PLA Navy Operations in the Korea Strait

(Source- Channel A News Top Ten, 02.27) Chinese Destroyer, staking out the Korea Strait? Why did the Chinese "Aegis" destroyer leave the West Sea and proceed into the Korea Strait?

Channel A News Top Ten on February 27 reported increased Chinese naval activity in the East Sea (Sea of Japan) region. An earlier program had reported the presence of a Chinese reconnaissance aircraft proceeding through the Korean air defense identification zone at various points on February 23, 2018. The Chinese Y-9 aircraft proceeded through the Korea Strait and into the East Sea on a northward track passing between the Korean islands of Uleungdo and Dokto and then turned southward to return to China. No prior notice of passage through the South Korean ADIZ was given by the Chinese. The unannounced reconnaissance flights from China tend to take place on a monthly basis.


(Source- Channel A News Top Ten, 02.27) China's provocative flight. Graphic shows April 23 flight route of Chinese reconnaissance aircraft Y-9 through the South Korean ADIZ, the Korea Strait and northward passing between the Korean islands of Uleungdo and Dokto.

The Top Ten program noted this event, and then proceeded to report and comment on PLA surface combatants entering the Korea Strait later the same day. Unlike the Y-9 aircraft's track, the timing and the route of the ships wasn't entirely clear from the description given. Sin In Kyun reported that there were three Chinese warships involved in the passage. One Luyang III Class DDG and two Jiangkai II class frigates. The overall impression given was that the operations of these Chinese warships in the East Sea/ Sea of Japan were somewhat unprecedented and possibly an indication of a new operational pattern for the PLA Navy. According to Shin In Kyun on his Defense Daily program, Dong A Ilbo and Japanese Fuji TV reported that the three Chinese surface combatants were already in a position south of Dokto in the East Sea on 23 February. Further Shin reported that according to the Japanese TV broadcast, the three Chinese warships had been operating in the area since February 16 when they were observed entering the Korea Strait on a northerly route. The Top Ten program speculated whether the Y-9 patrol was in fact a coordinated exercise with the surface combatants. According to Shin, this information was published on February 25. None of the Chinese surface ship movements were considered to have violated international law.


(Source- Channel A News Top Ten, 02.27) Regarded as China's "Aegis" destroyer, Luyang III Class DDG: Displacement 7200 tons; speed 56 km/h; HHQ9 anti-air missile (200km); YG18A supersonic antiship missile; range: high altitude mode 540 km, low altitude mode 220 km; terminal velocity Mach 2-4; S band phased array radar, detection range over 450 km; CJ-10 ship to land cruise missile, (1500 km).

Possible motivations of the Chinese naval mission through the Korea Strait were discussed. Among those were: (1) respond to US freedom of navigation missions in the Taiwan Strait and elsewhere; (2) Provoke uneasiness among the three allies Japan-US-South Korea: and (3) project regular Chinese naval presence with surface combatants in a new operational area. Flights near Dokto are an unpleasant reminder to Seoul of the dispute with Japan over its claim to the island. China apparently is invited to next October's Japanese International Naval Review while South Korea had not yet been invited. As the weakest naval power among the three allies, South Korea is uncomfortable with China's failure to respect its ADIZ and the widening of its surface warfare operational zone around the peninsula.