Latest news with #USNSVictorious
Miami Herald
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Map Shows US Missile-Tracking Ship Pinging Off China's Coast
A United States special mission vessel—designed to monitor missile launches—was spotted underway off China's coast in the Yellow Sea last month, according to ship-tracking data. Newsweek reached out to the U.S. Seventh Fleet, which is responsible for America's naval operations in the western Pacific, and China's Defense Ministry for comment via email. Under the Special Mission program, the U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command operates approximately 20 ships, including the USNS Howard O. Lorenzen, the country's only missile range instrumentation ship, which provides support for military and other government missions. The presence of the Howard O. Lorenzen—capable of collecting data on missile launches—near the Chinese coastline comes as the Pentagon warns of a growing missile threat posed by China to U.S. bases, allies, and partners in the Indo-Pacific region. Another U.S. "Special Mission" ship, the ocean surveillance ship USNS Victorious, was tracked operating in the contested South China Sea from late May to early June. The ship is designed to collect undersea acoustic data in support of anti-submarine warfare development. Using open-source ship-tracking data, a Newsweek map shows that the Howard O. Lorenzen was underway in Sasebo Bay, located in western Japan, on June 6. It later transited across the East China Sea and reached the Yellow Sea to the northwest, near China's eastern coast. The American missile-tracking ship was last tracked in the Yellow Sea on June 26, about 100 miles off the Chinese coastline—well beyond the country's 13.8-mile-wide territorial waters—and near Yuchi Naval Base, home to China's first aircraft carrier, CNS Liaoning. The mission of the Howard O. Lorenzen near China remains unclear. Equipped with a radar system known as Cobra King, the 12,642-ton ship serves as the sea-based component of the Pentagon's Cobra program, monitoring missile and space launches, according to the U.S. Air Force. The Chinese military has yet to announce any missile launches, and it is unclear whether the Howard O. Lorenzen was shadowed by the Chinese navy while operating in the Yellow Sea. In addition to the deployment of a missile-tracking ship, a U.S. Air Force RC-135S Cobra Ball aircraft—capable of collecting optical and electronic data on ballistic targets—was spotted flying over the Yellow Sea on June 24, according to open-source flight-tracking data. The sensor-equipped aircraft was launched from Kadena Air Base, a U.S. airpower outpost on Japan's Okinawa Island. It arrived for forward deployment in early June, replacing another Cobra Ball aircraft that was returning to Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska. The U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command said: "Missile range instrumentation ships serve as platforms for monitoring missile launches and collecting data that can be used to improve missile efficiency and accuracy. These ships monitor foreign missile and weapons tests that may pose potential threats to air or surface navigation." The U.S. Air Forcesaid: "The RC-135S, equipped with a sophisticated array of optical and electronic sensors, recording media, and communications equipment, is a national asset uniquely suited to provide America's leaders and defense community with vital information that cannot be obtained by any other source." It remains to be seen how long the Howard O. Lorenzen will remain deployed in the Yellow Sea, and whether other "Special Mission" ships will operate in waters surrounding China. Related Articles Map Shows Major US Naval Presence in West Pacific Amid China RivalryUS Military Issues Update on China's Rocket Force ThreatChina Research Ship Spotted on NATO's DoorstepRepublican Says 'Most' of Iran's Uranium Is Still There 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Newsweek
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Map Shows US Missile-Tracking Ship Pinging Off China's Coast
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A United States special mission vessel—designed to monitor missile launches—was spotted underway off China's coast in the Yellow Sea last month, according to ship-tracking data. Newsweek reached out to the U.S. Seventh Fleet, which is responsible for America's naval operations in the western Pacific, and China's Defense Ministry for comment via email. Why It Matters Under the Special Mission program, the U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command operates approximately 20 ships, including the USNS Howard O. Lorenzen, the country's only missile range instrumentation ship, which provides support for military and other government missions. The presence of the Howard O. Lorenzen—capable of collecting data on missile launches—near the Chinese coastline comes as the Pentagon warns of a growing missile threat posed by China to U.S. bases, allies, and partners in the Indo-Pacific region. Another U.S. "Special Mission" ship, the ocean surveillance ship USNS Victorious, was tracked operating in the contested South China Sea from late May to early June. The ship is designed to collect undersea acoustic data in support of anti-submarine warfare development. What To Know Using open-source ship-tracking data, a Newsweek map shows that the Howard O. Lorenzen was underway in Sasebo Bay, located in western Japan, on June 6. It later transited across the East China Sea and reached the Yellow Sea to the northwest, near China's eastern coast. USNS Howard O. Lorenzen (T-AGM-25) Missile Range Instrumentation Ship leaving Sasebo, Japan this week - posted June 7, 2025 SRC: TW-WarshipCam — WarshipCam (@WarshipCam) June 7, 2025 The American missile-tracking ship was last tracked in the Yellow Sea on June 26, about 100 miles off the Chinese coastline—well beyond the country's 13.8-mile-wide territorial waters—and near Yuchi Naval Base, home to China's first aircraft carrier, CNS Liaoning. The mission of the Howard O. Lorenzen near China remains unclear. Equipped with a radar system known as Cobra King, the 12,642-ton ship serves as the sea-based component of the Pentagon's Cobra program, monitoring missile and space launches, according to the U.S. Air Force. The Chinese military has yet to announce any missile launches, and it is unclear whether the Howard O. Lorenzen was shadowed by the Chinese navy while operating in the Yellow Sea. In addition to the deployment of a missile-tracking ship, a U.S. Air Force RC-135S Cobra Ball aircraft—capable of collecting optical and electronic data on ballistic targets—was spotted flying over the Yellow Sea on June 24, according to open-source flight-tracking data. The sensor-equipped aircraft was launched from Kadena Air Base, a U.S. airpower outpost on Japan's Okinawa Island. It arrived for forward deployment in early June, replacing another Cobra Ball aircraft that was returning to Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska. What People Are Saying The U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command said: "Missile range instrumentation ships serve as platforms for monitoring missile launches and collecting data that can be used to improve missile efficiency and accuracy. These ships monitor foreign missile and weapons tests that may pose potential threats to air or surface navigation." The U.S. Air Force said: "The RC-135S, equipped with a sophisticated array of optical and electronic sensors, recording media, and communications equipment, is a national asset uniquely suited to provide America's leaders and defense community with vital information that cannot be obtained by any other source." What Happens Next It remains to be seen how long the Howard O. Lorenzen will remain deployed in the Yellow Sea, and whether other "Special Mission" ships will operate in waters surrounding China.
Miami Herald
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Map Shows US ‘Special Mission' Ship in Waters Near China
A specialized United States naval vessel capable of collecting critical underwater data was recently tracked operating in the contested South China Sea, according to a Newsweek map. The U.S. Seventh Fleet, which maintains America's naval presence in the Western Pacific and Indian Oceans, confirmed to Newsweek that USNS Victorious, an ocean surveillance ship, was operating in the South China Sea as part of what it called "routine operations." Newsweek has also contacted the Chinese Defense Ministry for comment by email. Territorial disputes in the energy-rich South China Sea remain unresolved, with overlapping sovereignty claims by several countries-including China and the Philippines-frequently leading to confrontations and clashes at sea between maritime forces of rival claimants. Strategically, the South China Sea serves as a vital gateway for naval deployments between the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Both the U.S. and China maintain a persistent naval presence in the region-including the deployment of aircraft carriers-as they jostle for dominance. Using open-source ship-tracking data, a Newsweek map shows that the Victorious has been operating in the South China Sea since at least May 22, when it was spotted in the Luzon Strait-a waterway connecting the South China Sea and the Philippine Sea-heading south. The map shows the ocean surveillance ship, equipped with a Surveillance Towed-Array Sensor System (SURTASS) for collecting undersea acoustic data in support of anti-submarine warfare, was last tracked underway in the central South China Sea on Tuesday. A Chinese think tank, the South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative, claimed that the Victorious operated "intensively" near the Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal. China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Brunei have all laid claim to the Spratly Islands, while Scarborough Shoal-a fishing ground located within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone-has been under Chinese control since 2012 after a standoff. The Victorious' mission remains unclear. The ship was spotted transiting southward through the Uraga Channel-located south of Tokyo, Japan-in early May. It is also one of the so-called "Special Mission" ships that support U.S. military and other government operations. The presence of a U.S. ocean surveillance ship, tasked with detecting and tracking undersea threats, coincides with China's stationing of its nuclear-powered submarines at a base facing the South China Sea, which includes an underground facility designed to protect them. The U.S. Seventh Fleet said in a statement to Newsweek: "Every day the U.S. [Seventh] Fleet operates to protect security, freedom, and prosperity for the U.S. and our allies and partners." An unnamed spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on June 1: "On the South China Sea, there has never been any problem with regard to freedom of navigation and overflight there … It is the U.S. who is the primary factor that is hurting the peace and stability in the South China Sea." China continues to enhance its presence in the South China Sea by deploying naval and Coast Guard vessels, asserting its sovereignty claims in the disputed waters. Related Articles Satellite Photo Shows US Fighters and Bombers at Key Air BaseIran Threatens Israel's Nuclear Sites as Trump Blocks Strike PlanChina Releases Photos of Aircraft Carriers Beyond First Island ChainHow to Watch United States vs Switzerland: Live Stream Men's International Friendly, TV Channel 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Newsweek
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Map Shows US 'Special Mission' Ship in Waters Near China
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A specialized United States naval vessel capable of collecting critical underwater data was recently tracked operating in the contested South China Sea, according to a Newsweek map. The U.S. Seventh Fleet, which maintains America's naval presence in the Western Pacific and Indian Oceans, confirmed to Newsweek that USNS Victorious, an ocean surveillance ship, was operating in the South China Sea as part of what it called "routine operations." Newsweek has also contacted the Chinese Defense Ministry for comment by email. Why It Matters Territorial disputes in the energy-rich South China Sea remain unresolved, with overlapping sovereignty claims by several countries—including China and the Philippines—frequently leading to confrontations and clashes at sea between maritime forces of rival claimants. Strategically, the South China Sea serves as a vital gateway for naval deployments between the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Both the U.S. and China maintain a persistent naval presence in the region—including the deployment of aircraft carriers—as they jostle for dominance. What To Know Using open-source ship-tracking data, a Newsweek map shows that the Victorious has been operating in the South China Sea since at least May 22, when it was spotted in the Luzon Strait—a waterway connecting the South China Sea and the Philippine Sea—heading south. The map shows the ocean surveillance ship, equipped with a Surveillance Towed-Array Sensor System (SURTASS) for collecting undersea acoustic data in support of anti-submarine warfare, was last tracked underway in the central South China Sea on Tuesday. A Chinese think tank, the South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative, claimed that the Victorious operated "intensively" near the Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal. China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Brunei have all laid claim to the Spratly Islands, while Scarborough Shoal—a fishing ground located within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone—has been under Chinese control since 2012 after a standoff. The Victorious' mission remains unclear. The ship was spotted transiting southward through the Uraga Channel—located south of Tokyo, Japan—in early May. It is also one of the so-called "Special Mission" ships that support U.S. military and other government operations. The presence of a U.S. ocean surveillance ship, tasked with detecting and tracking undersea threats, coincides with China's stationing of its nuclear-powered submarines at a base facing the South China Sea, which includes an underground facility designed to protect them. What People Are Saying The U.S. Seventh Fleet said in a statement to Newsweek: "Every day the U.S. [Seventh] Fleet operates to protect security, freedom, and prosperity for the U.S. and our allies and partners." An unnamed spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on June 1: "On the South China Sea, there has never been any problem with regard to freedom of navigation and overflight there … It is the U.S. who is the primary factor that is hurting the peace and stability in the South China Sea." What Happens Next China continues to enhance its presence in the South China Sea by deploying naval and Coast Guard vessels, asserting its sovereignty claims in the disputed waters.
