Busy Days in the Strait of Taiwan

HMCS Ville de Québec in the Taiwan Strait (Canadian Joint Operations Command)

In recent days, the Taiwan Straits has been busy with allied warships.

Hobart Class destroyer HMAS Brisbane (DDG-41) and Halifax Class frigate HMCS Ville de Québec (FFH-332) transited the Straits on September 6. A People’s Liberation Army Eastern Theater Command spokesman objected to the transit in the normal manner, and said that the naval movements had been monitored.

While the transit was occurring, the Royal Navy carrier HMS Prince of Wales (R09), having completed a five-day port visit to Tokyo, sailed northwards along Japan’s eastern seaboard with HMS Dauntless (D33) and into the Sea of Japan, then southwards to commence a series of exercises with South Korean Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin Class destroyer ROKS Gang Gam-chan (DDH-979), minelayer ROKS Nampo (MLS-570) and Soyang Class fast combat support ship ROKS Soyang (AOE-51).

As this activity was winding up in the Sea of Japan on September 8, two ships from Russia’s Pacific Fleet based in Vladivostok, the flagship Slava Class cruiser RFS Varyag (D001 and the Steregushchiy Class corvette RFS Gromkiy (F335) were heading in the opposite direction, leaving the area through the Soya Strait off northern Hokkaido, and then cruising through the Sea of Okhotsk into the northern Pacific.

The Australian and Canadian innocent passage was followed up by Arleigh Burke Class destroyer USS Higgins (DDG-76) and Type 23 frigate HMS Richmond (F239) also transiting the Taiwan Straits on September 12. There had been some speculation in the British press that Foreign Minister David Lammy, to avoid upsetting the Chinese, had vetoed the passage of HMS Richmond, to the consternation of the Ministry of Defence - but Lammy was replaced as foreign minister a week before the transit took place.

The carrier strike group led by HMS Prince of Wales is now on its long return journey to Portsmouth. On its outward deployment, the CSG passed through the Middle East region during a short-lived lull. On its return, the CSG is likely to have to contend with a more complex security situation. But the CSG commander can feel reassured that his command is operationally at peak efficiency, after continuous training at sea with allies since it left Portsmouth in April.