Warships from a joint China–Russia naval operation buzzed the coast of Alaska last week in what has been described as the biggest combined Russian–Chinese battle group to ever approach U.S. shores.
Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) said in an Aug. 5 statement that 11 Russian and Chinese warships operating together got close to the coast of Alaska, in what the lawmaker called “yet another reminder that we have entered a new era of authoritarian aggression led by the dictators of Beijing and Moscow.”
The lawmaker noted that last summer, a similar, although smaller scale operation occurred off the coast of Alaska.
He also said he was “heartened” to note that this latest incursion was met with a forceful response that sent a “strong message” to China and Russia that the United States “will not hesitate to protect and defend our vital national interests in Alaska.”
“Air and maritime assets under our commands conducted operations to assure the defense of the United States and Canada. The patrol remained in international waters and was not considered a threat,” the command said in a statement, according to the outlet.
‘Something Wicked This Way Comes’
Experts said the China–Russia operation was the largest ever to approach the U.S. coast.“Something wicked this way comes ...”
He echoed the view of the immense scale of the joint operation in an interview on Fox News.
“This is unprecedented in terms of the size and scope of this joint naval task force between Russia and China, working very closely together,” Mr. Sullivan told the outlet.
“Whether you live in Alaska like I do, or on the East Coast of the United States, a very large surface action task force between our two main adversaries, probing very closely to United States shores is concerning.”
Prior Incidents
The similar, although smaller, incident that Mr. Sullivan referred to in his statement took place in September 2022. That operation involved a Chinese missile cruiser, two other Chinese navy ships, and four Russian naval vessels.The U.S. responded to that incursion with a single Coast Guard cutter, which he said was a weak response.
![A Coast Guard crew member observes a vessel in the Bering Sea on Sept. 19, 2022. (US Coast Guard)](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.theepochtimes.com%2Fassets%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F09%2F27%2Fcoast-guard-ch-1200x648.jpg&w=1200&q=75)
The Coast Guard release states that the Coast Guard Cutter Kimball crew spotted a Chinese Renhai CG 101 missile cruiser near Kiska Island while on a routine patrol in the Bering Sea.
Later, the crew saw two other Chinese vessels, a Russian navy destroyer, and three other Russian vessels “all in a single formation with the Renhai” and were “operating in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone,” according to the statement.
After the Russian and Chinese ships were detected, the Coast Guard stated that the Kimball crew is operating under a new directive—Operation Frontier Sentinel—which it says is “designed to meet presence with presence when strategic competitors operate in and around U.S. waters.”
The Chinese and Russian formation came a month after NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned about China’s interest in the Arctic and Russia’s military buildup there.
The Falcon Shield-2023 joint exercise will take place in China’s Xinjiang province, the Chinese Defense Ministry stated on July 31, without specifying the dates and scope of the training.