US has sent USS Dewey near an artificial island built by China in the disputed South China
Sea as part of the first "freedom of navigation" operation under President Donald Trump, prompting
Beijing to strongly condemn the "provocative action."
USS Dewey made the patrol near Mischief Reef, where China has built an artificial outpost
equipped with an airfield.
The U.S. carries out freedom of navigation operations by sending navy ships and aircraft
near disputed territory to demonstrate the right to fly and sail through what it considers
to be international waters and airspace.
In this video, Defense Updates analyzes the capabilities of USS Dewey in 5 points and
then checks out Chinese reaction.
Lets get started.
USS Dewey (DDG-105) 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), Ballistic Missile Defense, Anti Submarine Warfare (ASW) and
Anti Surface warfare (ASuW).
It was build by Ingalls Shipbuilding, and was commissioned on 6 March 2010.
USS Dewey is part of Destroyer Squadron 1 of Carrier Strike Group One, whose flagship
is the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70).
USS Dewey being an Arleigh Burke class destroyer is among the largest destroyers in the world.
It has an overall length of 509 feet (154 to 155 m) and displacement of about 9,200 tons.
USS Dewey is considerably larger than China’s largest destroyer the Type 52D, which has
displacement of about 7500 tons
It has a speed of 30+ knots (55+ km/h) and range of 4,400 nmi (8,100 km).
The Arleigh Burke class of guided missile destroyers is the United States Navy's first
class of destroyer built around the Aegis Combat System.
The Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System is a US Department of Defense Missile Defense
Agency program developed to provide missile defense against short to intermediate-range
ballistic missiles.
Aegis BMD is designed to intercept ballistic missiles post-boost phase and prior to reentry.
It enables USS Dewey 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 either the SM-2 or SM-3 missile.
SM-3 missile having range of 2,500 km & speed of Mach 10.2 is expected to be particularly effective.
The heart of the AEGIS systems on board the USS Dewey is an advanced, automatic detect
and track, multifunctional phased-array radar, the AN/SPY-1.
This high-powered (4 MW) radar is able to perform search, track and missile guidance
functions simultaneously with a capability of over 100 targets.
A conventional, mechanically rotating radar "sees" a target when the radar beam strikes
that target once during each 360-degree rotation of the antenna.
A separate tracking radar is then required to engage each target.
By contrast, the computer-controlled AN/SPY-1A Phased Array Radar of the AEGIS system brings
these functions together within one system.
The phased array can concentrate energy where it is needed.
The operator can boost the range and resolution in a particular direction without blinding
the ship to threats from another side.
The 4 fixed arrays of "SPY" send out beams of electromagnetic energy in all directions
simultaneously, continuously providing a search and tracking capability for hundreds of target
at the same time.
USS DEWEY is one of the most heavily armed destroyers in the world.
It is designed to be a multi weapons platform:
It has 96 cell Mk 41 VLS (Vertical Launching System), which can be configured with combination of the different weapons
based on mission.
Here are some important once.
1. Tomahawk cruise missile for Land attack.
2. RIM-66M Standard medium range SAM for air defense.
3. RIM-161 Standard missiles for AEGIS ballistic missile defense.
It also has 2 × Mk 141 Harpoon Missile Launcher for Anti Ship role.
2 × Mark 32 triple torpedo tubes are present for launching Mk-46 or Mk-50 torpedoes
2 MH-60R Seahawk LAMPS III helicopters, are also present for Anti Submarine Warfare.
Other than that, it is equipped with long-range naval gun, and multiple Close In Weapon System(CIWS).
In recent years China has reclaimed thousands of acres of land and shoved away boats from
other claimant states like the Philippines and Vietnam.
China’s sweeping claims of sovereignty over the sea have antagonized competing claimants
Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, Taiwan, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
United States, Japan & India favors freedom of navigation as it is a very important sea
route with 5 trillion $ in trade, 1/2 of global merchant shipping, and 1/2 of world’s
oil shipment pass through it.
The sea also has alleged 11 billion barrels of untapped oil and 190 trillion cubic feet
of natural gas.
U.S action signal more resolute approach in dealing with China.
A visibly concerned Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said:
“China respects and upholds the freedom of navigation and overflight in the South
China Sea, which countries enjoy under international law, but firmly opposes any country’s attempt
to undermine China’s sovereignty and security in the name of the freedom of navigation and overflight”.