A Chinese-Russian warship group conducts a patrol in the Arctic

Chinese and Russian warships have been spotted near Alaska, giving rise to concerns about the increasing activity of these countries in the Arctic. A week after the US Coast Guard units reported their presence about 500 miles southwest of the Alaskan coast, these units approached just 12 nautical miles from the US territorial waters.

On 1 October, AIS data (Automatic Identification System) indicated that ships had passed just outside the United States territorial waters, west of the Seward Peninsula. Satellite images further confirm that a group of ships were moving south in a compact formation through the Bering Strait, passing the island of Little Diomede and the mainland of Alaska.

The four vessels participating in the operation are part of the first joint patrol of China and Russia in these waters. Two Chinese coast guard ships and two Russian patrol units left Vladivostok in mid-September, and after maneuvering in the Japanese Sea, they headed for the North Pacific.

It was in this area that the American aircraft HC-130J Super Hercules targeted a Chinese-Russian group of ships in late September. "During routine patrolling of the sea border between the United States and Russia in the Bering Sea, the crew of our HC-130J Super Hercules spotted two Russian Border Guard ships and two Chinese Coast Guard ships about 440 miles southwest of St Lawrence Island," she said. Coast Guard in an official communication.

It was the northernmost point where the American Coast Guard She saw Chinese units. Still, the ships did not slow down, continuing their passage through this region to the north, towards the Arctic and closer to Alaska.

Partial data from AIS Chinese ship Xiushan confirm that the fleet crossed the Bering Strait and then turned south, flowing between Little Diomede Island and Seward Peninsula.

The group of ships consists of Chinese patrol vessels Meishan and Xiushan and two unnamed Russian patrol units. Chinese units are based on a frigate of type 054, a Chinese unit with a displacement of 4000 tonnes and a length of 134 metres.

Rear Admiral Megan Dean, commander of the 17th Coast Guard District, in a statement last week highlighted the increasing activity of strategic competitors in the Arctic region. "The demand for the presence of the Coast Guard in the Arctic continues to increase, which requires further investment from us to meet the presence of competitive forces and to carry out our statutory tasks in an increasingly large operational area."

However, it is not known whether American Coast Guard sent any units to monitor the activities of the Chinese-Russian group. At the time of the incident, both Coast Guard icebreakers – Healy and Polar Star – were located in the yard on repairs and technical surveys.

China's increased activity in the Arctic has been monitored by the US for over a decade. The 2013 Arctic Coast Guard Strategy foresees the development of Chinese polar research capabilities and a greater commitment to maritime activities in the Arctic.

Today, ten years later, China has several icebreakers and research units adapted to Arctic conditions. Meanwhile, the U.S. still faces a shortage of its own icebreakers and long - range patrol units capable of operating under these demanding conditions.

Source: gcaptain.com