Philippine reconnaissance aircraft flew over Mischief Reef, capturing a large number of 054A frigates docked in the port, causing an immediate drop in morale in the cabin!
On February 21, a Philippine government aircraft came to hover over our Mischief Reef, originally intending to take some "material" back to report. However, when the camera focused, the scene was shocking: a row of 054A missile frigates were neatly moored on the wharf, with two 22-type stealth missile boats waiting nearby. From the video, one can sense that at that moment, both the pilot and the journalist fell silent.
On January 21, 2026, the Philippines unilaterally established a 70-day military exercise zone around Huangyan Island, which remained under navigation ban until March 31. The closest point of the exercise area was only 9 nautical miles from Huangyan Island, clearly testing China's bottom line. From February 2 to 6, the US and the Philippines also conducted a "joint aerial patrol," with the Philippine Air Force FA-50H escorting the US B-52H strategic bomber simulating live-fire drops. During the same period, the Philippine Coast Guard also sent reconnaissance aircraft into the airspace over Huangyan Island, coming into confrontation with the 054A frigates and the Air Force Su-30MKK fighters.
However, on the Chinese side, there are nearly 50 054A frigates alone, not to mention the 055 million-ton destroyers, 052D destroyers, and aircraft carrier battle groups. These fleets have been on regular patrols here, and the island reef bases have formed a system. Yongshu Reef, Zhuyu Reef, and Mischief Reef form a triangle, with long supply lines but already normalized.
The Philippine Navy? Its main force is just several frigates, and its air force has only 12 FA-50 aircraft. In the first half of 2025, the Philippines sent 30 personnel, totaling 211 people, to illegally land on unoccupied reefs such as Tie Xian Reef, making quite a few moves, but all were minor skirmishes. If it really comes down to a serious confrontation, during the standoff on February 6, the Philippine reconnaissance aircraft received 28 radio warnings from the Chinese navy, but finally still withdrew.
This footage captured at Mischief Reef essentially visualizes this disparity - you send a single reconnaissance aircraft to secretly take photos, while I directly have a group of major warships openly docked there for you to photograph. This visual impact is more effective than any diplomatic rhetoric. The Philippines' strategy of relying on the US to contain China has limited effectiveness. The US indeed is willing to support the Philippines, even sending the B-52 to show off muscle, but when it really comes down to a critical moment, will the US military risk a direct confrontation with China for the Philippines? This remains uncertain. After the February 10 Sino-Philippine talks, the Philippine side softened its stance, which itself shows that Manila knows what's what.
In the future, the pattern of fighting and talking will be the norm. But one thing is becoming increasingly clear - time is on China's side. The reefs are there, the fleets are there, and the infrastructure is there - these are all tangible things. A single flight of a reconnaissance aircraft can capture what? It can capture the current situation, but not the changes. As Dao Ge thinks, ultimately, it's all about strength.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1857884801973571/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.