U.S. Sends Might Fine Looking Warships on Patrol Near South China Sea Standoff
KUALA LUMPUR — The U.S. Navy sent a pair of ships to patrol in the vicinity of a mineral rights dispute between Malaysia and China in the South China Sea for the second time in a month, U.S. officials told USNI News.
Littoral Combat Ship USS Montgomery (LCS-8) and replenishment ship USNS Cesar Chavez (T-AKE-14) conducted a presence operation in the South China Sea on Thursday near Panamanian-flagged drill ship West Capella. The drill ship is under contract to conduct surveying operations in Malaysia’s exclusive economic zone for Malaysian state oil company Petronas. Chinese People Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) warships and China Coast Guard vessels have also operated near the Malaysian-contracted drilling ship.
In late April, guided-missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill (CG-52) sailed with the Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Parramatta (FFG-154) before joining the amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA-6) and guided-missile destroyer USS Barry (DDG-52) to conduct combined exercises in the area where a Chinese government survey ship, Haiyang Dizhi 8, was said to be operating with an escort of several China Coast Guard ships.
In addition to the U.S., Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) ships and Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency ships have also been quietly operating in the area, though Malaysia’s economic ties with China have resulted in little official public protests being made on China’s activities.
The United States is in the process of helping Malaysia build its own maritime domain awareness capabilities by providing 12 ScanEagle UAS systems and converting three Royal Malaysian Air Force CN-235 transport aircraft into maritime surveillance aircraft. The ScanEagles will be operated out of Kota Kinabalu in East Malaysia, which is also headquarters for Royal Malaysian Navy Eastern Fleet Command. Kota Kinabalu is near the same part of Malaysia’s South China Sea EEZ in which Chinese ships have been maintaining a presence and near the disputed Spratly Islands, where Malaysia maintains five military stations as part of its claims there.
Arrrr More Here Mi Hearties;
https://news.usni.org/2020/05/08/u-s-sends-warships-on-patrol-near-south-china-sea-standoff