Vietnam has secretly installed new mobile rocket launchers in its administrated islands in the Spratlys group of islands in the disputed South China Sea, Reuters reported, citing inside sources.

Sources informed Reuters that intelligence information indicates that Vietnam has transported the launchers to the Spratly Islands in recent months. The launchers are still unarmed but can be made operational within a span of two or three days.     

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However, officials from the Vietnamese government have refused to confirm the information. Vietnam's Foreign Ministry said that this information is not accurate, without elaborating further.

Vietnam's Deputy Defense Minister told Reuters in June that the country has not installed such rocket in the Spratlys, but reserves the right to do so in self-defense.

Experts claim that Vietnam's secret move is aimed at countering China's recent buildup on its seven reclaimed islands in the Spratlys archipelago. Vietnam's military officials allegedly fear that China's recent aggressive build up has left the country's defense in the Spratlys increasingly vulnerable.   

Several Military analysts have described Vietnam's discreet move as the most significant military decision that Hanoi has made in the South China Sea in a decade. Hanoi's secret military operation comes barely a month after a verdict by the Hague-based arbitration court slammed China's sweeping claim over the South China Sea as illegal.

Vietnam along with several other countries have shown support for the arbitration court's verdict, calling on China to respect the ruling. However, the verdict has had no bearing on Beijing's control over the contested maritime territory, as the Chinese government has stated that it would not accept the verdict under any circumstance.

TagsVietnam, South China Sea, china, China and Vietnam, spratly islands