Chinese and Russian vessels have both been spotted traveling through Japan during the week, with a Chinese ship sailing through the Osumi Strait on Thursday and a Russian ship sailing through the La Pérouse Strait on Wednesday. The CNS Liaoning Carrier Strike Group was also reported operating outside of Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone last Sunday.
The 41st Chinese Naval Escort Taskforce traveled through the Miyako Strait Thursday on its way to the Gulf of Aden, according to the Japanese Ministry of Defense.
The Russian surveillance ship RFS Pribaltica (80) was spotted on Wednesday at 5 a.m. traveling to the east about 75 miles west of Cape Soya and sailed through the La Pérouse Strait according to the office of the Japanese Joint Staff on Wednesday.
The Russian surveillance vessel was monitored by the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force fast attack craft JS Wakataka (PG-825) and P-3C Orion Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) of Fleet Air Wing 2 which is currently based at the Hachinohe Air Base, Aomori.
The JSO issued two statements on Friday. The first statement said that a PLAN Dongdiao-class surveillance ship with a hull number of 795 was spotted Thursday at 9 a.m. and was moving to the west around 62 miles east of Tanegashima Island, and then sailed west through the Osumi Strait heading to the East China Sea.
The 795 surveillance vessel was the same one that had been spotted on April 20th heading southeast about 100 miles northwest of the Japanese Amami Oshima Island.
The Japanese Replenishment ship JS Hamana (AOE-424) and a P-1 MPA of the Fleet Air Wing 1 currently based at the JMSDF Kanoya Air Field, Kagoshima monitored the 795 surveillance vessel as it made its transit.
Thursday at 8 a.m. three Chinese vessels, which included a destroyer, frigate, and a replenishment ship were spotted about 93 miles north of Miyako Island, where they headed southeast between Okinawa and Miyako Island and transitted into the Pacific Ocean according to the JSO.
The photos that the JSO posted of the vessels showed a Chinese destroyer CNS Suzhou (132), frigate CNS Nantong (533), and replenishment ship CNS Chaohu (890) which are a part of the 41st Chinese Naval Escort Taskforce.
According to USNI News, the Chinese PLAN has been protecting their vessels traveling through the Gulf of Aden with an anti-piracy escort since 2008. Xinhua reported that the 41st Task Force left China on Wednesday morning.
According to the JSO, the Japanese support ship JS Amakusa (AMS-4303) monitored the Chinese PLAN group.
The CNS Liaoning Carrier Strike Group was also reported operating outside of Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone in the Philippine Sea on Sunday, last weekend along with two Type 052D destroyers which were spotted about 217 miles south of Okidaito Island at 9 a.m. Sunday.
The Chinese carrier strike group carried out "flight operations" with J-15 fighters and Z-18 helicopters according to USNI News.
The Japanese JS Suzutsuki destroyer (DD-117) monitored the carrier strike group and Japan Air Self-Defense fighters were deployed, responding to the Chinese J-15 fighter jets according to the JSO.
The Liaoning, along with a Type 055 destroyer CNS Nanchang (101), Type 052D destroyers CNS Xining (117), CNS Urumqi (118) and CNS Chengdu (120); Type 052C destroyer CNS Zhengzhou (151), Type 054A frigate CNS Xiangtan (531) and Type 901 fast combat support ship CNS Hulunhu (901) transited the Miyako Strait on May 2nd and have been carrying out flight operations in both the Pacific Ocean and the Philippine Sea since May 4th.
The 41st Chinese Naval Escort Taskforce traveled through the Miyako Strait Thursday on its way to the Gulf of Aden, according to the Japanese Ministry of Defense.
The Russian surveillance ship RFS Pribaltica (80) was spotted on Wednesday at 5 a.m. traveling to the east about 75 miles west of Cape Soya and sailed through the La Pérouse Strait according to the office of the Japanese Joint Staff on Wednesday.
The Russian surveillance vessel was monitored by the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force fast attack craft JS Wakataka (PG-825) and P-3C Orion Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) of Fleet Air Wing 2 which is currently based at the Hachinohe Air Base, Aomori.
The JSO issued two statements on Friday. The first statement said that a PLAN Dongdiao-class surveillance ship with a hull number of 795 was spotted Thursday at 9 a.m. and was moving to the west around 62 miles east of Tanegashima Island, and then sailed west through the Osumi Strait heading to the East China Sea.
The 795 surveillance vessel was the same one that had been spotted on April 20th heading southeast about 100 miles northwest of the Japanese Amami Oshima Island.
The Japanese Replenishment ship JS Hamana (AOE-424) and a P-1 MPA of the Fleet Air Wing 1 currently based at the JMSDF Kanoya Air Field, Kagoshima monitored the 795 surveillance vessel as it made its transit.
Thursday at 8 a.m. three Chinese vessels, which included a destroyer, frigate, and a replenishment ship were spotted about 93 miles north of Miyako Island, where they headed southeast between Okinawa and Miyako Island and transitted into the Pacific Ocean according to the JSO.
The photos that the JSO posted of the vessels showed a Chinese destroyer CNS Suzhou (132), frigate CNS Nantong (533), and replenishment ship CNS Chaohu (890) which are a part of the 41st Chinese Naval Escort Taskforce.
According to USNI News, the Chinese PLAN has been protecting their vessels traveling through the Gulf of Aden with an anti-piracy escort since 2008. Xinhua reported that the 41st Task Force left China on Wednesday morning.
According to the JSO, the Japanese support ship JS Amakusa (AMS-4303) monitored the Chinese PLAN group.
The CNS Liaoning Carrier Strike Group was also reported operating outside of Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone in the Philippine Sea on Sunday, last weekend along with two Type 052D destroyers which were spotted about 217 miles south of Okidaito Island at 9 a.m. Sunday.
The Chinese carrier strike group carried out "flight operations" with J-15 fighters and Z-18 helicopters according to USNI News.
The Japanese JS Suzutsuki destroyer (DD-117) monitored the carrier strike group and Japan Air Self-Defense fighters were deployed, responding to the Chinese J-15 fighter jets according to the JSO.
The Liaoning, along with a Type 055 destroyer CNS Nanchang (101), Type 052D destroyers CNS Xining (117), CNS Urumqi (118) and CNS Chengdu (120); Type 052C destroyer CNS Zhengzhou (151), Type 054A frigate CNS Xiangtan (531) and Type 901 fast combat support ship CNS Hulunhu (901) transited the Miyako Strait on May 2nd and have been carrying out flight operations in both the Pacific Ocean and the Philippine Sea since May 4th.