The U.S. Coast Guard monitored a Russian military vessel operating just outside U.S. territorial waters on Oct. 29, after the ship was detected roughly 15 nautical miles south of Oahu, Coast Guard officials said in a Nov. 13 press release.
The Coast Guard dispatched a HC-130 Hercules from Air Station Barbers Point and the Coast Guard cutter William Hart (WPC 1134) to observe the vessel. The vessel was identified as the Kareliya, a Vishnya-class intelligence ship operated by the Russian Federation Navy. Coast Guard crews conducted an overflight and transited near the ship, describing the interaction as safe and professional.
The Coast Guard said its personnel are monitoring the Kareliya in accordance with international law to ensure maritime security for U.S. vessels operating in the region and to support homeland defense efforts.
“The U.S. Coast Guard routinely monitors maritime activity around the Hawaiian Islands and throughout the Pacific to ensure the safety and security of U.S. waters,” said Capt. Matthew Chong, chief of response for Coast Guard District 14. “Working in concert with partners and allies, our crews monitor and respond to foreign military vessel activity near our territorial waters to protect our maritime borders and defend our sovereign interests.”
Coast Guard District 14 works closely with U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and other federal partners to track foreign military vessel activity near U.S. waters, including around Guam and American Samoa.
The Coast Guard press release noted that under international law, foreign military vessels may operate in waters beyond a nation’s 12-nautical-mile territorial sea, but the Coast Guard said it maintains regular surveillance of such activity to ensure U.S. maritime security.
