The Australian Defence Force (ADF) was only notified about live-fire exercises conducted by three Chinese warships in the Tasman Sea 30 minutes after they commenced, receiving the alert from civil aviation officials rather than from the Chinese military itself. During a Senate hearing, ADF Chief Admiral David Johnston indicated that the New Zealand military, which was also tracking the vessels, took an additional hour to pass on the information to Australia.
The first sighting of the Chinese warships occurred late last week when a Virgin Airlines pilot spotted them off Australia’s eastern coast. Johnston stated that the ADF had not received any direct communication from the Chinese armed forces about the drills, and he described the notification provided by the Chinese as “inadequate.” This prompted criticism from Liberal Senator James Paterson, who asserted that there had been “no notification at all” from the Chinese navy.
Paterson further expressed his concerns over the delayed communication from New Zealand’s military, suggesting that they should have provided immediate updates to their Australian counterparts. The Chinese flotilla includes a frigate, a missile cruiser, and a replenishment vessel, which, as of now, is located 250 kilometres south of Hobart, within Australia’s exclusive economic zone, moving southwest towards the Great Australian Bight.
Johnston also raised the possibility that an undetected nuclear submarine could be accompanying the Chinese ships, although he could not confirm its presence. He emphasized the usual practice of task groups sometimes deploying with submarines, albeit not always.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese addressed the situation, stating that the government would provide further comments on the Chinese warships later. He confirmed that Australia had been vigilant about the presence of these vessels and had maintained monitoring efforts in collaboration with New Zealand, which was also tracking the movements of the Chinese task group.
In summary, the incident has raised alarms regarding the communication protocols between nations during military exercises, particularly concerning the rapidly evolving security landscape in the region.