BoQ77
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- 2015-03-08
Nothing escapes the constant vigilance of US surveillance activities near the Chinese coast and the Pacific First Island Chain which extends from Alaska to the Philippines, according to the Beijing Morning Post.
The United States Navy has a total number of 12 surveillance ships, separated into four classes. The USNS Bowditch, a Pathfinder-class oceanographic survey ship, is in charge of operations in the Asia-Pacific. It is also part of the Special Mission Ship program established to collect intelligence over the disputed South China Sea. Equipped with ocean depth multi-beam and single-beam sonar systems, the USNS Bowditch is described by the Chinese as the "vacuum of ocean intelligence."
With intelligence provided by the USNS Bowditch, US nuclear-powered attack submarines are capable of intercepting PLA Navy submarines in the disputed waters.
The United States mobilizes a total number of 29 vessels to check the Chinese activities in the South China Sea. Other intelligence gathering ships are also operating over Yellow Sea and East China Sea waters.
The USNS Victorious, one such surveillance ship, was involved in a conflict with Chinese naval authorities six years ago.
During its operation in the international waters of the Yellow Sea in March 2009, the USNS Victorious was illuminated by a patrol vessel from the Chinese Bureau of Fisheries with a high-intensity spotlight. The next day, a Y-12 PLA patrol aircraft carried out 12 fly-by missions over the US seacraft at an altitude of about 400 feet.