China holds secret military exercises along ballistic missile submarine route

China closed off areas of the Bohai Sea for unspecified military activities between July 2 and 4, according to U.S. officials.

Photo of an exercise aimed to test the ability of China's emergency agencies to protect the ocean environment, in the Bohai Sea off the Qinhuangdao coast, North China's Hebei Province, on June 5.

The PRC Maritime Safety Administration (Haishiju) of Liaoning Province issued a navigational warning June 30 about military exercises to be conducted in the northern part of the Bohai Sea.

The nature of the military activities was not disclosed.

However, the sea is known to be a major operating base for China's new ballistic missile submarines, which can fire JL-2 long-range missiles.

U.S. officials said China has set up an underwater monitoring system in the Bohai Sea, located off the northern Chinese coast, north of the Yellow Sea.

Additionally, China also has set up at least five long- and medium-range radar sites with over-the-horizon capability along its coast.

The sonar and radar are part of China's key strategic wartime goal of knocking out the

five or more aircraft carrier strike groups that would be rushed to the region near Taiwan in any future conflict. Those carrier battle groups are defended by submarines.

Note carefully, the Bohai Sea is adjacent to the area north of Qingdao.

Last year Google Earth aficionados ran into the below just northeast of Qingdao...

Clik pic for full res.... that's about 1/3 of the base

We have a lot of challenges