The U.S. Coast Guard encountered four People’s Republic of China military ships in the Bering Sea on Saturday and Sunday.
The crew of U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Kimball detected three Chinese vessels approximately 124 miles north of the Amchitka Pass in the Aleutian Islands, and an HC-130J aircrew from U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak detected an another Chinese vessel approximately 84 miles north of the Amukta Pass.
On Sunday, word of the Chinese vessels began appearing on social media, but the Coast Guard had no comment at the time.
All four of the People’s Republic of China vessels were transiting in international waters but still inside the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone, which extends 200 nautical miles from the U.S. shoreline.
“The Chinese naval presence operated in accordance with international rules and norms,” said Rear Adm. Megan Dean, Seventeenth Coast Guard District commander. “We met presence with presence to ensure there were no disruptions to U.S. interests in the maritime environment around Alaska.”
The Chinese vessels responded to U.S. Coast Guard radio communication and their stated purpose was “freedom of navigation operations.” Coast Guard cutter Kimball continued to monitor all ships until they transited south of the Aleutian Islands into the North Pacific Ocean. The Kimball continues to monitor activities in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone to ensure the safety of U.S. vessels and international commerce in the area.
The Coast Guard, in coordination with U.S. Northern Command, was fully aware of and tracked the Chinese naval presence, the Coast Guard said in a statement. In September of 2021 and 2022, Coast Guard cutters deployed in the Bering Sea also encountered Chinese surface action groups. There were also several Chinese and Russian ships spotted in 2023.
The Kimball patrolled under Operation Frontier Sentinel, a Coast Guard operation designed to meet presence with presence when strategic competitors operate in and around U.S. waters. The U.S Coast Guard’s presence strengthens the international rules-based order and promotes the conduct of operations in a manner that follows international norms.
Coast Guard Cutter Kimball is a 418-foot legend class national security cutter homeported in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Sen. Dan Sullivan spoke about the matter on Thursday, after being briefed by the Commandant of the Coast Guard.
“I applaud the Coast Guard for sending an aircraft and a National Security Cutter to track this naval task force. Our military needs to be ready for increasing Chinese, and joint Chinese and Russian military activity near Alaska’s coast,” Sullivan said.
He also met Wednesday with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Charles Brown and raised the issue of “how America must be much more prepared for the increasing activity in the Arctic, and to also let Alaskans know that our military is on the job protecting our state and our country,” Sullivan said.
