In an unprecedented show of force, China and Russia conducted a joint naval operation near U.S. territory, drawing a strong response from the U.S. Navy. According to reports from Fox News Digital, the operation involved 11 ships and took place near Alaska’s southwestern coast, raising concerns among U.S. defense officials.
Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, who was briefed on the matter, expressed his alarm at the scale and scope of the joint naval task force. He highlighted the cooperation between two significant adversaries, Russia and China, and emphasized the potential threat posed by this bold move. Sullivan underlined that the U.S. Navy responded decisively by mobilizing four destroyers to guide the foreign vessels away from American waters.
The joint operation, reported by The Wall Street Journal, witnessed Chinese and Russian ships approaching the Aleutian Islands but never entering U.S. territorial waters. Nevertheless, the U.S. response was considerably enhanced compared to a smaller incident that occurred in September of the previous year.
During that earlier event, the U.S. had dispatched a single Coast Guard cutter to address a similar situation. In contrast, the recent joint operation prompted a more robust reaction, with the U.S. deploying four destroyers and P-8 Poseidon aircraft to monitor and shadow the Chinese and Russian ships.
Senator Sullivan emphasized the need for continued vigilance and increased presence of U.S. naval, Coast Guard, and Marine assets in the region. He urged the Biden administration, as well as previous administrations, to commit to serious and robust defense budgets. The growing authoritarian aggression from Beijing and Moscow was cited as a reason for the U.S. to strengthen its defensive capabilities.
Despite the significant implications of the joint operation, the White House and the Pentagon refrained from immediate comments. Nevertheless, experts and officials view this display of force as highly provocative, given the ongoing tensions surrounding the conflict in Ukraine and the issue of Taiwan.
Why isn’t this all over the news? This is because Biden is a weak leader.
Four U.S. destroyers were recently dispatched to monitor Russian and Chinese ships on a naval patrol near Alaska https://t.co/bnVrO4dnEI
— 🇺🇸KPATRIOT🇺🇸 (@PatriotMom227) August 6, 2023
Brent Sadler, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, characterized the event as a “historical first” that demands careful consideration. As geopolitical tensions continue to rise, the joint operation serves as a reminder of the evolving nature of global dynamics and the need for the U.S. to assert its position in the international arena.
The U.S. Northern Command, tasked with defending North America’s airspace and maritime approaches, has yet to issue a statement regarding the incident.
