China and Russia have carried out a joint naval operation near the US territory of Alaska, prompting a forceful response from the US Navy, according to a report by Fox News Digital.
The report, citing Senator Dan Sullivan of Alaska, who was briefed on the matter by US defense officials, said that the joint operation involved 11 ships from both countries and approached Alaska’s southwestern coast earlier this week.
The report said that the US Navy deployed four destroyers and P-8 Poseidon aircraft to shadow and guide the Chinese and Russian ships away from American waters. The ships did not enter US territorial waters, but came close to the Aleutian Islands.
Sullivan told Fox News Digital that the joint operation was unprecedented in terms of its size and scope, and that it showed the increasing aggression of China and Russia, who are the main adversaries of the US.
He also said that the US response was significantly improved compared to a similar incident that occurred in September 2022, when the US sent only a Coast Guard cutter to monitor a smaller Chinese and Russian flotilla near the same area.
The joint operation comes amid rising tensions in the Asia-Pacific region, where China and Russia have been expanding their military presence and cooperation. In December 2022, the two countries held a weeklong live-fire naval exercise in the East China Sea, near Japan.
Japan, a key ally of the US, has recently announced that it will increase its defense budget and acquire long-range weapons, citing growing threats to its security environment from China and Russia.
The US has also been strengthening its alliances and partnerships in the region, such as with Australia, India, and South Korea, to counter the challenges posed by China and Russia.
The report by Fox News Digital is based on information from Senator Sullivan and unnamed US defense officials. Neither China nor Russia have officially commented on the joint operation near Alaska.