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STAFF

The People’s Liberation Army sent two of its ships to the South China Sea on Tuesday morning (local time) to warn a US Navy guided-missile destroyer after it sailed close to China’s man-made islands in the disputed Spratly archipelago.
China’s own guided-missile destroyer Lanzhou and the frigate Taizhou issued the warning to the USS Lassen when it entered waters within 12 nautical miles (22km) of the Mischief and Subi reefs.

Read more: ‘We’ll do it again’: US warships to sail again near disputed South China Sea islets
Defence spokesman Yang Yujun said the PLA would take all steps to protect national security.
However, a US official said on Tuesday that in future it would send more warships to sail close to the artificial islands built by Beijing in the South China Sea,
Here we take a look at the three ships involved in Tuesday’s incident in disputed waters.
USS Lassen (DDG82) 

A guided-missile destroyer – a small, fast warship, especially one equipped for a defensive role against submarines and aircraft – which is often used to escort larger vessels in a fleet or battle group.
The USS Lassen is part of the USS Carl Vinson Battle Group. It has been a frequent guest to the South China Sea and is known to be familiar with the operations of People’s Liberation Army’s Navy in the region.
It was built in Pascagoula, Mississippi in the US and launched in 1999. Its original homeport was in San Diego, before it moved its new homeport in Yokosuka, Japan, from where it has been in active service ever since.
In 2009, Lasen collided with a Japanese 14-tonne pleasure boat in Yokosuka.
In July 2009 media reports said Lassen was tracking the North Korean ship Kang Nam 1, which was suspected of carrying contraband.
Displacement: 9,200 tonnes 
Speed: more than 30 knots (56 km/h) 
Crew: 320 officers and enlisted men 
Armaments: 1 × 32 cell and 1 × 64 cell Mk 41 vertical launch systems 
96 × RIM-66 SM-2, BGM-109 Tomahawk or RUM-139 VL-anti-submarine missiles
1 × 5 127mm/62, 2 × 25mm, 4 × 12.7mm guns
2 × Phalanx close-in weapon system, 2 × Mk 32 triple torpedo tubes
Aircraft carried: 2 × MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopters 
 
Chinese Destroyer Lanzhou (170) 

The Lanzhou (170) is the lead ship of the Chinese Type 052C destroyer class (Nato code name Luyang II class). It was launched in April 2003 and commissioned in July 2004.
It is now on active service with the PLA’s South China Fleet.
In 2010 it launched helicopters to repel Somali pirate boats, with marines firing stun grenades and heavy machine guns to scare off the pirates, while supporting a Chinese frigate that was escorting commercial shipping off the coast of Africa.
Displacement: 7,000 tonnes 
Speed: 30 knots 
Crew: 300 
Armaments: 48 HHQ-9 long-range surface-to-air missiles 
8 YJ-62 anti-ship / land attack cruise missiles
1 × 100mm dual-purpose gun
2 x 30mm Type 730 close-in weapons systems
6 torpedo tubes
4 × 18-tube decoy rocket launcher
Aircraft carried: 1 helicopter: Kamov Ka-27 or Harbin Z-9C ASW/SAR 
 
Chinese Frigate Taizhou (533) 

A frigate is a warship with mixed armaments, which is usually lighter than a destroyer. They were originally introduced to carry out convoy escort work.
The Taizhou 533 frigate was built for the PLA by a Russia supplier in 2002. It is a modernised warship.
Displacement: 1,960 tonnes 
Crew: 200 
Speed: 25.5 knots 
Armament: 2 x twin 100mm semi-auto cannon
4 x twin 37mm semi-auto cannon
2 x Type 81 (RBU-1200) 5-tube anti-submarine rocket launchers (40 rockets)
2 x twin SY-1A anti-ship missile


South China Sea dispute: the three Chinese and US ships involved in the escalating row

The USS Lassen (foreground) during earlier exercises. File photo: EPA

Photo: SCMP Pictures

Photo: Kyodo

War of words: Beijing fumes as US threatens to send more warships near disputed South China Sea islets 

The USS Lassen, which on Tuesday sailed within 12 nautical miles (22km) of at least one of the land formations claimed by China in the disputed Spratly Islands chain. File photo: Kyodo

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