SINGAPORE — The US Navy's vice chief of naval operations presented her views on regional maritime security issues today at the biennial International Maritime Defence Exhibition (IMDEX) held in Singapore.

Adm. Michelle Howard told a small media roundtable that, as an effective crisis management tool between China and the US, the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea (CUES) has been a success. It was used between the US Navy's littoral combat ship USSFort Worth (LSC-3) littoral combat shipand a Chinese warship in the South China Sea during a recent patrol, she added.

The Fort Worth and Type 54A Jiangkai II frigate, 569 Yulin, will be on view at Changi Naval Base at IMDEX as part of a 20-warship exhibition for the show.

"We had previously agreed with the Chinese, if we met at sea, to use CUES," Howard said. "So Fort Worth came across one of our counterparts" and the encounters were handled in a professional manner, Howard said.

Navy chiefs approved the use of CUES in April 2014 during the Western Pacific Naval Symposium in China .

The admiral said much of the South China Sea is in dispute disputed territory among China's neighbors and there are unanswered questions about China's massive land reclamation projects in the Spratly Islands.

"I think it's now time for China to talk about what the reclamation of land means," she said. "I mean, when I look at it, it's a couple thousand acres and from my perspective, ... and no one's saying they are putting a resort out there, so someone needs to explain what they are putting out there."

Howard said the From Adm. Howard perspective, the sheer size of thereclamation effort is equals in size to the US Navy's Great Lakes Recruiting Training Command "where we push through 30-35,000 people a year." It is the size of the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.

"So there's a purpose to it," she said. "And I think in terms of everybody who lives in this part of the world, understanding the 'why,' it would be helpful for China to help explain the 'why.' "

Provocative actions by Chinese ships, such as fishing/ and cargo, maritime patrol, and coast guard vessels, have included engaging regional vessels and naval vessels of other countries, using swarming techniques, and using blocking techniques in the South China Sea.

Recalling the 2009 harassment of the US ocean surveillance ship Impeccable by Chinese naval, commercial and patrol vessels, Howard said that with CUES, such incidents should be less likely in the future. How does a US Navy ship avoid an incident like the USNS Impeccable (T-AGOS-23) in 2009, where Chinese naval, commercial, and patrol vessels harassed the Impeccable. With CUES, Howard said, The Adm said these types of Impeccable Such incidents should be less likely in the future.

The 10th biennial IMDEX will be held at Singapore's Changi Exhibition Centre fromMay 19-20. This will be Defense News' fifth IMDEX coverage, begun in 2007.

Email: wminnick@defensenews.com

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