South China Sea: US Navy Planning Classified Operation With Warships, Aircraft [Report]

A classified proposal has been drawn up by the U.S. Navy's Pacific Fleet to carry out a series of operations in the South China Sea during a single week in November, as a show of global force and warning to China.

According to a CNN report, the exercises involving warships, combat aircraft and troops will be aimed at demonstrating to Beijing how prepared United States was to counter potential adversaries on several fronts in the short period of time.

While such missions were not uncommon for the U.S. military to carry out, stretched out over a year, the November proposal was different as it called for several such operations to be conducted within seven days. However, defense officials, who spoke to the publication, said the operations did not involve entering into combat with their Chinese counterparts.

The existence of such a proposal was denied by the Pentagon.

"As the secretary of defense has said on countless occasions, we don't comment on future operations of any kind," said Lt. Col. David Eastburn, a Pentagon spokesman.

While one official said the proposal was “just an idea,” CNN reported the classified operation already had a name of its own, although what that was, is not known. Certain details about the proposal were also reported. For instance, it involved sailing and flying U.S. ships and aircraft respectively, near portions of South China Sea and Taiwan Strait, which have been claimed by China in order to establish the right of free passage in international waters.

The proposal also involved U.S. ships and aircraft operating in close proximity to Chinese forces, which was reminiscent of a particular incident over the weekend that was dubbed as an "unsafe" encounter between the U.S. and Chinese destroyers in the South China Sea.

Chinese destroyer Lanzhou came within 45 yards of the USS Decatur while the latter was sailing within 22 kilometers (12 nautical miles) of the Gaven and Johnson Reefs in the Spratly Islands, which have been claimed by China.

Pictures of the encounter was posted on Twitter by gCaptain, a blog dedicated to maritime professionals. Although the photos were not released by a governmental agency, a U.S. navy official confirmed to Global News they were authentic.

Royal Australian Navy Commodore Richard Menhinick said based on the photos it appeared China was violating the International Law of the Sea.

“It’s certainly uncomfortable, it’s certainly not what’s supposed to happen under the Law of the Sea,” Menhinick said. “The Law of the Sea is designed to have a ‘give way’ vessel and another vessel, and not to end up in situations like that.”

While China’s defense ministry said a Chinese naval ship had been sent to warn its U.S. counterpart to leave, U.S. Pacific Fleet spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Tim Gorman said the former vessel “conducted a series of increasingly aggressive maneuvers accompanied by warnings for Decatur to depart the area.”

Following the encounter, Vice President Mike Pence was scheduled to deliver a speech Thursday warning China in no uncertain words their aggressive tactics in the South China Sea will not make the U.S. back down.

“Despite such reckless harassment, the United States navy will continue to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows and our national interests demand. We will not be intimidated. We will not stand down,” Pence will say, according to excerpts of the speech seen by Reuters.