U.S. Destroyer Made an ‘Innocent Passage’ Near Chinese South China Sea Artificial Island in Recent Mission

– USNI News – Last week’s South China Sea freedom of navigation mission — in which a U.S. guided missile destroyer came within 12 nautical miles of a Chinese facility on an artificial island on Subi Reef — was conducted as an “innocent passage.” While the mission of USS Lassen (DDG-82) was deemed successful by Washington, focusing world attention on the myriad of overlapping and disputed claims in the South China Sea, the use of the innocent passage stipulation could result in a perception that the U.S. implicitly acknowledges Chinese claims to its recently constructed artificial islands.

USN premieres LCS rotary wing concept at Malabar trilateral naval exercise

– Jane’s – In a sign that the annual ‘Malabar’ naval exercise is growing in scope and complexity, the US Navy (USN) is introducing the concept of a composite rotary wing detachment element for the first time. The detachment, which comprises one Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk helicopter and one Northrop Grumman MQ-8B Fire Scout unmanned aerial vehicle, is being operated out of the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) USS Fort Worth (LCS 3).