Strikepods to Monitor SCS Gliders

The following is a work of speculative fiction, or FICINT (fiction intelligence).

Operation Eminent Shadow has been expanded to cover a broader area of the South China Sea.

In the largest sortie of Atom-class microsubmarines to date, twelve three-ship Strikepods have been deployed to locations in the South China Sea on a mission to monitor Chinese Haiyi ("Sea Wing") gliders.

• In July of this year, twelve Haiyis were deployed by the Chinese government from the research vessel Kexue on a hydrographic survey mission in various areas of the South China Sea.

• The scientific utility of the Haiyi is significant, but more significant still is its potential as a highly effective A2AD platform to detect and deter enemy undersea craft. (China claims that data is transmitted to the lab in real time, suggesting a breakthrough in undersea data transmission.)

• Despite its stated mission, we believe that Haiyis are already being used for ASW purposes, and in the event of an outbreak of hostilities, a networked system of twelve independently operating gliders could present a serious threat to U.S. submarines operating in the region.

• Once located, Strikepods will maintain round-the-clock surveillance of the Haiyis, providing intelligence on their location, and, should the need arise, are fully prepared to neutralize them.

[End]
Strikepod Command