Multiple Chinese army ships have been spotted by the U.S. Coast Guard within the waters off Alaska, officers said in a news release on Wednesday.Â
Three vessels have been detected about 124 miles north of the Amchitka Pass within the Aleutian Islands, and a fourth ship was spotted about 84 miles north of the state’s Amukta Pass. The ships have been seen on Saturday and Sunday.Â
All 4 ships have been in worldwide waters, the Coast Guard stated, however have been contained in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone, which extends 200 nautical miles from the U.S. shoreline. In these areas, the United States has unique rights for exploring and utilizing marine sources.Â
All 4 ships “operated in accordance with international rules and norms,” in line with Rear Admiral Megan Dean, the Coast Guard district commander.Â
U.S. Coast Guard
When contacted by the Coast Guard to “ensure there were no disruptions to U.S. interests in the maritime environment around Alaska,” the Chinese vessels stated that they have been within the space for “freedom of navigation operations,” Dean stated.Â
The naval presence was tracked by the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Kimball, a 418-foot-long nationwide safety vessel that has previously conducted joint exercises within the Indo-Pacific area. The cutter is within the space as a part of Operation Frontier Sentinel, a Coast Guard train “designed to meet presence with presence when strategic competitors operate in and around U.S. waters,” in line with the company.Â
The Kimball monitored the entire Chinese vessels till they left the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone, officers stated, and the ship will proceed to patrol the zone.Â
Similar incidents have occurred lately. In September 2021 and September 2022, Coast Guard cutters within the space encountered Chinese floor motion teams, and in August 2023, the U.S. Navy sent four destroyers to the Alaskan coast after 11 Chinese and Russian warships have been spotted patrolling in worldwide waters inside the Exclusive Economic Zone.Â
