Pentagon sails destroyer near disputed island in South China Sea.
Fox News is reporting USS Stethem, DDG 63, forward-deployed to Yokosuka, Japan, is conducting routine operations in the South China Sea. With a Chinese warship in trail, USS Stethem sailed within 12 nautical miles of Triton Island, part of the Parcel Islands located between China and Viet Nam.
Occupied by China, but also claimed by Taiwan and Viet Nam, an unnamed defense official said that sailing inside the 12 mile limit challenged all three countries, and sends the message that the United States does not recognize their claims.
This is the second Freedom of Navigation Operation, or FONOPS, mission carried out by the Trump administration, the previous one conducted last October, with the intent that they become routine. The Obama administration conducted similar operations.
Lt. Cmdr. Matt Knight, a spokesman for the U.S. Pacific Fleet, would not confirm the operation but said in a statement to Fox News, “We conduct routine and regular FONOPs, as we have done in the past and will continue to do in the future.”
Last May USS Dewey, DDG 105, sailed within about six nautical miles from Mischief Reef, one of China’s man-made islands in the South China sea, and conducted man overboard drills. This signaled China that the US does not recognize its claim to the reef, one of seven China has turned into artificial islands.
“Fake islands should not be believed by real people,” said the head of the U.S. Pacific Command, Admiral Harry Harris, in a speech Wednesday in Brisbane, where the United States is participating in the largest ever joint military exercise with Australia, aimed in part to send a message to Beijing.
China claims most of the South China Sea, where more than $5 trillion of commerce passes through each year.
Category: Navy
We need a full blown multinational naval exercise…once a month until the PRC gets the message that the SCS ain’t their lake.
Sun’s out Guns out baybee!
Boooooooooooooooooooooooooooom!
Fit name for a warship.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Stethem
I remember that incident.
Yes, it is a fitting name.
Absolutely. AND, the following:
“On August 24, 2010, in Yokosuka, Japan, on board the ship named after him – the USS Stethem (DDG-63) – Stethem was made an honorary Master Chief Constructionman (CUCM) by order of the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy.”
A REAL Honorary promotion to CPO, SCPO or MCPO by the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy. As far as I know, the MCPON is the only person authorized to promote a Sailor to Honorary CPO, SCPO or MCPO.
I stand to be corrected if I am wrong.
China? More like Chai-nah….
https://youtu.be/6YMPAH67f4o
Is it too soon or can we make jokes of destroyers and container cargo ships?
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/07/03/535370789/china-calls-u-s-destroyer-in-south-china-sea-a-provocation
‘China Calls U.S. Destroyer In South China Sea A ‘Provocation’
Got their attention, just as intended.