JUNEAU, Alaska – The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Kimball (WMSL 756), in coordination with U.S. Northern Command, provided U.S. presence during a Russian military exercise in the Bering Sea, Friday.
The Kimball patrolled in the vicinity of U.S. fishing vessels conducting their work in international waters within the U.S. exclusive economic zone (EEZ) during ongoing Russian military operations, which included the launch of a missile, approximately 300 miles southwest of St. Lawrence Island.
“Though military operations and exercises in international waters are lawful,” said Rear Adm. Megan Dean, Seventeenth Coast Guard District commander, “we will continue to ensure there are no disruptions to U.S. interests or commerce in the maritime environment around Alaska.”
On Sept. 10, an urgent warning of navigational dangers advisory message, known as a HYDROPAC, was released through the National Geospatial Agency regarding Russian military operations in the Bering Sea. The area of the HYDROPAC includes a portion of the U.S. EEZ southwest of St. Lawrence Island along the U.S./Russia Maritime Boundary Line and remains in effect through Sept. 24.
The Coast Guard notified vessels and the commercial fishing industry operating in the vicinity of the HYDROPAC, and made notifications to federal, state and tribal governments about the exercise. The Coast Guard continues to provide notifications throughout the maritime and fishing industry by all available means.
The Kimball, a 418-foot legend-class national security cutter homeported in Honolulu, Hawaii, is currently operating under the Seventeenth District’s Operation Frontier Sentinel.
Operation Frontier Sentinel is a Seventeenth Coast Guard District operation designed to meet presence with presence and ensure there are no disruptions to U.S. interests in the Alaskan maritime environment. The Coast Guard routinely patrols international waters under the service’s statutory authorities to ensure maritime safety and security of the U.S. maritime industry, to protect U.S. sovereign rights and to promote international rules-based order. Coast Guard presence ensures due regard for all lawful uses of the seas.
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