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- The US Coast Guard ship Stratton encountered four Russian naval vessels during its patrol, including a submarine and a frigate.
- The Russian ships entered the US exclusive economic zone, but adhered to international rules and norms.
- The incident is seen as part of Russia’s ongoing efforts to challenge US dominance in the Arctic.
The Coast Guard Cutter Stratton encountered four Russian Navy vessels while on routine patrol in the Chukchi Sea, 57 miles off the coast of Point Hope, Alaska. The incident occurred last Sunday and involved a Severodvinsk-class submarine, a Dolgoruky-class submarine, a Steregushchy-class frigate, and a Syliva-class tugboat. The vessels were sailing in a southeasterly direction along the Russian side of the Maritime Boundary Line (MBL).
Upon reaching the MBL and entering the U.S. EEZ, the Russian vessels proceeded approximately 30 miles into U.S. waters. The Coast Guard assessed that the vessels navigated to avoid sea ice on the Russian side of the MBL and adhered to international rules and practices while operating.
US interests in the Arctic
Vice Adm. Megan Dean, commander of the U.S. Coast Guard’s 17th District, highlighted ongoing patrols in the Bering Sea, Bering Strait, and Chukchi Sea as a means of protecting U.S. interests. She said these efforts are aimed at protecting U.S. sovereign territory and fisheries resources and promoting international maritime standards. Stratton’s patrol is part of Operation Frontier Sentinel, a Coast Guard mission designed to maintain a U.S. presence in the region and respond to foreign activity near U.S. waters.
The meeting comes on the heels of an incident in July in which the U.S. military intercepted joint Russian and Chinese air patrols near the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone. In that case, the North American Aerospace Defense Command tracked Russian TU-95 bombers and Chinese H-6 aircraft. Military analysts see the maneuvers as a challenge to U.S. dominance in the region, which is home to critical missile defense systems and valuable natural resources.
Analysts’ concerns and the US response
Su Tzu Yun, military analyst and exit A report from Taiwan’s National Defense and Security Research Institute suggests that these exercises near Alaska — a vital area for U.S. missile defense — are deliberate intimidation tactics by China and Russia. It emphasizes the joint use of bombers as a reminder of their potential reach and concerns about their intentions.
The recent publication of the U.S. Department of Defense’s 2024 Arctic Strategy emphasizes the importance of the Arctic to national defense. The strategy aims to improve the United States’ capabilities to counter growing threats from both Russia and China.
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