In a brief statement released earlier today, Japan’s Ministry of Defense announced that it has been closely monitoring the navigation of vessels belonging to the Chinese Navy as they passed through the Ōsumi Strait, located in the southern part of the island nation. In particular, authorities reported the passage of a Type 815 intelligence ship, also known as the Dongdiao-class, accompanied by a Luyang III-class destroyer as both vessels headed toward the Pacific Ocean.
Providing further details, the Japanese defense ministry stated that the initial detection of the Type 815 ship took place on the afternoon of Saturday, October 18, when the vessel was located approximately 80 kilometers west of Kuchinoerabu Island (part of Kagoshima Prefecture) sailing eastward. Identified with hull number 795, the ship was tracked throughout the weekend as it completed its transit through the aforementioned Ōsumi Strait.
It is worth noting that this is not the first time a Chinese intelligence-gathering vessel of this type has been observed near Japanese territory in recent months. An illustrative example occurred in early August, when a ship bearing hull number 791 was spotted sailing through the waters between Okinawa’s main island and Miyako Island, heading northwest. Along with other recent deployments by the Chinese Navy, including amphibious assault ships, this incident underscores the growing level of naval activity recorded in the region.
Regarding the Luyang III-class destroyer, the official statement from Japan’s Ministry of Defense indicated that its presence was detected yesterday, specifically identifying the vessel with hull number 131. In this case, the ship was located about 40 kilometers from Kuchinoerabu Island, sailing on a northwesterly course. It was later confirmed that the destroyer followed the Dongdiao-class ship through the strait and also entered the waters of the Pacific Ocean.
Finally, the surveillance and information-gathering operations on the Chinese vessels were carried out mainly by units of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). For this task, the JMSDF deployed the destroyer JS Amagiri, an Asagiri-class ship assigned to the 11th Escort Squadron based in Yokosuka. In addition, the service also dispatched the JS Ōtaka, a Hayabusa-class patrol vessel belonging to the 3rd Missile Boat Squadron. As part of the aerial component of the monitoring mission, Tokyo also deployed a Kawasaki P-1 maritime patrol aircraft from the 1st Air Patrol Group.
Images used for illustrative purposes only.
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