Coast Guard Arctic District officials say air crews continued to monitor five Chinese vessels in recent days, launching a C-130J Hercules aircraft from the Kodiak air station Aug. 12.
The mission intercepted the 410’x73’ Xue Long 2 research vessel, which has been tracked since moving into U.S. Arctic waters in July. The Xue Long 2 now has been joined in the high north by the Shen Hai Yi Hao; Ji Di; Tan Suo San Hao; and the Zhong Shan Da Xue Ji Di, which unlike the others is Liberia flagged.
As China and Russia alike bolster their Arctic operations, the Coast Guard is pushing on with a program for new icebreakers to replace the last two purposed-built Arctic cutters dating from the mid-1970s and 1990.
With the new ships not expected until 2030, the Coast Guard in Alaska recently commissioned the cutter Storis, a former Edison Chouest icebreaker/anchor handling tug, and the Earl Cunningham, the service’s newest Sentinel-class fast response cutter.
“Commissioning the Storis and Earl Cunningham increases our ability to control, secure, and defend Alaska's U.S. border and maritime approaches,” said Rear Adm. Bob Little, commander of the Coast Guard Arctic District. “As we continue to grow our surface fleet, we utilize our aviation resources which play a vital role in countering foreign malign influence.”
