Chinese-Russian task force sails around Japan

MELBOURNE, Australia – A joint Chinese-Russian naval armada has sailed around Japan following a joint exercise in the Sea of Japan, sailing through a narrow international waterway between two of Japan’s main islands.

The 10-ship naval task force, split evenly between Chinese and Russian vessels, sailed through the Tsugaru Strait, which runs between the Japanese islands of Hokkaido and Honshu, during their transit from the Sea of Japan into the western Pacific on Oct.18.

The Tsugaru Strait is an international waterway that is only 12 miles at its narrowest point. Japan has claimed territorial waters in the straits that extend to three nautical miles (5.6 km) from its coasts, significantly less than the maximum of 12 nautical miles (22.2 km) allowed under international law.

This meant the Chinese-Russian task force was sailing in international waters throughout its passage, which then saw the ships turn south along the Japanese coast before going west between Sumisu Island and Torishima in Japan’s Ogasawara islands in the early hours of Oct. 21.

The group of ships included the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy or PLAN Type 055 cruiser Nanchang (101), Type 052D destroyer Kunming (172) and Type 054A frigates Binzhou (515) and Liuzhou (573) accompanied by a Type 903A replenishment ship carrying the hull number 902.

The exact identity of this last ship is uncertain as the PLAN is in the process of re-numbering its replenishment and intelligence gathering fleet, but it is believed to be the Dongpinghu, which previously carried the hull number 960.

Meanwhile the Russian ships were the Udaloy-class destroyers Admiral Tributs (564) and Admiral Panteleyev (548), Steregushchiy-class corvettes Gromkiy (335) and Hero of the Russian Federation Aldar Tsydenzhapov (339) and the missile range instrumentation ship Marshal Krylov (331).

The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, or JMSDF, kept a close watch on the task group as it sailed close to Japan’s waters, with the minesweepers Aoshima and Izushima in attendance as the Russian and Chinese ships transited the Tsugaru Strait. The Japanese also deployed a P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft from its Fleet Air Wing 2 at Hachinohe to monitor the task force.

As the task group made its way down Japan’s east coast, the JMSDF continued to monitor its progress, with the destroyers Yamagiri and Takanami taking turns to keep watch while overhead Japan Air Self Defense Force interceptors were scrambled in response to Kamov Ka-27 and Ka-28 helicopters flying off the Russian and Chinese ships.

The ships were some of those from both navies which took part in the Sea Interaction 2021 exercise that took place Oct. 14-17. A Russian defense ministry news release said a rescue ship and diesel-electric attack submarine from the PLAN was also involved, while the Russian contingent included the submarine Ust-Bolsheretsk, two minesweepers, a missile boat and a rescue tug.

Russian Sukhoi Su-30SM Flanker multirole fighters and unspecified anti-submarine aircraft were also involved in the exercise, which included naval gunfire live firing and anti-submarine warfare training. Russia also claimed to have chased an American destroyer out of exercise waters, although the U.S. Navy said the USS Chafee was in international waters before the area was closed for the exercise.

Mike Yeo is the Asia correspondent for Defense News.

澳大利亚墨尔本——中俄联合海军舰队在日本海进行联合演习后绕行日本，途经日本两大主要岛屿之间的一条狭窄国际水道。

10月18日，由中国和俄罗斯舰艇各占一半的10艘舰艇组成的海军特遣部队，在从日本海进入西太平洋的途中，驶过位于日本北海道和本州岛之间的津轻海峡。

津轻海峡是一条国际水道，最窄处仅12海里。日本声称在该海峡拥有领海，但其领海范围仅距海岸线3海里（5.6公里），远小于国际法规定的12海里（22.2公里）的上限。

这意味着中俄联合特遣舰队在整个航程中都在国际水域航行，随后，这些舰艇沿着日本海岸向南航行，然后在 10 月 21 日凌晨从日本小笠原群岛的须弥岛和鸟岛之间向西航行。

该舰组包括中国人民解放军海军055型巡洋舰南昌号（101）、052D型驱逐舰昆明号（172）和054A型护卫舰滨州号（515）和柳州号（573），以及一艘舷号为902的903A型补给舰。

由于中国人民解放军海军正在对其补给和情报收集舰队进行重新编号，因此最后这艘船的确切身份尚不确定，但据信它是东平湖号，该舰之前的舷号为960。

与此同时，俄罗斯舰艇包括“无畏”级驱逐舰“特里布茨海军上将”号（564）和“潘捷列耶夫海军上将”号（548），“守护”级护卫舰“格罗姆基”号（335）和“俄罗斯联邦英雄阿尔达尔·齐登扎波夫”号（339），以及导弹靶场测量船“克雷洛夫元帅”号（331）。

日本海上自卫队密切监视着这支特遣舰队驶近日本水域的情况，扫雷舰青岛号和伊豆岛号在俄中舰艇通过津轻海峡时全程护航。此外，日本还从驻扎在八户的第二航空联队派出一架P-3C“猎户座”海上巡逻机，对特遣舰队进行监视。

当特遣舰队沿日本东海岸南下时，日本海上自卫队继续监视其进展，驱逐舰“山雾”号和“高波”号轮流监视，同时，日本航空自卫队的拦截机紧急升空，以应对从俄罗斯和中国舰艇上起飞的卡莫夫Ka-27和Ka-28直升机。

这些舰艇是两国海军参加10月14日至17日举行的“海上互动2021”演习的部分舰艇。俄罗斯国防部新闻稿称，中国人民解放军海军的一艘救援舰和一艘柴电攻击潜艇也参与了演习，而俄罗斯方面则派出了“乌斯季-博尔舍列茨克”号潜艇、两艘扫雷舰、一艘导弹艇和一艘救援拖船。

俄罗斯苏-30SM“侧卫”多用途战斗机和一些未指明的反潜飞机也参与了此次演习，演习内容包括舰炮实弹射击和反潜作战训练。俄罗斯方面还声称将一艘美国驱逐舰驱逐出演习水域，但美国海军表示，“查菲”号驱逐舰在演习区域关闭前已进入国际水域。

Mike Yeo 是《防务新闻》的亚洲通讯员。