The U.S. Navy said February 29 that its amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48) conducted a routine patrol in international waters of the South China Sea on February 26 after participating in exercise Cobra Gold 16.
Other U.S. Navy destroyers made headlines in recent months by sailing in areas Chinese government officials claim to be under China’s jurisdiction.
The news comes after the U.S. Navy Admiral Harry B. Harris, Commander of the United States Pacific Command, said the U.S. Navy would sail, fly and operate wherever international law allows at an Armed Services House committee hearing on February 24. The announcement was made as follow up on what U.S. officials claim to be “clearly a militarisation” of the region arguing that China was setting up missile launchers on the disputed islands.
USS Lasen was the first to stir tensions in October 2015 when China claimed the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer sailed within 12 miles off one of China-claimed islands in the Spratly Islands area in the South China Sea.
U.S. Navy ships from the 7th Fleet area of operations conducted similar operations including the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Curtis Wilbur, whose sail-by was also disputed , and USS Preble, the multipurpose amphibious assault ship USS Essex, the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Chancellorsville and the Freedom-class littoral combat ship USS Fort Worth.
USS McCampbell (DDG 85) completed a similar patrol Feb. 22.
Commander Dan Duhan , commanding officer of Ashland, said: “As always, the officers and crew navigated the ship in a highly professional manner. Routine in execution, transits like these have the additional benefit of training our junior officers and watch standers on real world applications associated with International Maritime Law.”
The transit followed Ashland’s recent participation in exercise Cobra Gold 16, a Thai-U.S. co-sponsored multinational joint exercise that is an integral part of the U.S. commitment toward advancing prosperity and security in the Indo-Asia-Pacific.
Ashland, with the embarked 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, is currently on patrol in 7th Fleet as part of the Bonhomme Richard Amphibious Ready Group (ARG). The Bonhomme Richard ARG is comprised of amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6), Ashland and amphibious dock landing ship USS Germantown (LSD 42).
Ashland is forward deployed to Sasebo, Japan, and operates in U.S. 7th Fleet to support a full range of theater contingencies, ranging from humanitarian and disaster relief operations to full combat operations.