Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Chancellorsville (CG-62) conducts routine underway operations in the South China Sea, Nov. 29, 2022. US Navy Photo
The Tuesday passage of a U.S. guided missile cruiser past a disputed island chain in the South China Sea has drawn protests from Beijing and claims that the People’s Liberation Army expelled the ship from Chinese territorial waters. Read More
USS Benfold (DDG-65) as the ship transits the South China Sea conducting routine underway operations on Sept. 8, 2021. US Navy Photo
The U.S. Navy is disputing a claim from China that it chased an American warship out of the South China Sea after the U.S. vessel performed a freedom of navigation exercise. Read More
Royal Malaysian Air Force Photo
KUALA LUMPUR – Sixteen aircraft from the People’s Liberation Army Air Force conducted a large-scale transport formation exercise over the South China Sea near Borneo on Monday and entered the airspace of Malaysia’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) said in a statement today. Read More
The guided-missile destroyer USS Russell (DDG 59) conducts routine underway operations. Russell is forward-deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific. U.S. Navy Photo
A U.S. guided-missile destroyer performed a freedom of navigation operation in the South China Sea on Wednesday, U.S. 7th Fleet announced. Read More
The Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Montgomery (LCS 8) operates in the South China Sea. Navy photo
Over the weekend, Littoral Combat Ship USS Montgomery (LCS-8) conducted a freedom of navigation operation through waters near the Spratly Islands claimed by China, Taiwan and Vietnam, the Navy said.
USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS-10) sails through the South China Sea on Nov. 18, 2019. US Navy Photo
A pair of U.S. Navy freedom of navigation operations on two consecutive days in the South China Sea this week has irked Chinese officials at a time they are seeking to ease trade tensions with the U.S. Read More
U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS William P. Lawrence (DDG-110), transits through international waters with the Indian Navy destroyer INS Kolkata (D 63) and tanker INS Shakti (A-57), Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force helicopter-carrier JS Izumo (DDH-183) and destroyer JS Murasame (DD-101), and Republic of Philippine Navy patrol ship BRP Andres Bonifacio (PS-17) through the South China Sea. Photo courtesy of Japan Maritime Self Defense Force
During the past week, three U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers were active in the South China Sea in two separate operations intended to support unfettered access to the region’s shipping lanes. Read More
Sailors remove chalks and chains from a MH-60R Seahawk, assigned to the “Easyriders” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 37, Detachment ONE, during flight quarters aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Preble (DDG-88). Navy photo
This post has been updated to include a statement from US 7th fleet
THE PENTAGON – Two U.S. guided-missile destroyers conducted a freedom of navigation operation (FONOP) past South China Sea land masses claimed by China but not recognized as islands by international law.
China’s compliance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) tribunal’s ruling regarding rights, activities and entitlements in the South China Sea is much less certain than one might expect, we concluded in a previous post at Lawfare. By our analysis, there are no reports that China has taken actions in clear violation of nine of fifteen rulings handed down by the tribunal. Therefore, while China is not in “compliance” with the arbitral award, neither is it in complete “non-compliance.” Read More
![The littoral combat ship USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) conducts routine patrols in international waters of the South China Sea near the Spratly Islands as the People’s Liberation Army-Navy [PLA(N)] guided-missile frigate Yancheng (FFG 546) sails close behind, on May 11, 2015. US Navy photo.](https://news.usni.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/1927317.jpg)
The littoral combat ship USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) conducts routine patrols in international waters of the South China Sea near the Spratly Islands as the People’s Liberation Army-Navy [PLA(N)] guided-missile frigate Yancheng (FFG 546) sails close behind, on May 11, 2015. US Navy photo.
