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US Navy keeps closer watch on China submarines, Beijing think tank says
- Surveillance ships said to be operating in South China Sea on most days this year
- Waters area near the Paracel Islands, off Vietnam, is a hotspot of activity
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The United States’ surveillance of China’s submarines is happening far more often in the South China Sea, a think tank says, a sign that military activity between the two countries is heating up under the water.
The US has five USNS (United States Naval Ship) ocean surveillance vessels – Victorious, Able, Effective, Loyal and Impeccable – stationed in Japan.
The ships, which can be used in anti-submarine warfare, were tracked operating in the South China Sea for at least 161 days out of 181 days in the first half of this year, according to a report from the Beijing-based South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative (SCSPI) think tank on Tuesday.
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It said each of the ships were active in the area for more than 10 days, and sometimes for as many as 40 days, deployed one after another with virtually no time in between.
“[The main purpose was] to monitor the dynamics of China’s underwater forces, analyse the scope of submarine activities in key waters and their entry and exit routes, and provide intelligence support for anti-submarine operations,” the report said.
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