval-air coordination, rapid support, and system-of-systems victory (体系制胜). Huangyan Dao is an inherent part of China's territory; the so-called 'territorial sea baselines' of Huangyan Dao unilaterally designated by the Philippine side are illegal and invalid. Theater Command forces will maintain a high state of alert at all times and resolutely defend national territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.

Original Chinese

8月1日，中国人民解放军南部战区位黄岩岛领海、领空和周边海空域组织海空联合演训，重点演练侦察预警、威慑巡航、海空管制、联合突击等实战化科目，有效检验了部队海空协同、快速支援和体系制胜能力。黄岩岛是中国固有领土，菲方划设所谓黄岩岛“领海基线”非法无效。战区部队时刻保持高度戒备，坚决捍卫国家领土主权和海洋权益。 On August 1, the PLA Southern Theater Command (STC) conducted a joint naval-air training exercise in the territorial sea and airspace of China’s Huangyan Dao and its surrounding areas. The exercise focuses on realistic training subjects such as reconnaissance and early warning, deterrence patrol, air-sea control, and joint strike. It effectively honed the troops’ naval-air coordination, rapid support and win-by-system capabilities. Huangyan Dao is an inherent part of China’s territory. The so-called territorial sea baselines of Huangyan Dao designated by the Philippine side are illegal and invalid. Forces of the STC will stay on high alert at all times and resolutely safeguard China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.