China has deployed the powerful HQ-9 air and missile defense system to Woody Island—also known as Yongxing—in the Parcel archipelago, marking a new level of escalation in Beijing's quest to control the South China Sea. The disputed island—which has been inhabited by about 1,000 Chinese citizens since 1956—is also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan.

The addition of the HQ-9—which was first reported by Fox News on February 17—would greatly increase the People's Liberation Army's air defense capabilities in the region. Like the Russian-made Almaz Antey S-300 air defense system, the HQ-9 has the ability to render vast swaths of territory into virtual no-fly zones. Only the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit stealth bomber can safely operate in the vicinity of an HQ-9 for any length of time.