China deploys law-enforcement vessel to newly built island in South China Sea

Vantor imagery shows a Zhaohan-class patrol ship at the 680 m berth in Antelope Reef. (Satellite image © 2026 Vantor/© 2026 Janes)

Latest satellite imagery indicates that China has deployed a law-enforcement vessel to the new island built on Antelope Reef in the Paracel Islands group in the South China Sea.

Janes analysis of the imagery also suggests that the large-scale dredging operations that initiated the island's creation have concluded.

Together, these developments provide the clearest indication yet that the feature is transitioning from a construction site into an operational outpost for Chinese forces.

Imagery collected on 8 July shows a large patrol vessel moored alongside a newly completed 680 m berth on the western side of the artificial island.

Based on its visible characteristics, Janes assesses the vessel to be a 3,000-tonne law-enforcement ship operated by Sansha City, the Chinese administrative entity responsible for overseeing Beijing's claimed territories in the South China Sea.

The Zhaohan-class patrol vessel, referred to by the Chinese government as Sansha Zhifa 301, is about 135 m long and can embark a helicopter on its flight deck.

China regularly deploys the vessel on maritime patrols in waters it claims in the South China Sea.

The vessel's presence is notable because it represents the first known deployment of a government-operated law-enforcement vessel to the feature since reclamation began.

At the same time, no dredgers, floating pipelines, spoil discharge areas, or other obvious indicators of active reclamation activity can be seen in the latest imagery, suggesting that the principal land-creation phase has either been completed or is nearing completion.

The latest imagery reveals a significantly transformed landscape compared with imagery analysed by Janes in January 2026.