A Coast Guard vessel collided with a Chinese guided missile cruiser, two different Chinese naval vessels and four Russian naval vessels, as well as a destroyer.
Anchorage, Alaska — A U.S. Coast Guard vessel on a routine patrol in the Bering Sea encountered a missile cruiser from China, U.S. officials said on Monday.
It turns out, however, that the cruiser is not alone, sailing about 86 miles (138 kilometers) north of Kiska Island, Alaska, on September 19.
The patrol boat, commonly referred to as the “Kimball,” was later found to have two different Chinese naval vessels and four Russian naval vessels, as well as a destroyer, all in a formation.
Honolulu-based Kimball, a 400-foot (127-meter) boat, has gained attention as ships break formation and spread out. A C-130 Hercules provides air assistance to Kimball from the Coast Guard station in Kodiak.
“While the formation operates in accordance with global guidelines and norms, we will match presence to presence to ensure that it does not interfere with the U.S. pursuit in the waters surrounding Alaska,” said Rear Admiral Nathan Moore, 17th Coast Guard District .
The Coast Guard said the “Operation Border Sentinel” insurance policy is titled assembling “Presence and Presence” when strategic competitors operate in and around U.S. waters.
Kimball will continue to observe the field.
The Coast Guard did not immediately respond to media questions about the incident.
The arrival of the Chinese-Russian formation comes a month after NATO Secretary General Norjens Stoltenberg warned of China’s Arctic curiosity and the build-up of Russian troops in the Arctic.
Stoltenberg said Russia has created a brand new Arctic command and opened a slew of recent and former Soviet-era Arctic military sites, as well as deep-sea ports and airports.
He said China had declared itself a “near-Arctic” country and planned to build the world’s largest icebreaker.
“Beijing and Moscow have also committed to strengthening reasonable cooperation in the Arctic. This is part of a deepening strategic partnership that challenges our values and aspirations,” Stoltenberg said while traveling to northern Canada.
This is not the first time a Chinese naval vessel has sailed close to Alaska waters. In September 2021, Coast Guard speedboats encountered Chinese vessels in the Bering Sea and North Pacific Ocean, about 80 kilometers from the Aleutian Islands.
Coast Guard patrols spot Chinese and Russian navy ships off Alaska