JUNEAU, Alaska — The US Coast Guard detected and responded to the China-flagged research ship Xue Long 2 on the US Extended Continental Shelf (ECS) in the US Arctic, approximately 290 NM north of Utqiagvik, Alaska, Friday.
A Coast Guard C-130J Hercules fixed wing aircraft from Air Station Kodiak responded to the Xue Long 2, an icebreaker operated by the Polar Research Institute of China and 130 NM inside the ECS boundary.
The US has exclusive rights to conserve and manage the living and non-living resources of its ECS.
“The US Coast Guard, alongside partners and other agencies, vigilantly monitors and responds to foreign government vessel activity in and near US waters to secure territorial integrity and defend sovereign interests against malign state activity,” said Rear Adm. Bob Little, Commander of the US Coast Guard Arctic District.
The C-130J aircraft was operating under Coast Guard Arctic District’s Operation Frontier Sentinel, which is designed to meet presence with presence in response to adversary activity in or near Alaskan waters.