USNS Bowditch (T-AGS-62) explained

USNS Bowditch (T-AGS 62) is a . She is the third ship in the class. Bowditch is a part of a 29 ship Special Mission Ship program and operates in the South China Sea. She is named after mathematician Nathaniel Bowditch.

Incidents

On 24 March 2001, Bowditch encountered a PLA Navy frigate, which came within, while operating in the Yellow Sea near South Korea and was forced to leave. Bowditch later returned with an armed escort.

In March 2001, India protested Bowditch activities after discovering her operating around away from the Nicobar Islands.^[1] In October 2001, South Korea protested Bowditch activities after discovering her operating around off the South Korean coast.^[2]

On 24 September 2002, Bowditch was harassed by Chinese patrol boats and aircraft and forced to leave while operating in the Yellow Sea.^[3] In May 2003, Bowditch was bumped by a Chinese fishing vessel and suffered damage.^[3]

In 2013 Bowditch was engaged in surveying at Tacloban shortly after typhoon Haiyan in advance of the Navy's Operation Damayan in an area known for its shifting hazards to navigation using her multi-beam contour mapping system.^[4]

An American Littoral Battlespace Sensing (LBS) or similar underwater glider deployed by Bowditch was seized by a Dalang-III class submarine rescue vessel of the PLA Navy on 15 December 2016, resulting in a formal diplomatic protest.^{[5] [6] [7] [8]}

External links

• USNS Bowditch official web site
• Navy Special Missions Review

Notes and References

1. Van Dyke. Jon M.. Military ships and planes operating in the exclusive economic zone of another country. Marine Policy. 2004. 24. 29–39. 10.1016/j.marpol.2003.10.009.
2. Book: Kaikobad . Kaiyan Homi . Bohlander . Michael . International Law and Power: Perspectives on Legal Order and Justice: Essays in Honour of Colin Warbrick . 2009 . . 9789047429319.
3. Book: Malik . Mohan . Maritime Security in the Indo-Pacific: Perspectives from China, India, and the United States . 2014 . . 9781442235335.
4. News: USNS Bowditch Clears the Way . Navy News Service . NNS131117-02 . 17 November 2013 . Shannon Heavin.
5. News: China to Return Seized U.S. Underwater Drone . . 17 December 2016 . Jeremy . Page . Paul . Sonne . One U.S. official said the captured vessel was a Littoral Battlespace Sensing glider or similar underwater drone . 18 December 2016 . subscription.
6. News: Chinese warship seizes US underwater drone in international waters . Julian . Borger . 2016-12-16 . The Guardian . en-GB . 2016-12-16 . dmy.
7. News: Pentagon: Chinese naval ship seized an unmanned U.S. underwater vehicle in South China Sea . Missy . Ryan . Dan . Lamothe . The Washington Post . 17 December 2016 . 17 December 2016.
8. News: China said it would return a seized U.S. naval drone. Trump told them to 'keep it.' . The Washington Post . Missy . Ryan . Emily . Rauhala . 18 December 2016.