U.S. Coast Guard Tracks Russian Naval Vessel Near Alaska

The U.S. Coast Guard says it located a Russian Federation Vishnya-class naval vessel south of the Aleutian Islands, Alaska.

The vessel was detected by the crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley (WMEC 39) last Monday, August 5. while patrolling the area approximately 30 nautical miles southeast of Amukta Pass, Alaska.

The Russian vessel was found transiting in international waters but within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), which extends 200 nautical miles from the U.S. shoreline. The Alex Haley did not establish communication with the Russian vessel but confirmed its identity and monitored its transit eastward. An HC-130 air crew from Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak also observed the vessel.

“As a proud Alaska-homeported cutter, we patrol to uphold maritime governance and a rules-based international order. We met presence with presence to ensure there were no disruptions to U.S. interests in the maritime environment around Alaska,” said Cmdr. Steven Baldovsky, commanding officer of the Alex Haley.

The incident follows a similar encounter in July involving multiple military ships from the People’s Republic of China. The USCGC Kimball identified three vessels near the Aleutian Islands, and an additional vessel was spotted by an HC-130J aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak.

The Chinese vessels, also transiting in international waters within the U.S. EEZ, responded to U.S. Coast Guard radio communication, stating their purpose as “freedom of navigation operations.” The Coast Guard cutter Kimball monitored the ships until they moved south of the Aleutian Islands into the North Pacific Ocean. The Coast Guard, in coordination with U.S. Northern Command, tracked the Chinese naval presence, noting similar encounters in the Bering Sea in September 2021 and 2022.

The patrols by the USCGC Kimball and USCGC Alex Haley were part of Operation Frontier Sentinel, a mission aimed at ensuring a presence when strategic competitors operate near U.S. waters.

The incidents come as the U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker Healy is currently returning from its summer Arctic patrol early following an engineering compartment fire at the end of July. The Coast Guard’s only other icebreaker, the 50-year old Polar Star, is not available during summer as it is undergoing a service life extension program.