Defence Minister Richard Marles has expressed uncertainty regarding the presence of a nuclear submarine within the Chinese naval flotilla operating off Australia’s coast. The flotilla, consisting of three Chinese warships—a frigate, cruiser, and replenishment ship—conducted live-firing exercises in the Tasman Sea near Sydney on Friday, causing some aircraft to alter their flight paths.
The alert regarding the Chinese vessels was raised by a Virgin Airlines pilot at 9:58 am, leading the Australian Defence Force to be informed shortly after. New Zealand authorities subsequently notified Australia about an hour and a half later.
In an interview with ABC Radio National Breakfast, Marles characterised Beijing’s notification regarding the live firing as insufficient, noting that it remains unclear if any actual firing occurred during the drills. He explained that the New Zealand frigate, which was monitoring the exercise, did not witness any live firing that day. Despite this, Marles insisted that the communication received was not satisfactory.
Defending the timeframe in which Australia was made aware of the situation, Marles downplayed the incident, asserting, “it wasn’t a real incident.” He clarified that monitoring a military exercise should not be equated with a genuine threat to national security, emphasizing the importance of distinguishing between the two scenarios.
Australian officials, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, have maintained that China’s activities are consistent with international law. Regarding speculation about a nuclear submarine accompanying the flotilla, Marles reiterated that Australia has no confirmation of such a presence, attributing this uncertainty to the elusive nature of submarines.
Currently, the Chinese flotilla is situated approximately 500 kilometres west of Hobart and is on the verge of Australia’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Records indicate that the ships first entered this zone on Tuesday.