The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54) transited through the Taiwan Strait on 22 June (local time).
The transition is a reconfirmation of the Freedom of Navigation through international waters in accordance with international law.
The ship’s transit through the Taiwan Strait is contentious to the People’s Republic of China because it continues to claim Taiwan as part of its territory. The US Navy continues to patrol areas such as the South China Sea as part of its Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOPs), supported by navies from other nations.
USS Curtis Wilbur is the fourth Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer and is built around the Aegis Combat System and the SPY-1D multifunction passive electronically scanned array radar. The Arleigh Burke class are larger and more heavily armed than most previous ships classified as guided missile cruisers with a range of over 90 missiles of different types.
by Andrew Drwiega
