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US Warships Sail in Vicinity of Disputed Shoal Where Chinese Ships Collided | News Channel 3-12
The U.S. Navy deployed USS Higgins and USS Cincinnati to assert freedom of navigation in the South China Sea after a collision involving Chinese vessels and a Philippine ship.
- On August 13, 2025, the U.S. Navy deployed the guided missile destroyer USS Higgins and the littoral combat ship USS Cincinnati near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea.
- This operation came in response to rising tensions following an August 11 incident in which two Chinese vessels collided while chasing a Philippine Coast Guard cutter near the shoal.
- During the operation, a Chinese fighter jet closely and unsafely tracked a Philippine Coast Guard surveillance plane for over 20 minutes, flying as close as 500 feet laterally and 200 feet overhead.
- China asserted that it had forced the U.S. destroyer to leave, accusing it of entering the area unlawfully, but U.S. officials rejected this claim, affirming the ship’s operations were legitimate and that Chinese allegations would not influence their actions, according to Sarah Merrill.
- The incident intensified international concern, with Manila condemning Beijing's actions as dangerous and unlawful, and allies urging restraint amid ongoing sovereignty disputes unresolved since a 2016 international court ruling against China’s claims.
32 Articles
32 Articles
US warships sail in vicinity of disputed shoal where Chinese ships collided
A US Navy guided-missile destroyer performed a so-called Freedom of Navigation operation (FONOP) near disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on Wednesday, just two days after two Chinese military vessels collided while chasing a Philippine Coast Guard ship in nearby waters.
US Sends Warships to Disputed Sea After Chinese Ships Collide
The United States sailed warships near the disputed Scarborough Shoal on Aug. 13, days after two Chinese ships collided while chasing a Philippine vessel in the region. Two U.S. Navy vessels—USS Higgins and USS Cincinnati—were spotted about 30 nautical miles off the shoal, an atoll in the middle of the South China Sea claimed by both China and the Philippines, according to Manila’s coast guard. Jay Tarriela, a spokesperson for the Philippine Coa…
US warships patrol near Scarborough Shoal to challenge China's 'restrictions'
Two United States warships carried out patrols close to Scarborough Shoal on Wednesday, August 13, in waters unsettled by a recent collision between Chinese vessels that were chasing a Philippine patrol boat.
2 US warships deployed off Panatag days after Chinese ships’ collision
‘FREEDOMOF NAVIGATION’ OPS The USS Higgins is one of the two American Navy vessels operating some 56 kilometers (30 nautical miles) off Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal on Wednesday, according to the Philippine Coast Guard, which released this photo. MANILA, Philippines — Two United States warships were seen deployed off Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal on Wednesday, days after the collision of Chinese ships in the area. Commodore Jay Tarriela, Philippine…
The United States deployed two warships on Wednesday to a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, where two Chinese navy and coast guard vessels collided two days ago while trying to ward off…
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