Thread by @tshugart3

Big news (IMO) for SCS watchers: after a couple of years of (AFAIK) no new Google Earth SCS island imagery updates, we just got a bunch of new material (up to 12/2018) for the PRC island bases, Scarborough Shoal, Woody Island, etc. For starters, here's Subi Reef as of 12/2018.

To see this imagery, you'll need the desktop Google Earth app, as Google Maps is still showing what I think was the latest previous imagery, 4/2016 (1st image). With the desktop app, you can use the date slider bar to pull up the latest stuff - what I've found is through 12/2018.

Here's a great new image of the much-discussed retractable roof buildings, along with a point air-defense tower (left).

Here's a shot of a whole bunch of smaller (fighter-size) and larger hangars, as well as other support structures then (2016) and now (12/2018).

Back to where it all started - here's the original Subi Reef structure in 2015, 2016, and 2018.

Here's a great shot of Subi's now-buried hardened underground fuel/water tanks, shown in 2016 and then 2018.

Off to Mischief Reef: here it is in 4/2016 and then 12/2018.

Another then-and-now for hardened fuel and water tanks, this time at Mischief Reef. Look at the scale - that array of tanks is thousands of feet long.

More retractable-roof buildings and air defense towers on Mischief Reef. But hey, these are mostly civilian-supporting facilities, right? 🤨

Here's a set of concrete pads sized for what I imagine will be something like a SAM battery or the like. And what-do-you-know, there are military vehicles parked on them. Any guesses as to what they might be?

Off to Fiery Cross Reef: here it is in 2016 and then 2018.

Here's the site of an antenna farm, air defense tower, and an unknown taller building with a parking ramp (there's one of these on each island), in 2016/2018.

And more of the like, same island.

Small and large hangars, support buildings, etc., on Fiery Cross in 2016 and then 2018.

Multi-story barracks, what I'm guessing are senior officer quarters (with a recreational pool, lower left), etc., then and now.

And folks, anyone can go look at this. Just download Google Earth and take a look, for free. You're welcome. 😁
google.com/earth/versions/

As for the speculation that, hey, maybe China removed the SAM batteries that they deployed to Woody Island... cnn.com/2018/06/06/asi…

...well, it looks like they still have SOMETHING under tarps on that same beach. I'd put my money on something other than beach chairs, Hobie cats, etc. (imagery dtd 11/12/2018)

And where Woody Island used to have under-construction facilities (2016) it now (2018) looks like they're hardened, buried tanks, storage buildings, etc.

Would you like to know more?
warontherocks.com/2016/09/chinas…

Also: as always, all opinions my own - and this is just me posting free, commercially-available imagery I stumbled onto on a Friday night...