Australian destroyer conducts South China Sea Freedom of Navigation activity

SINGAPORE — Australia and the United Kingdom have conducted a Freedom of Navigation activity with their warships around disputed islands in the South China Sea with the Australia destroyer involved subsequently linking up with the UK’s carrier strike group currently in the Indo-Pacific.

The activity around the disputed Spratly islands involved the Royal Navy River-class Offshore Patrol Vessel HMS Spey and the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Hobart-class destroyer HMAS Sydney, according to a June 24 X post from the UK’s Permanent Joint Force Headquarters. 

Australia has been very cautious in the past to disclose that it was operating close to the disputed islands, so the fact the UK made this public — presumably with Australia’s knowledge — is a notable change of posture.

Speaking to Breaking Defense during a port visit in Singapore on June 27, Commander Ben Weller, commanding officer of the Sydney, confirmed that the ship conducted a transit of the Spratly islands as part of Australia’s routine presence in the South China Sea.

“We routinely operate in all areas of this part of the world, and we always ensure that we do so in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,” he said.

Weller said that the Sydney encountered the Chinese military during its transit in the South China Sea, although he added that his interactions with them were “safe and professional” when asked if there were any attempts to challenge his presence in the area or interfere with his voyage.

He noted, however, that Australian P-8A Poseidon anti-submarine aircraft had reported unsafe encounters with Chinese planes and warships. Australia had previously reported in February that a Chinese fighter jet had dropped chaff and flares in front of an Australian P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft in the South China Sea, while a Chinese warship had shone a laser at another Australian P-8A in the Arafura Sea.

Joining UK-led Carrier Strike Group

The Sydney departed Australia in April for its current deployment, which Weller said was an opportunity to work with and enhance Australia’s relationships and interoperability with its allies and partners throughout the region on a regular basis.

The ship has conducted a multinational exercise with Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and the UK, taken part in monitoring sanctions against North Korea, trained with the Japanese, South Korean and US navies and made port visits in Japan and South Korea prior to its June port visit to Singapore.

Following the port visit to Singapore — its second during this deployment following an earlier visit in April — the ship will link up with the UK-led carrier strike group centered on the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, where the Australians will integrate and train with the multinational carrier strike group which includes ships from countries such as Canada, Spain and Norway.

The group will then head to Australia to take part in the multinational Talisman Sabre military exercise in July, before the Sydney will detach from the carrier group and head back to its homeport in its namesake city, concluding its deployment.

The Sydney is one of three Hobart-class destroyers of the RAN. Based on the Álvaro de Bazán-class hullform from Spain’s Navantoa, the ships are Australia’s most advanced warships and are equipped with the Lockheed-Martin Aegis combat system, integrated air and missile defense capability and Kongsberg Naval Strike Missiles.

Australia is currently carrying out an upgrade to the ships, which Weller says will bring their Aegis system from Baseline 8 to the latest Baseline 9. It will also introduce Saab’s Australian Interface for the ship’s combat system and add Tomahawk cruise missile capability for the destroyers.