US destroyer emphasises right of free passage

Once again, the US Navy has sent a destroyer into the waters around the Paracel Islands. In doing so, the United States is emphasising its right to free passage in these disputed waters. The Paracel Islands are located in the China Sea, around 350 kilometres east of the Vietnamese coast. Both China and Vietnam and Taiwan consider the tiny islands to be part of their territory and require ships wishing to transit these waters to either notify them in advance or obtain authorisation. According to the US Navy, the USS Benfold deliberately ignored these demands in order to send a signal in favour of the right to free passage. Time and again, individual ships of the US Navy, but also other navies, cross the waters in the South China Sea with this intention. Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOPs) are condemned with the same regularity, particularly by China. This was also the case this time. A spokesperson for the Chinese military explained that units from the navy and air force of the PLA Southern Theatre Command had tracked and monitored the US destroyer. The ship had also been ordered to leave the waters. At the same time, he emphasised that it was China's legal territory and that the US military had endangered security and peace in the region with its actions. America had been warned to stop the provocations, otherwise the country would have to bear the consequences.
The deployed USS Benfold is a ship of the Arleigh-Burke-class and was commissioned in 1996. The home port of the destroyer, which belongs to the US 7th Fleet, is the Japanese port of Yokosuka. The 154 metre long warship has a maximum displacement of around 9000 tonnes. It is armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles and SM-2s, which can be fired from two Mk41 launchers with 29 and 61 cells. There are also Harpoon FKs and a 127-millimetre cannon.

Text: mb; Photo: US Navy