On August 5, a C-130J Hercules aircraft from Air Station Kodiak responded to the Chinese research vesselsJi DiandZhong Shan Da Xue Ji Dias they transited northeast in the Bering Sea. The following day, U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Waesche (WMSL 751) again responded to theZhong Shan Da Xue Ji Dias it transited north in the Chukchi Sea above the Arctic Circle, after passing through the Bering Strait.
The Coast Guard operations are part of Operation Frontier Sentinel, which responds to adversaries operating in and around Alaskan and U.S. Arctic waters. “The U.S. Coast Guard’s responses are intended to counter malign activities, defend sovereign interests, and promote maritime conduct consistent with international law and norms,” the Coast Guard stated.
The Coast Guard’s announcement follows gCaptain’s Thursday reportabout the vesselsoperating in the region.
In July, Coast Guard Arctic District had already deployed a C-130J Hercules to monitor theXue Long 2, another Chinese research vessel, approximately 290 nautical miles north of Utqiagvik, Alaska. TheXue Long 2, China’s largest domestically-built icebreaker with a Polar Class 3 designation, departed from Shanghai on July 5th and has since been operating in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas.
The flotilla includes several specialized vessels. TheShen Hai Yi Hao, which joined on July 30, carries the submersibleJiao Longdesigned for dives down to 7,000 meters. China’s newest icebreaker,Tan Suo San Hao, is currently operating in the northern Bering Sea and is about to enter Arctic waters. This Polar Class 4 vessel, which entered service in December 2024, has already raised questions about its supposed scientific mission after an incident in May when it remained inside the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, prompting that country’s Coast Guard to dispatch one of its largest cutters.
“The presence of these vessels is consistent with a three-year trend of increased activity from Chinese research vessels operating in the U.S. Arctic,” the Coast Guard noted. Last year, three Chinese research vessels conducted research operations north of the Bering Strait.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Coast Guard is currently operating one icebreaker in the Arctic, the USCGCHealy, with plans to commission its newest icebreaker, the Coast Guard CutterStoris, at a ceremony in Juneau on August 10.
