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A Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy Dakai-class submarine’s rescue vessel sailed through the Tsushima Strait, marking the first time a Chinese submarine support ship was spotted in the area, per Japanese officials.
The Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force said that the PLAN Ship with hull no. 841 was sighted around 205 miles west of Japan’s Goto Islands.
The Chinese vessel sailed through the Tsushima Strait to enter the Sea of Japan, per the Japan Joint Staff Office.
The PLAN ship was shadowed by Japanese patrol aircraft from Kanoya Air base on Kyushu and Fleet Air Wing 4 at Naval Air Facility Atsugi on the main island of Honshu.
The Dakai-class is the newest submarine rescue ship, which entered service in 2024.
Also, around 4:00 a.m. on Thursday, PLAN destroyers CNS Urmuqi and CNS Shoxinf and fleet oiler CNS Qiandaohu were sighted sailing northeast in the area 55 miles west of the Goto islands. The surface group sailed via the Tsushima Strait to enter the Sea of Japan.
Japan’s fast attack craft JS Shirataka and a P-1 MPA of Fleet Air Wing 1 carried out surveillance on the PLAN vessels.
It remains unknown whether the PLAN ships are conducting their own operations or heading to a bilateral agreement with the Russian Pacific Fleet.
The Russian Navy started its July Storm Fleet readiness exercise on Wednesday. The drills involved forces from the Russian Navy’s Northern, Pacific and Baltic Fleets and the Caspian Flotilla.
In 2024, the PLAN participated in the Pacific part of the Russian Navy’s Ocean 2024 exercise. PLAN ships have also transited through the Sea of Japan to conduct long-range deployments up to the Bering Sea.
It is not known if the Dakai-class 841 is on a submarine support deployment or a training journey before its submarine support deployments.
Earlier this week, PLAN Dongdiao-class surveillance ship Tianlangxing (794) was seen 80 miles northeast of Miyako Island before entering the East China Sea.