Chinese submarine stalked US aircraft carrier, says newspaper

Washington, Nov 13 (UNI) A Chinese submarine stalked a US aircraft carrier battle group in the Pacific last month and surfaced within firing range of its torpedoes and missiles before being detected, the Washington Times has learned.

The daily says the surprise encounter highlights China's continuing efforts to prepare for a future conflict with the US, despite Pentagon efforts to try to boost relations with Beijing's communist-ruled military.

It says the submarine encounter with the USS Kitty Hawk and its accompanying warships also is an embarrassment to the commander of US forces in the Pacific, Adm William J Fallon, who is engaged in an ambitious military exchange programme with China aimed at improving relations between the two nations' militaries.

It says disclosure of the incident comes as Adm Gary Roughead, commander of the US Navy's Pacific Fleet, is making his first visit to China. The four-star admiral was scheduled to meet senior Chinese military leaders during the weeklong visit, which began over the weekend.

The daily, quoting defence officials, says the Chinese Song-class diesel-powered attack submarine shadowed the Kitty Hawk undetected and surfaced within five miles of the carrier on October 26.

The surfaced submarine was spotted by a routine surveillance flight by one of the carrier group's planes. The Kitty Hawk battle group includes an attack submarine and anti-submarine helicopters that are charged with protecting the warships from submarine attack.

According to the officials, the submarine is equipped with Russian-made wake-homing torpedoes and anti-ship cruise missiles.

The Kitty Hawk and several other warships were deployed in the ocean waters near Okinawa at the time, as part of a routine fall deployment program.

The officials said Chinese submarines rarely have operated in deep water far from Chinese shores or shadowed US vessels.

A Pacific Command spokesman declined to comment on the incident, saying the details were classified, the daily said.

UNI XC SHB KP1859