In June 2023, long-standing diplomatic tensions between the United States and China boiled over into the Taiwan Strait. With the Canadian warship HMCS Montréal at its side, the American Arleigh Burke–class guided-missile destroyer USS Chung-Hoon (DDG-93) steamed ahead through the 80-mile-wide stretch of ocean dividing mainland China from Taiwan.
Off the USS Chung-Hoon's port side, the Chinese Type 052D destroyer steamed ahead at full speed, overtaking the American warship before suddenly turning hard to starboard. Acting quickly, the Chung-Hoon slowed to 10 knots to avoid crashing into the Chinese ship, allowing it to cross just in front of its bow. They avoided a collision by just 150 yards.
It was a dreadfully close call. Both warships stretch farther than 500 feet from bow to stern and boast displacement—the term for a ship's weight, calculated by the volume of water it pushes out of the way while sailing—of more than 7,000 tons. It was clear that China was making a point. The American and Canadian vessels knew that their presence in the Taiwan Strait would draw China's ire. China has yet to recognize Taiwan's sovereignty, and U.S. defense officials have long considered the Taiwan Strait a strategic flash point.
The American and Chinese warships were each armed with dozens of anti-ship and land-attack cruise missiles. And at these close ranges, their deck guns and torpedoes could wreak havoc upon one another. Any exchange of gunfire could quickly spiral into something far worse, thrusting two of the world's largest militaries into a conflict. |
In June 2023, long-standing diplomatic tensions between the United States and China boiled over into the Taiwan Strait. With the Canadian warship HMCS Montréal at its side, the American Arleigh Burke–class guided-missile destroyer USS Chung-Hoon (DDG-93) steamed ahead through the 80-mile-wide stretch of ocean dividing mainland China from Taiwan.
Off the USS Chung-Hoon's port side, the Chinese Type 052D destroyer steamed ahead at full speed, overtaking the American warship before suddenly turning hard to starboard. Acting quickly, the Chung-Hoon slowed to 10 knots to avoid crashing into the Chinese ship, allowing it to cross just in front of its bow. They avoided a collision by just 150 yards.
It was a dreadfully close call. Both warships stretch farther than 500 feet from bow to stern and boast displacement—the term for a ship's weight, calculated by the volume of water it pushes out of the way while sailing—of more than 7,000 tons. It was clear that China was making a point. The American and Canadian vessels knew that their presence in the Taiwan Strait would draw China's ire. China has yet to recognize Taiwan's sovereignty, and U.S. defense officials have long considered the Taiwan Strait a strategic flash point.
The American and Chinese warships were each armed with dozens of anti-ship and land-attack cruise missiles. And at these close ranges, their deck guns and torpedoes could wreak havoc upon one another. Any exchange of gunfire could quickly spiral into something far worse, thrusting two of the world's largest militaries into a conflict. |
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