The USS Barry on Thursday transited the Taiwan Strait, the US Seventh Fleet said yesterday.
The vessel made the transit “during routine underway operations ... in support of security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region,” the US Seventh Fleet said on Facebook.
Earlier yesterday, the Ministry of National Defense said that a US warship had sailed through the Taiwan Strait in a southerly direction, but it did not identify the vessel or say when the transit occurred.
US Seventh Fleet spokesman Lieutenant Anthony Junco identified the vessel involved as the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Barry, saying that it had conducted a “routine Taiwan Strait transit” in accordance with international law.
“The ship’s transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the US’ commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. The US Navy will continue to fly, sail and operate anywhere international law allows,” he said.
The USS Barry had previously transited the Taiwan Strait, also from north to south, on April 10, the same day that Chinese fighter jets drilled in waters close to Taiwan.
On Thursday, the ministry said that it had been monitoring the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning, which on Wednesday passed east through the Bashi Strait south of Taiwan after conducting training exercises in the South China Sea.
The ministry released a black-and-white aerial surveillance photograph of the Liaoning, but did not say when or where it was taken.
China has frequently carried out drills near Taiwan in the past few months, including flying fighter jets and nuclear-capable bombers near the nation, in moves denounced by Taipei as attempts at intimidation.
Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), an analyst at the government-funded Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the frequent appearances by US vessels are a form of “military public diplomacy” aimed at signaling the US’ commitment to the region, despite the Chinese military’s efforts to expand its influence in the Asia-Pacific region.
Additional reporting by Reuters
DEFENSE: The first set of three NASAMS that were previously purchased is expected to be delivered by the end of this year and deployed near the capital, sources said Taiwan plans to procure 28 more sets of M-142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), as well as nine additional sets of National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), military sources said yesterday. Taiwan had previously purchased 29 HIMARS launchers from the US and received the first 11 last year. Once the planned purchases are completed and delivered, Taiwan would have 57 sets of HIMARS. The army has also increased the number of MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) purchased from 64 to 84, the sources added. Each HIMARS launch pod can carry six Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems, capable of
Authorities have detained three former Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TMSC, 台積電) employees on suspicion of compromising classified technology used in making 2-nanometer chips, the Taiwan High Prosecutors’ Office said yesterday. Prosecutors are holding a former TSMC engineer surnamed Chen (陳) and two recently sacked TSMC engineers, including one person surnamed Wu (吳) in detention with restricted communication, following an investigation launched on July 25, a statement said. The announcement came a day after Nikkei Asia reported on the technology theft in an exclusive story, saying TSMC had fired two workers for contravening data rules on advanced chipmaking technology. Two-nanometer wafers are the most
TRAJECTORY: The severe tropical storm is predicted to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday, and would influence the nation to varying degrees, a forecaster said The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it would likely issue a sea warning for Tropical Storm Podul tomorrow morning and a land warning that evening at the earliest. CWA forecaster Lin Ting-yi (林定宜) said the severe tropical storm is predicted to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was moving west at 21kph and packing sustained winds of 108kph and gusts of up to 136.8kph, the CWA said. Lin said that the tropical storm was about 1,710km east of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, with two possible trajectories over the next one
Tropical Storm Podul strengthened into a typhoon at 8pm yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, with a sea warning to be issued late last night or early this morning. As of 8pm, the typhoon was 1,020km east of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, moving west at 23kph. The storm carried maximum sustained winds of 119kph and gusts reaching 155kph, the CWA said. Based on the tropical storm’s trajectory, a land warning could be issued any time from midday today, it added. CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張竣堯) said Podul is a fast-moving storm that is forecast to bring its heaviest rainfall and strongest
RSS