This is not news, this happens all the time and we do it to them too. They're just pissed off because they snuck up on us.
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Navy confirms Chinese sub spotted near carrier
By Philip Creed
Staff writer
The Navy did spot a Chinese submarine near the Kitty Hawk Carrier Strike Group last month in the East China Sea, the Navy said Monday afternoon, verifying parts of a Monday morning article in The Washington Times that said a Chinese submarine had come within "firing range" of the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk on Oct. 26.
"While conducting operations, a Chinese navy Song-class submarine was sighted near the strike group by a U.S. Navy aircraft," said Navy spokesman Lt. Sarah Self-Kyler, who would say only that the incident occurred in "late October" near Okinawa, Japan.
Both ships were operating in international waters at the time, Self-Kyler said, and "there was no communication" between the submarine and any U.S. Navy vessels after the sub was spotted. The Kitty Hawk group was conducting routine carrier training at the time of the incident, Self-Kyler said, adding that the strike group was not conducting anti-submarine warfare operations during the exercise.
The Washington Times report claimed that the submarine "shadowed" Kitty Hawk, surfacing within five miles of the carrier before it was finally spotted by an aircraft.
Self-Kyler would confirm only that the sub was "in close proximity" of the strike group and could not say how long the submarine remained on the surface after being spotted.
News of the submarine spotting comes as Pacific Fleet Commander Adm. Gary Roughead is visiting China to meet with civilian and military leaders. Roughead arrived Sunday for the weeklong visit, which includes a visit to the amphibious transport dock Juneau during a joint search-and-rescue exercise with the People's Liberation Army Navy, according to a Navy release.
According to an Associated Press report, Roughead "really would like to know what the intent is in some of the developments" he's seen in the navy of the People's Liberation Army. A Pacific Fleet spokesman would not comment Monday afternoon whether the sub incident would be among the subjects discussed by Roughead.
Kitty Hawk and a number of 7th Fleet ships are currently taking part in the AnnualEx 18G, the largest annual bilateral exercise between the Navy and Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force, according to the Navy.
The Kitty Hawk departed its home port of Yokosuka, Japan, on Oct. 17 for a fall deployment.
