Footage released earlier this week appears to show a United States destroyer shadowing Russian and Chinese naval vessels during their joint patrol in the central Pacific Ocean.
As part of the U.S. Navy‘s normal daily operations, “we closely track all vessels in the area of operations” to ensure the security and stability of the region alongside allies and partners, a Department of Navy spokesperson said in a statement to Newsweek on Wednesday.
Russia‘s defense and foreign ministries did not immediately respond to a written request for comment. Newsweek has also contacted China‘s Foreign Ministry for comment via email.
Why It Matters
Russia and China maintain a so-called partnership “without limitations or taboos” as part of their efforts to counter the U.S. and its allies in Europe and the Indo-Pacific region. Moscow and Beijing have deepened their military ties in recent years by conducting joint exercises and patrols, with the most recent naval maneuvers held earlier this month in the Pacific.
Facing the combined presence of the Russian and Chinese militaries in the North Pacific, including deployments of strategic bombers and naval vessels, the U.S. has bolstered its defense posture in Alaska, recently sending a destroyer to the Aleutian Islands as part of what the Navy described as “routine operations” in support of maritime homeland defense.
What To Know
Citing the Russian Pacific Fleet, the state-run Tass news agency reported on Monday that Russia and China concluded a joint naval patrol in the Asia-Pacific region, during which their vessels conducted anti-submarine drills with helicopters in the central Pacific Ocean.
In a video released by the Tass, an unidentified warship can be seen in the background as a helicopter flies over the ocean’s surface. Based on the warship’s silhouette, it is likely an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer operated by the U.S. Navy.
Russia’s Pacific Fleet
When asked for comment, a Department of Navy spokesperson said the service tracks all vessels in the area of operations using patrol aircraft, surface ships, and joint capabilities, protecting the security, freedom and prosperity of the U.S. and its allies and partners.
The exact location of the encounter at sea remains unknown. It was not immediately clear how far the Russia-China joint patrol—which covered more than 6,904 miles—reached in the central Pacific Ocean following its departure from Vladivostok in Russia’s Far East.
Participating vessels in the patrol were the Chinese destroyer CNS Shaoxing and the supply ship CNS Qiandaohu, as well as the Russian destroyer Admiral Tributs. They reached Avacha Bay in Russia’s Far East as a stopover during the patrol, as reported on August 12.
Avacha Bay is approximately 575 miles from Attu Island, the westernmost island in the Aleutian Islands chain. It is likely that the Russian and Chinese naval ships then proceeded south toward the area the Russian Navy described as the central Pacific Ocean for patrol.
The Russian Pacific Fleet also revealed on Wednesday that it and China had carried out their first-ever joint patrol with diesel-electric submarines in the Asia-Pacific region earlier this month.
Chinese Navy
What People Are Saying
Russia’s Tass news agency reported on Monday: “The main objectives of the fifth joint Russian-Chinese patrol are to strengthen naval cooperation between the two countries, maintain peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region, monitor maritime waters, and protect Russia’s and China’s maritime economic activities.”
Senior Colonel Jiang Bin, spokesperson for China’s Defense Ministry, said on August 8: “China and Russia adhere to the principles of non-alliance, non-confrontation, and not targeting any third party in developing bilateral and military relations, and jointly play an important role in safeguarding international and regional peace and stability.”
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen whether Russia and China will conduct another joint military patrol by the end of the year, including sending aircraft to international airspace near Alaska.
