China-Australia maritime incident shows up Beijing’s concerns about submarine-detecting sonobuoys

China says close surveillance of its PLA flotilla by an Australian patrol plane and the dropping of a sonar system 4km from its ships were ‘provocative actions’

Observers say Beijing is likely concerned about Western powers gaining intelligence about its subs and their movements

3-MIN READ3-MIN

99+

Crew on the French frigate Vendémiaire said they were watched by a Chinese frigate as they conducted navy diver training in the South China Sea on February 20. Source: Twitter

Published: 11:00am, 23 Feb 2022Updated: 12:21pm, 23 Feb 2022

Beijing is concerned about the release of sonobuoys by foreign aircraft and warships close to Chinese vessels because of their capacity to collect information about submarines for Western militaries, according to military analysts.

Reconnaissance conducted by an Australian P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft near Chinese warships passing through the Arafura Sea last week suggested the aircraft detected Chinese submarines underwater, Macau-based military analyst Antony Wong Tong said. The waterway sits between the northern coast of Australia and the southern coast of New Guinea.

“Sonobuoys released into the water would not harm the safety of surface warships, but such a move made the People’s Liberation Army nervous,” Wong said.

The Chinese defence ministry says an Australian patrol aircraft carried out close surveillance and dropped sonobuoys in waters near Chinese warships as “provocative actions”. Source: Twitter

On Monday, the Chinese defence ministry accused Australia of having its P-8A patrol aircraft release sonobuoys, a small floating sonar system, near a Chinese flotilla that included a Type 052D destroyer, a Type 054A frigate, a Type 071 amphibious transport dock and a Type 903 replenishment ship, during their engagement in Australia’s exclusive economic zone on February 17.

“The P-8A is very close to the Chinese warships, just 4km [2.8 miles],” spokesperson Tan Kefei said. “The close surveillance and release of sonobuoys are provocative actions that can easily lead to misunderstanding and misjudgments.”

Tan’s statement was a response to Australia’s protest to Beijing on Saturday that the Type 054A frigate had directed a laser at the P-8A in flight on Thursday. Tan denied Australia’s allegation but said the sonobuoys released by the Australian aircraft posed “a threat to the safety of ships, aircraft and personnel of both sides”.

Collin Koh, a research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University, said releasing sonobuoys in waters at least 4km from warships would not harm them.