The U.S. Coast Guard intensifies Arctic surveillance, monitoring five Chinese research vessels near Alaska with new icebreakers and aerial patrols.
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| Photo: US Coast Guard |
In mid‑August 2025, the U.S. Coast Guard Arctic District intensified its monitoring of five research vessels identified as Chinese‑associated—Xue Long 2 (China‑flagged), Shen Hai Yi Hao (China‑flagged), Zhong Shan Da Xue Ji Di (Liberia‑flagged), Ji Di (China‑flagged), and Tan Suo San Hao (China‑flagged)—all operating over the U.S. Extended Continental Shelf in the Arctic. A C‑130J Hercules aircraft from Kodiak Air Station dispatched on August 13 queried these vessels under Operation Frontier Sentinel, aimed at countering foreign malign influence in the far north.
Rear Admiral Bob Little, commander of the Coast Guard Arctic District, emphasized that the recent commissioning of the polar icebreaker USCGC Storis (WAGB‑21) and the fast response cutter USCGC Earl Cunningham (WPC‑1159) enhances the service’s ability to “control, secure, and defend Alaska’s U.S. border and maritime approaches.” He added, “As we continue to grow our surface fleet, we utilize our aviation resources, which play a vital role in countering foreign malign influence”.
This wave of activity marks the latest in an upward trend: earlier in August, the Coast Guard also responded to two vessels—the Ji Di and Zhong Shan Da Xue Ji Di—in the Bering Sea and Chukchi Sea, with both air and cutter assets deployed. In July, a C‑130 queried the Xue Long 2 about 290 nautical miles north of Utqiagvik.