USS John S. McCain Conducts Second FONOp This Week, This Time Off Vietnamese Islands

December 25, 2020 10:42 AM
The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) transits through South China Sea while conducting routine underway operations on Dec. 22, 2020. McCain is forward-deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. US Navy photo.

Guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain (DDG-56) conducted its second freedom of navigation operation this week, this time challenging excessive maritime claims by Vietnam.

McCain “asserted navigational rights and freedoms near Vietnam in the vicinity of the Con Dao Islands in the South China Sea” in a Dec. 24 operation, U.S. 7th Fleet announced.
“The ship conducted normal operations within Vietnam’s claimed territorial seas to challenge excessive maritime claims and preserve access and navigational freedoms consistent with international law.”

On Dec. 22, McCain conducted a similar operation near the Spratly Islands, which China, Taiwan and Vietnam all claim. And on Dec. 21, another Japan-based U.S. destroyer, USS Mustin (DDG-89), conducted a Taiwan Strait transit to counter China’s claims to the strait.

“U.S. forces operate in the Indo-Pacific region on a daily basis, as they have for more than a century. They routinely operate in close coordination with like-minded allies and partners who share our commitment to uphold a free and open international order that promotes security and prosperity. All of our operations are designed in accordance with international law and demonstrate that the United States will fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows– regardless of the location of excessive maritime claims and regardless of current events,” reads the 7th Fleet statement.

The U.S. has long conducted these freedom of navigation operations, or FONOps, in the South China Sea, though the Defense Department has over recent years taken different approaches to talking about them publicly based on the administration’s position on China and other political factors. This year, though, the Pentagon has been more forthright about discussing the many FONOps happening in the region, which not only push back against China and, on some occasions, Russia, but also against partners like Vietnam.

The following is the full statement from U.S. 7th Fleet:

SOUTH CHINA SEA – On December 24, USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) asserted navigational rights and freedoms near Vietnam in the vicinity of the Con Dao Islands in the South China Sea. The ship conducted normal operations within Vietnam’s claimed territorial seas to challenge excessive maritime claims and preserve access and navigational freedoms consistent with international law.

U.S. forces operate in the Indo-Pacific region on a daily basis, as they have for more than a century. They routinely operate in close coordination with like-minded allies and partners who share our commitment to uphold a free and open international order that promotes security and prosperity. All of our operations are designed in accordance with international law and demonstrate that the United States will fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows– regardless of the location of excessive maritime claims and regardless of current events.

The international law of sea as reflected in the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention provides for the certain rights and freedoms and other lawful uses of the sea to all nations. The United States upholds these rights and freedoms as a matter of principle to preserve the freedom of the seas that is critical to global security, stability, and prosperity. As long as some countries continue to assert maritime claims that are consistent with international law as reflected in the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention and that purport to restrict unlawfully the rights and freedoms enjoyed by all states, the United States will continue to defend the rights and freedoms of the sea guaranteed to all.

Megan Eckstein

Megan Eckstein

Megan Eckstein is the former deputy editor for USNI News.

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