Over the last 10 to 12 years, the People's Liberation Army Air Force increased their duration, range, and number of routine military aircraft flights offshore, away from the mainland and into places like the waterways and seas of Asia. China wanted to maintain a permanent and constant presence in locations like the East China Sea, the Pacific and Indian Oceans, and routinely conducted military exercises with the aggressive backing of senior military and political leadership. The constant expeditionary war games and assessments of potential island bases in the South China Sea was just the very beginning in their Strategic Plan.
The location of the island chains in the South China Sea, combined with China's extensive and lengthy history in the world and long-term strategic plans on expansion, were all part of their combined Army, Navy, and Air Force Strategy. The strategy that Lieutenant General He Chen was attempting to execute incorporated exercises and operations beyond their first island chain. The South China Sea was the perfect area to build up a man-made island and construct an airstrip. Ever since 1933 when China sent a warship to the region to signal a protest against a French annexation, the minuscule islands were first described as tiny coral reefs. Without skipping a beat, China would continue their aggressive stance on the tiny coral reefs, announcing it was theirs to claim. And geography wise, it was excellent reach and capability for all their ships and aircraft. Their combat capabilities into these waters allowed China to reach out and touch someone.
Lieutenant General He Chen wanted more though, and considered the words and guidance of his former leader, Chairman Mao Tse Tung. Chen never forgot reading about Mao’s 1949 island campaign guidance to the Chinese Communist Party on the future of China. Mao told them to first have the Party stay in power. Second, they should expand the country’s economy and trade. Lastly, have a strong defense and military. For the last 50-plus years, this was exactly what the Party worked on.
What China had in their possession due to geography were rare earth elements, and because of the rise in high technology such as smart phones and electric cars, the world demand was high. And with all the rare earth elements and metals that China had embedded in her rich soil and rock, it only solidified China into a dominant powerhouse on all three areas of Mao’s guidance. Ha! Chen thought, even the Americans were caught off guard! They were consumed with terrorism and humanitarian assistance and the Iraq War, and we came in through the front door. Chen was referring to the demand that China served, while the United States paid no attention over time. Chen even wrote in his People’s Liberation Army National Defense University graduate paper in Beijing, republishing a quote that the “The Middle East has oil, China has rare earth elements!” How foolish are the Americans that we, as China, continue to trade and make enormous yuan off our sales….we use their prized ideas and concepts for OUR military! They even pay us for a half a ton of rare earth elements for each copy of their expensive F-35’s!
Chen, ever a future planner, had his own strategy to support the Party and the military, though. A personal strategy within a strategy. What good was it to have an airstrip on an island, if you didn’t have something to fly off of it? he thought. Which was what led him to pursue the stealth bomber plans from the United States using a great tool in his toolbox: cyber. As soon as he got his hands on those stealth plans, he was lathered up into a frenzy of activity. His science and technology team revised the plans, worked on it day and night, and modified the original intent of the American’s technology. Chen and his team designed and made something unusual, as well as distinct.
He Chen established the goals and training requirements for the new aircraft to reach out beyond their borders. Chen’s newly hatched stealth jet was the Service’s secret quarterback. While other countries could see the airstrip being built, and the plethora of activity around it, the diversion of the island would take the United States’ eye off the ball. Their intelligence and military machines would focus on the airstrip, all while China built one of the best flying machines in history. The deception plan was perfect.
Lieutenant General Chen worked with the senior military leadership, in addition to the political leadership, for funding to expand this reach with the new stealth bomber, built in near complete secrecy. There were, certainly, a few senior members both in uniform and in the political arena that knew she was being built, but most had no idea the Devil Dragon even existed. A few Admirals were getting their credit for increased patrols, building Neptune, and perceived standoffs with the U.S. in the South China Sea, and the fighter Generals were getting their J-31 spotlight… but now Chen wanted his turn. Chen wanted his accolades for his work. Chen thought it was his turn to shine.
Chen planned aggressive testing with a flight schedule that was hard for the aviation support team to keep up with. The demanding General, like many General and Flag officers, was a force not to reckon with. Chen wanted it his way, so that his Air Force was ready when the call came in. He wanted the jet to be able to provide the intelligence that was required for the rest of their military team, in addition to delivering precision weapons without anyone knowing they were coming. Chen wanted the aircraft project completed successfully as soon as possible… thinking, dreaming, planning… that this aircraft was his golden ticket. The golden ticket to either a fourth general officer star, or, a powerful senior political position. He chased both relentlessly, and his impatience was a sight to see.
Either way, the uniformed and political leadership wanted to bring the powerhouse of China back to their original strong and global historical roots. They wanted to deter potential adversaries, and, at the right moment, let them know that the Chinese dragon was awake. Power, glory, empire. The Devil Dragon was their answer.
Jimmy Buffet’s ‘Son of a Son of a Sailor’ was blaring out of the speakers of Mark Savona’s 1957 red Chevrolet Bel Air Sport sedan as he sat in the light traffic flow on Highway 295 in the early morning. Driving from his one bedroom apartment in National Harbor, Maryland, above the Granite City Brewery, to his job just up the road, made the commute pretty easy when compared to other Washingtonians. He liked to get up about 4:00 AM and beat the heavy traffic on his way to DIA, achieving his goal of getting a good parking spot.
The Defense Intelligence Agency, known as the DIA, specializes in defense and military intelligence, and was located on Bolling Air Force Base in Washington, DC. The pre-World War II runways no longer held propeller driven naval aviation and Air Force aircraft on the intersection of the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers in DC, but now, buildings. Located in a large, seven story, blue-grey building, and the DIA Headquarters building stuck out from the other worn, red brick buildings of the Base. If you were to pass Bolling AFB from a boat on one of the DC Rivers, you would wonder what modern and innovative company owned and operated it from there.