Defense & Military

UPDATED: U.S. Destroyer, Survey Vessel Conduct First Taiwan Strait Transit of 2026

January 22, 2026 at 04:01Z
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RELIABILITY: Low

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USNI News
15:33Z

USS John Finn (DDG-113) conducts routine operations during a Taiwan Strait transit, March 5, 2024. US Navy Photo This post was updated with a statement from U.S. 7th Fleet.

A pair of U.S. naval vessels carried out Washington’s first reported Taiwan Strait transit of 2026, according to Chinese and U.S. officials.

The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command claimed that Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS John Finn (DDG 113 ) and Pathfinder-class oceanographic survey ship USNS Mary Sears (T-AGS 65) transited the strategic strait between Friday and Saturday. Senior Colonel Xu Chenghua, a spokesperson for the command, stated that Chinese naval and air forces monitored and tracked the destroyer and survey vessel to ensure “effective response and management.” U.S. 7th

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