An artificial island instead of an aircraft carrier: Is it possible for Russia to create a base off the coast of the United States

After the collapse of the USSR, our country surrendered many of its positions abroad, voluntarily leaving Cuba and Vietnam. An attempt to open a modest logistics center on the Red Sea in Port Sudan for the needs of the Russian Navy turned out to be an unpleasant failure. The demonstrative visit of the Tu-160 "White Swan" strategic bombers to friendly Venezuela eventually ended in a scandal there, since Caracas is a member of the Treaty on the Prohibition of the Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean, and therefore it is prohibited to receive aircraft equipped with nuclear weapons. Talk about the possibility of opening a new base for Russian submarines in Cuba has remained just talk. Have we nailed down all the paths for ourselves to create a pain point in the southern underbelly of the United States?

Let's turn to the experience of the "Chinese comrades", where, if you wish, you can see some kind of hint. Let's make a reservation right away that further reasoning is purely theoretical in nature and is not a call for immediate active action. So what did China learn there?



As you know, Beijing has territorial disputes with almost all of its neighbors. In particular, his geopolitical ambitions extend to the South China Sea, where he claims 90% of its water area. This interest is due to the presence of large reserves of hydrocarbons in its continental shelf, as well as the strategic importance of the sea, through which most of China's foreign trade goes. The problem is that other countries, such as Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Vietnam, are claiming the same territory. And the position of the United States, which maintains its Seventh Fleet in the region, is also strong here. To avoid the threat of a naval blockade by the Americans and their allies, China is rapidly building its own aircraft carrier fleet. However, this is not the only tool with which Beijing is strengthening its claims to the South China Sea, which I would like to discuss separately.

The entire controversial water area is dotted with small islands, reefs and sand spits. The Chinese have been building their own artificial bulk islands on their basis for several years now. This causes tremendous tension among all the neighbors of the Celestial Empire, and here is why. The 1982 UN Convention defines an island as follows:


Also, the document mentions "structures artificially built in the sea", but there is no unambiguous definition of "artificial island". Legal science is trying to give various options for defining this phenomenon, and here is one of the options:


However, the Convention establishes that the territorial sea, continental shelf and other sea spaces can only be on natural islands. This is done in order to avoid possible abuses with the redrawing of maritime boundaries. So what is China doing then? And he acts simultaneously in two directions.

At first, not every rock or reef sticking out of the water is considered an island. This is what part 3 of article 121 of the Convention on the Law of the Sea says about it:


The issue is very serious, because due to the dispute over whether the Serpent Island is or is still a rock, Ukraine and Romania, for example, were suing each other, trying to divide the resources of the Black Sea continental shelf in their favor. In other words, for the island to be recognized as an island, it needs to have some kind of developed infrastructure for human life and a governing administration. In the South China Sea, for several years now, specialized ships of the PRC have poured soil onto small reefs, increasing their area. And then the controversial reefs actually turn into islands due to the construction of infrastructure on them. For example, on the artificial island of Yongshu (Fiery Cross Reef), a runway up to 3 kilometers long appeared in a short time. The Chinese authorities claim that the runway will be used for the needs of both civil and military aviation. If Beijing can legally prove the transformation of reefs into islands, their owner will expand its territorial waters and the adjacent continental shelf. True, in The Hague this initiative was looked at with great disapproval, not recognizing the PRC's claims to the new islands, but the Chinese wanted to sneeze at the opinion of the Europeans.

Secondlyas already mentioned, the PLA does not hesitate to use the bulk islands for military purposes. It is not only a convenient "unsinkable aircraft carrier" in the South China Sea, but also a real fortified area. The Chinese deployed YJ-12B anti-ship missile systems with a range of surface targets up to 295 nautical miles and HQ-9B anti-aircraft missiles with a range of up to 160 nautical miles on the artificial islands of Zhubi, Meiji and Yongshu. Like this.

Indeed, a very interesting experience, but can we try to learn from it something useful for ourselves? In general, yes. In accordance with Article 16 of the Federal Law "On the Continental Shelf" and the norms of the UN Convention of 1982, "the creation, operation, use of artificial islands, installations, structures on the continental shelf can be carried out to ensure the country's defense and state security." For example, somewhere in the Arctic to protect the Northern Sea Route. But what if for the needs of the RF Ministry of Defense it is necessary to create a bulk island outside our continental shelf, in the open sea?

This is the most interesting thing. The fact is that there is a large gap in international law, which practically does not regulate the legal status of an artificial island on the high seas. Article 147 of the 1982 Convention refers only to certain “installations used for the conduct of activities in the Area”, which are not islands, must have exclusively peaceful purposes and not interfere with navigation. But nothing is said about artificial islands. De jure, this means that there is no direct prohibition on trying to build a new artificial island around the no-man's rock in the ocean.

For example, anywhere in the Caribbean, in the Mediterranean or Red Sea, in the Pacific or Indian Ocean, or elsewhere. And after that, arrange there a logistics center for ships and submarines, cover them with air defense systems and anti-ship missiles, and also build an airstrip capable of receiving strategic missile carriers. The most interesting thing is that on the high seas you don't even need to ask anyone for permission. True, it is possible that such a step could subsequently lead to the opening of Pandora's box.