Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley (WMEC 39) detected and followed a Russian Federation Vishnya-class naval vessel Monday, August 5, south of the Aleutian Islands, Alaska.
The U.S. Coast Guard says it located a Russian naval vessel south of Alaska’s Aleutian Islands.
The ship was detected by the crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley on Monday, Aug. 5, while patrolling about 30 nautical miles southeast of Amukta Pass, Alaska.
The Russian vessel was in international waters but within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone, which extends 200 nautical miles from the U.S. shoreline. The crew of the Alex Haley did not establish communication with the Russian vessel but confirmed its identity and monitored its transit eastward. An aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak also observed the ship.
“As a proud Alaska-homeported cutter, we patrol to uphold maritime governance and a rules-based international order. We met presence with presence to ensure there were no disruptions to U.S. interests in the maritime environment around Alaska,” said Cmdr. Steven Baldovsky, commanding officer of the Alex Haley.
The incident follows a similar encounter in July involving military ships from China. The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Kimball identified three vessels near the Aleutian Islands, and an additional vessel was spotted by an aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak.
The Chinese vessels, also transiting in international waters within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone, responded to U.S. Coast Guard radio communication, stating their purpose as “freedom of navigation operations.” The Kimball monitored the ships until they moved south of the Aleutian Islands into the North Pacific Ocean. The Coast Guard, in coordination with U.S. Northern Command, tracked the Chinese naval presence, noting similar encounters in the Bering Sea in September 2021 and 2022.
The patrols by the Alex Haley and Kimball were part of Operation Frontier Sentinel, a mission aimed at ensuring a presence when strategic competitors operate near U.S. waters.