U.S. Warship Conducts South China Sea Freedom of Navigation Operation

[F-22Raptor]

Guided-missile destroyer USS Decatur (DDG-73) operates in the South China Sea on Oct. 13, 2016


A U.S. warship has conducted a freedom of navigation operation near Chinese holdings in the South China Sea, a U.S. defense official confirmed to USNI News.

USS Decatur (DDG-73) conducted the operation near Chinese holdings near Triton and Woody Islands in the Paracel Island chain off the coast of Vietnam in the South China Sea.

“USS Decatur (DDG-73) conducted this transit in a routine, lawful manner without ship escorts and without incident on Oct. 21… specifically in the vicinity of the Paracel Islands, to uphold the rights and freedoms of all States under international law, as reflected in the Law of the Sea Convention,” read a statement from Pentagon spokesman Cmdr. Gary Ross.
“The United States conducts these routine operations on a regular basis around the world, in full compliance with international law.”

The operation was first reported by newswire Reuters. Three Chinese ships shadowed Decatur, according to the wire.

The guided missile destroyer did not come within the 12 nautical mile territorial sea of either island but tested a claim that a baseline around the Paracels is Chinese territorial waters – a stance that is not recognized by international law.

“This transit appears to be an excellent challenge to China’s unlawful straight baselines around the Paracel Islands. There was no need in this case to transit within 12 nm of any individual island because China claims illegal straight baselines that encircle the entire island group,” James Kraska, a professor of international law, oceans law and policy at the U.S. Naval War College’s Stockton Center for the Study of International Law told USNI News on Friday.
“In the past the United States appeared to have challenged the straight baselines around the Paracel Islands with overflights only… The Decatur’s surface operations in this instance provides an unambiguous legal record that China’s purported straight baselines are not valid.”

Friday’s operation is the first freedom of navigation operation the U.S. has conducted in the South China Sea since May. Then USS William P. Lawrence (DDG-110) conducted a freedom of navigation operation past the Chinese installation on Fiery Cross Reef in the Spratly Island chain.

In January, USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG-54) came within 12 nautical miles of a Chinese installation on Triton Island. In late October in 2015, USS Lassen (DDG-84) conducted a FON op past the Chinese artificial holding on Subi Reef in the Spratlys.

Decatur is part of a San Diego-based surface action group that left in April made up of guided missiles destroyersUSS Spruance (DDG-111) and USS Momsen (DDG-92). Earlier this month the ship was operating with Bonhomme Richard Expeditionary Strike Group.

https://news.usni.org/2016/10/21/u-s-warship-conducts-south-china-sea-freedom-navigation-operation

 

[lonelyman]

stupid, who said you don't have freedom of navigation in south china sea? Pinoys, viets ships pass every day.

 

[Beast]

Freedom of navigation? No countries at SCS claim no freedom of navigation. If you don't believe , ask Duterte, president of Philippine or any ASEAN countries. Then may I know what is the reason for USN in SCS? Probably serving some personal agenda disguise in the name of freedom.

 

[anon45]

stupid, who said you don't have freedom of navigation in south china sea? Pinoys, viets ships pass every day.

I believe China claims that foreign military ships have no right of passage without their approval in the EEZ correct? That goes against international norms if that is true.

Chinese ships have traveled through American EEZ's relatively recently before so they have no right to complain in any case, but that is the Chinese position as I understand it, else they wouldn't be claiming US passage as 'illegal'.

Well, it was either that or claiming their EEZ as territorial waters, which is also patently false according to international law, as countries don't have full sovereignty over their EEZ.

 

[Zsari]

I believe China claims that foreign military ships have no right of passage without their approval in the EEZ correct? That goes against international norms if that is true.

Chinese ships have traveled through American EEZ's relatively recently before so they have no right to complain in any case, but that is the Chinese position as I understand it, else they wouldn't be claiming US passage as 'illegal'.

Well, it was either that or claiming their EEZ as territorial waters, which is also patently false according to international law, as countries don't have full sovereignty over their EEZ.

Unless you equate military exercise and espionage mission as "passage". Of course, China is not the only one who classify those activity as illegal in its EEZ.

Below is UNCLOS declaration made by India.

(b) The Government of the Republic of India understands that the provisions of the Convention do not authorize other States to carry out in the exclusive economic zone and on the continental shelf military exercises or manoeuvres, in particular those involving the use of weapons or explosives without the consent of the coastal State.

Malaysia, Thailand, Pakistan, Brazil, and others made the same declaration as well.

 

[GCTom]

Chinese ship, Vietnam ship, Philippines ship, Malaysia Ships, Singapore Ships, Thailand ships, Taiwan ships,..etc makes FONO through SCS all the time, they just don't think or make a big deal of it.

 

[Nan Yang]

This FON or "innocent passage" or whatever must be getting boring and lonely
It's US navy all on it's own again.

 

[royalharris]

if they want "Freedom of navigation", just let it be
their money used in freedom of navigation, our money used in island building, it is not so bad for us

 

[ahojunk]

Unless you equate military exercise and espionage mission as "passage". Of course, China is not the only one who classify those activity as illegal in its EEZ.

Below is UNCLOS declaration made by India.

(b) The Government of the Republic of India understands that the provisions of the Convention do not authorize other States to carry out in the exclusive economic zone and on the continental shelf military exercises or manoeuvres, in particular those involving the use of weapons or explosives without the consent of the coastal State.

Malaysia, Thailand, Pakistan, Brazil, and others made the same declaration as well.

There has never been an issue of freedom of navigation for commercial shipping in SCS. If there is, how can $5 trillion of trade traverse through the SCS each year?

However, if you want to sail with military ships in another country's EEZ, you have to do it meekly such as switching off all your guns, radars, spying devices, etc. In other words, sail like a commercial ship and there is no issue.

That's what the USS Decatur (DDG-73) did. Why they even bother publicizing is beyond me. It's embarrassing!

 

[gambit]

There has never been an issue of freedom of navigation for commercial shipping in SCS. If there is, how can $5 trillion of trade traverse through the SCS each year?

Because throughout those decades, the US made sure it stayed that way.

However, if you want to sail with military ships in another country's EEZ, you have to do it meekly such as switching off all your guns, radars, spying devices, etc. In other words, sail like a commercial ship and there is no issue.

That's what the USS Decatur (DDG-73) did. Why they even bother publicizing is beyond me. It's embarrassing!

Absolutely it is 'embarrassing'. Let US keep on 'embarrassing' ourselves as the rest of the world benefits from our 'embarrassment'.

 

[hoangsa74]

Freedom of navigation? No countries at SCS claim no freedom of navigation. If you don't believe , ask Duterte, president of Philippine or any ASEAN countries. Then may I know what is the reason for USN in SCS? Probably serving some personal agenda disguise in the name of freedom.

big difference. no viet or pinoy warship has ever marched within the horizon of the paracel island. the paracel island is a no-go zone for the rest of the world except china...........and the U.S

just ask the viet fishermen, anytime they march within sight of the paracels they get shot at by the Chinese no but if whatsoever. I hope the Chinese one day will have the ball to shoot at U.S warships for entering the paracels. This is the 2nd time that the U.S warship has entered the paracels and no Chinese has the ball to fire the kind of shot they have been firing at viet fishing boats

 

[ohmrlobalobayeh]

big difference. no viet cong or pinoy warship has ever marched within the horizon of the paracel island. the paracel island is a no-go zone for the rest of the world except china...........and the U.S

just ask the viet fishermen, anytime they march within sight of the paracels they get shot at by the Chinese no but if whatsoever. I hope the Chinese one day will have the ball to shoot at U.S warships for entering the paracels. This is the 2nd time that the U.S warship has entered the paracels and no Chinese has the ball to fire the kind of shot they have been firing at viet fishing boats

That's as good as implying that the Vietnamese have no balls themselves. So if you're Vietnamese, why shoot yourself in the foot?

 

[bolo]

big difference. no viet cong or pinoy warship has ever marched within the horizon of the paracel island. the paracel island is a no-go zone for the rest of the world except china...........and the U.S

just ask the viet fishermen, anytime they march within sight of the paracels they get shot at by the Chinese no but if whatsoever. I hope the Chinese one day will have the ball to shoot at U.S warships for entering the paracels. This is the 2nd time that the U.S warship has entered the paracels and no Chinese has the ball to fire the kind of shot they have been firing at viet fishing boats

Are you Overseas Vietnamese bro?

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

That's what the USS Decatur (DDG-73) did. Why they even bother publicizing is beyond me. It's embarrassing!

Do you have any articles that you can link to show this to be true? Otherwise let me ask you similar questions that you did here:

https://defence.pk/threads/shambaug...-argument-on-china.454999/page-2#post-8810260

 

[oprih]

America is truly the troublemaker in the region, Duterte's decision to improve ties with China is the right thing to do.