Updated: Philippines accuses China of ramming vessel near disputed island as tensions soar

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WATCH: A China Coast Guard vessel (CCG 21559) fired a water cannon and rammed the BRP Datu Pagbuaya near Pag-asa Island this Sunday morning while the ship was assisting Filipino fishermen under the “Kadiwa para sa Bagong Bayaning Mangingisda” program, the PCG reports.

The incident occurred after CCG and Chinese militia vessels made dangerous maneuvers around anchored BFAR ships. CCG 21559 fired at 9:15 AM and rammed the BRP Datu Pagbuaya at 9:18 AM, causing minor damage but no injuries. (Video courtesy of PCG) | via Christine Boton

Philippine Star, Facebook

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Update: I missed this one. Yesterday’s maritime incident happened near Sandy Cay, which is approximately 1.5 nautical miles from Thitu Island.

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USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier collides with Turkish merchant vessel near Egypt

What’s Going on With Shipping?

The USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, collided with a Turkish merchant vessel Besiktas-M near Egypt late Wednesday, the U.S. Navy confirmed Thursday.

The Besiktas-M, a Panama-flagged bulk carrier, is owned by Istanbul-based Black Hawk Shipping Ltd. and operated by Synergy Ship Management Turkiye Pte. Ltd. also based in Türkiye.

USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier collides with Turkish merchant vessel near Egypt

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UPDATED: USS Harry S. Truman Collides with Merchant Vessel in Mediterranean Sea

The last known collision between a carrier and a merchant ship was on July 22, 2004, when USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67) collided with a small dhow in the Persian Gulf during the night helicopter operations. The commander of the carrier was relieved after an initial investigation.

Sole US Navy Oiler – USNS Big Horn – in the Middle East Damaged | September 23, 2024

What’s Going On With Shipping

by John Konrad – gCaptain has received multiple reports that the US Navy oiler USNS Big Horn ran aground yesterday and partially flooded off the coast of Oman, leaving the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group without its primary fuel source.

US Navy Oiler Runs Aground, Forcing Carrier Strike Group to Scramble for Fuel

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Oiler USNS Big Horn Damaged off the Coast Of Oman, No Fuel Leak Detected

The US Navy Needs Tankers: A Crisis In Capability

US sending more troops to Middle East as violence rises in the region

Chinese and Philippine ships collide at Sabina Shoal, a new flash point + More

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The incident, the first time in decades that Beijing and Manila have clashed over the Sabina Shoal, may derail efforts to lower tensions in the South China Sea.

Chinese and Philippine ships collide at Sabina Shoal, a new flash point (archived)

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CCG restricts repeated Philippine vessel intrusions near South China Sea reefs

Chen Xiangmiao, director of the World Navy Research Center at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, told the Global Times on Monday that the Philippines sees Xianbin Jiao as a transfer station for its resupply missions to Ren’ai Jiao, as Xianbin Jiao is located between Ren’ai Jiao and the Philippines’ Palawan Province.

[08-16-24] Foreign Ministry Spokesperson’s Remarks on the Philippine Coast Guard Vessel’s Illegal Anchoring in the Lagoon of Xianbin Jiao

[08-14-24] Exclusive: Manila to deploy new vessel for ‘semi-permanent presence’ at China’s Xianbin Jiao, breaking its promise: source

Philippine media have hyped the China Coast Guard’s (CCG) presence in the Xianbin Jiao, but it is the Philippines that has sent the MRRV-9701 to the area in the first place. The Philippine ship anchored in the lagoon of the Xianbin Jiao in April, with a CCG ship arriving later in July.

Updated on 07-27-2024: SeaLight, formerly Project Myoushu

Powell’s storytelling:

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Philippine Sailor Severely Injured, Vessels Damaged as Chinese Block South China Sea Mission + Notes

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It was the Philippines that rammed the CCG!* US-funded Rappler** doesn’t mention the other soldiers who were injured.

Philippine Sailor Severely Injured, Vessels Damaged as Chinese Block South China Sea Mission

Meanwhile, a Philippine government release from the National Task Force on the West Philippine Sea stated that ships from the People’s Liberation Army Navy, China Coast Guard and Chinese Maritime Militia performed “dangerous maneuvers.” However, there is no mention of injury to Philippine personnel in the release. The statement also claimed that Chinese forces rammed and towed Philippine vessels, although it’s unclear to what extent the latter occurred during the incident. This is the first reported instance of China towing – defined as pulling, pushing or hauling – Philippine vessels in their South China Sea disputes.

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Manila’s persistent claimjumping efforts display the extent of its avariciousness

Manila’s persistent claimjumping efforts display the extent of its avariciousness

The latest incident in the waters adjacent to China’s Ren’ai Reef [AKA Second Thomas Shoal], in which there was slight collision when an illegally intruding Philippine supply ship dangerously approached a China Coast Guard vessel, is the latest in a series of risky encounters between Chinese law enforcement vessels and Philippine vessels near Ren’ai Reef in recent months due to the Philippines’ brazen land-grabbing antics.

Such incidents have occurred with increasing frequency as the Philippines has stepped up its efforts to ship construction materials to an aging warship it deliberately ran aground on the reef so it can make it a permanent facility, thus driving in its stake to claim the reef as its territory.

With new procedures coming into effect on June 15, the China Coast Guard will be equipped with more forceful legal measures to enforce maritime law and advance China’s maritime legal governance in its territorial waters, including detaining foreign ships that have illegally entered China’s waters.

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China and Philippines Quarrel over South China Sea Collision

U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson condemned China’s “aggressive, dangerous” maneuvers in a post on X, saying the collision had “caused bodily injury.”

In response, the Philippine coastguard said on Monday it has ordered the deployment of two vessels to patrol and ensure the safety of Filipino fishermen at Scarborough Shoal – a second flashpoint about 640 km (345 nautical miles) away from Second Thomas Shoal.

Separately, the U.S. Pacific Fleet said in a statement it had concluded a two-day joint maritime exercise with the militaries of Canada, Japan, and the Philippines’ within Manila’s EEZ in the South China Sea.