The US has sent a spy plane to Singapore in its latest response to China's growing military presence in the South China Sea, according to reports.

The US and Singapore announced on Monday that the surveillance plane -- a P-8 Poseidon -- is already on an inaugual deployment to the city-state and plans are under way for the US to base another reconnaisance plane in Singapore's Paya Lebar Airbase.  

Like Us on Facebook

The deployment of the P8 Poseidon marks the first time the US has sent surveillance aircraft to Singapore.  

The joint statement was issued in Washington after a meeting on Monday between US Secretary of Defense Ash Carter and Singaporean Minster of Defense Ng Eng Hen.  The two countries say the plane will be used to facilitate joint exercises and could help with disaster relief and maritime security efforts.  

In addition to the P8's deployment, Washington says it will be operating another military plane from Singapore for the foreseeable future, rotating the P8 with a P3 Orion on a quarterly basis.

Many analysts see the move as a strengthening of the alliance between the two nations amid heightening tensions over China's military expansion in the surrounding seas. China is laying claim to almost all of the South China Sea.  Beijing is consequently trying to manage separate disputes with the Philippines, Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia and Taiwan, each of which have overlapping claims on the waters.  

Singapore does not have claims on the disputed waters, but has in the past expressed concern over China's current land reclamation policies. 

China has criticized Washington's latest move in the region, saying that the deployment of the spy plane is a step toward a further militarization of the disputed waters.

"I think this kind of increase in military deployment by the United States and pushing regional militarization does not accord with the joint long-term interests of the countries in the region," Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a daily press briefing. She said China believes that Singapore, like other countries in the region, wants to see a peaceful and prosperous Southeast Asia.

The US and Singapore have long-standing defense ties.  The deployment of the spy plane forms part of a recent enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement signed by the two countries.

The Boeing P8 Poseidon is primarily a maritime surveillance aircraft, but is capable of carrying a payload of torpedoes, depth charges and anti-ship missiles.

TagsUS, P8 Poseidon, spy plane, US Spy Plane Singapore