The Australian Defense Force is monitoring a four-ship People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) task group operating in the Philippine Sea, officials said Wednesday.
“We are aware the task group is composed of four ships, a Yushen landing helicopter dock assault, a Renhai-class cruiser, a Jiangkai-class frigate and Fuchi-class replenishment vessel, an Australian P-8 observed the task group on the evening of the second of December in the Philippine Sea, approximately 500 nautical miles north of Palau,” Adm. David Johnson, chief of Australia’s defense force, told the Australian Senate during a committee hearing Wednesday.
Johnson did not specify the names of the ships but satellite imagery company Vantor, in a release provided to USNI News, said the task group was made up of cruiser CNS Yan’an (106), a Type 054/054A frigate, amphibious assault ship CNS Hainan (31) and fleet oiler CNS Luomahu (907).
“We will continue to monitor this task group as we learn more about its direction, its purpose and intent,” Johnson said in the Senate hearing.
Australian Senator Sarah Henderson asked if the Defense Department considered it likely that the PLAN task group would make its way to near Australia’s waters. In response, Johnson said it was possible given that in the past, similar PLAN task groups had operated in the Philippine Sea and subsequently headed out to either the Western Pacific, Southwest Pacific or near Australia.
Johnson said he is confident in the ADF’s capability, alongside its partners, in monitoring the PLAN task group and its ability to provide continuous information and advice to the Australian government on the movements of the Chinese warships operating in the area.
“If they move into the southwest Pacific, we would work with our Pacific partners in that area, the French in New Caledonia – so it very much depends on where the ships might proceed. Of course, we work closely with the United States at all times to bring the best of our capabilities together,” Johnson said.
