Warships from a joint China–Russia naval operation buzzed the coast of Alaska last week in what has been described as the biggest combined Russian–Chinese battle group to ever approach U.S. shores.
Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) said in an Aug. 5 statement that 11 Russian and Chinese warships operating together got close to the coast of Alaska, in what the lawmaker called “yet another reminder that we have entered a new era of authoritarian aggression led by the dictators of Beijing and Moscow.”
Mr. Sullivan, who’s a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, told Fox News on Aug. 5 that the U.S. Navy mobilized four destroyers to escort the Chinese and Russian warships away from U.S. coastal waters.
The lawmaker noted that last summer, a similar, although smaller scale operation occurred off the coast of Alaska.
“Given that our response was tepid, I strongly encouraged senior military leaders to be ready with a much more robust response” in the event of another similar drill, Mr. Sullivan said in a follow-up statement.
He also said he was “heartened” to note that this latest incursion was met with a forceful response that sent a “strong message” to China and Russia that the United States “will not hesitate to protect and defend our vital national interests in Alaska.”
Details remain scant on the joint operation, however. While the U.S. Northern Command didn’t immediately respond to a request for confirmation and more details from The Epoch Times, a spokesperson told The Wall Street Journal that, in addition to naval vessels, U.S. air assets were also scrambled.
“Air and maritime assets under our commands conducted operations to assure the defense of the United States and Canada. The patrol remained in international waters and was not considered a threat,” the command said in a statement, according to the outlet.
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