Canadian Navy encounters China's largest coast guard vessel Near Artificial Islands

During a patrol near China’s artificial islands in the South China Sea, Canada's navy came across a Chinese coast guard vessel often referred to as the "monster ship," the largest of its kind globally.

HMCS Montreal, a Canadian frigate weighing 4,770 tons and armed with missiles, deliberately navigated past Subi Reef, Fiery Cross Reef, and Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands during its recent transit, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

These reefs, controlled by China, have been developed into military outposts with various facilities, including communications and sensor installations, defensive structures, runways, hangars for combat aircraft, and underground storage.

The Chinese coast guard vessel, known by its hull number 5901 and named Nansha after the Spratly Islands, has a displacement of 12,000 tons, making it a significant presence in the region.

The vessel approached the Montreal near Mischief Reef, but interactions between the two were reported as safe and professional by the Canadian commanding officer.

The Nansha, measuring 541 feet in length and capable of speeds over 28 miles per hour, is equipped with rapid-fire guns, auxiliary weapons, and anti-aircraft machine guns.

Compared to the US National Security Cutter, which displaces 4,700 tons and is 418 feet long, the Nansha is notably larger and more advanced in terms of endurance, collision resistance, seaworthiness, and speed.

China’s claim to the South China Sea, marked by the controversial "nine-dash line," was rejected by a Hague tribunal in 2016. The Nansha was built to support high-intensity operations in China's expansive maritime territory.

The Philippine coast guard has encountered the Nansha on several occasions. In late June, Manila’s coast guard tracked the vessel for ten days using dark vessel detection technology provided by Canada.

The Chinese coast guard does not provide publicly available contact information, and Beijing’s foreign and defense ministries did not respond to Newsweek’s request for comment.

HMCS Montreal has been active in the region throughout the summer. It participated in joint maritime operations with the US, Japan, and the Philippines from June 16 to 17, and conducted further bilateral operations with the US Navy in the following days.

The frigate then moved to the East China Sea, where it engaged in operations with the USS Ralph Johnson, an American destroyer, on July 30. Following a transit through the Taiwan Strait on July 31, the Montreal returned to the South China Sea.

On August 7 and 8, the Montreal took part in another US-led maritime cooperative activity in the South China Sea, alongside naval and air units from Australia and the Philippines. It visited Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam on August 15 before departing on Monday. Currently, the Montreal is deployed for Operation Horizon, a mission demonstrating Canada's commitment to a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific by promoting peace, stability, and adherence to international norms, according to Canada’s defense department.