A U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer moved through the
Taiwan Strait on Tuesday, the service announced.
A spokesperson for U.S. 7th Fleet
confirmed to USNI News that USS Milius initiated the transit on Monday and finished on Tuesday.
Lt. Nicholas Lingo said in a statement, “Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer
USS Milius (DDG 69) conducted a routine Taiwan Strait transit
Nov. 23 (local time) through international waters in accordance with international law. The ship’s
transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the U.S. commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.
The United States military flies, sails, and operates anywhere international law allows.”
U.S Navy has conducted multiple FONOPS (Freedom of Navigation Operation) in the
South China Sea and continues to do so.
In this video Defense Updates analyzes why China is helplessly protesting the
Taiwan Strait transit of USS Milius? Let's get into the details.
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China considers Taiwan as part of its territory
and is willing to bring it back into its fold even if it requires force.
In this context, it is important to note that in Jan last year Taiwanese voters have re-elected
incumbent president Tsai Ing-Wen in a landslide election. This is seen as a
sharp rebuke to Beijing and its attempts to intimidate and lure Taiwan into China’s fold.
She easily defeated her opponent Han Kuo-yu, whose Kuomintang party promotes closer ties with China.
Since this, China has postured aggressively against Taiwan
Taiwan Strait is part of the larger dispute of the South China Sea region.
China claims almost 90% of the South China Sea. It said that it
has "indisputable sovereignty" over the area. Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei,
and Taiwan have disputed these claims. The route is significant as about $5 trillion
in trade through shipping passes each year. Countries like the US, Japan and India have
no claims in the area and want ‘Freedom of Navigation’ as per international maritime laws.
USS Milius is an Arleigh Burke class-guided missile destroyer in the United States Navy.
Arleigh Burke-class warships were designed as multi-mission destroyers capable of
Anti Aircraft Warfare (AAW), Anti Submarine Warfare (ASW) and Anti Surface Warfare (ASuW).
USS Milius being an Arleigh Burke class destroyer is among the largest
destroyers built in the United States. It has an overall length of 509 feet
(155 m) and a displacement of about 9,200 tons. USS Milius is powered by 4 × General Electric
LM2500-30 gas turbines producing 100,000 hp (75 MW) that drive 2 shafts.
The warship has a top speed of 35 mph or 55 km/h and a range of 5,030 miles or 8,100 km
The Arleigh Burke class of guided missile destroyers (DDGs)
is the United States Navy's first class of destroyers built around the Aegis Combat System.
It enables USS Milius to shoot down enemy ballistic missiles by expanding the Aegis
Combat System with the addition of the AN/SPY-1 radar and Standard missile technologies. Aegis
BMD-equipped vessels can transmit their target detection information to other systems and,
if needed, engage potential threats using Standard Missile technologies.
USS Milius is a potent platform and is capable of carrying out different kinds of missions.
The main firepower is accommodated in the 96 cells Mk 41 Vertical Launch System (VLS)
which is divided into two blocks of 32 & 64 cells.
These can be configured with the combination of the following weapons, based on the mission
requirements and is able to house weapons like RIM-66M-5 Standard SM-2MR Block IIIB
for Air Defense & Anti Ship role, RIM-161 SM-3 for Ballistic missile defense and Anti Ship mission,
BGM-109 Tomahawk for land attack,
RIM-162A ESSM for missile defense role, RUM-139A VL-ASROC anti-submarine missile to name a few.
The warship also possess 2 × Mk 141 Harpoon Missile Launcher for Anti Ship role as well
as 2 × Mark 32 triple torpedo tubes for launching Mk-46 or Mk-50 torpedoes
USS Milius also has two MH-60R Seahawk LAMPS III helicopters for Anti Submarine Warfare.
Other than these, it is equipped with a long-range naval gun and multiple Close-In Weapon Systems.
USS Milius can take on Chinese military aircraft, submarines as well as surface combatants.
It is heavily armed and any misadventure from the Chinese side will result in massive retaliation.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said US warships have been “flexing muscle
and stirring up trouble in the Taiwan Strait repeatedly in the name of freedom of navigation.”
Zhao told reporters at a daily news briefing, “This is not a commitment to freedom and openness,
but a deliberate attempt to disrupt and undermine regional peace and stability"
Over the years, China has built a number of military installations
in the reclaimed islands in the SCS
and deployed a large fleet of its naval ships and submarines in a bit to dominate the region.
Its funny and pure hypocrisy that China is alleging that US is creating tensions.
US Navy's presence is a major problem for Chinese strategists and there is no way around this
with the US increasing its focus on the Indo- Pacific, much to the dismay of China.