Is the big fight about to begin? Japanese, Taiwanese and American submarines prowl in SCS.
The South China Sea has remained tense for the past several years with China bullying around other stakeholders in the region like Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. And now, the region is heating up with Japanese, Taiwanese and American submarines prowling in the hotly contested region in a bid to push back against Chinese belligerence.
Apart from the submarine, the exercise also involved two destroyers and one patrol plane from Japan. The US too sent destroyer USS Milius (DDG-69) and a U.S. Navy P-8A maritime patrol aircraft for the joint drill with Japan. The exercise reportedly included anti-submarine training by tracking a submarine navigating underwater.
Meanwhile, the Taiwanese Navy too has reportedly deployed one of its two most advanced submarines in the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.
The Republic of China National Defense Report 2021, which was released on Tuesday, stated that the Hai Lung (Sea Dragon) submarine from the 256th Fleet successfully took part in several missions including “the Navy and Air Force missile shooting drill, Lie Jin (Whale-hunting) drill, routine patrol and tactical combat drill in Nansha (Spratly) Islands, and combat-ready patrol and Hai Qiang anti-submarine drill.”
Other countries getting involved in the South China Sea
0 Comments