Xuelong2

The U.S. Coast Guard detected and responded to the 'Xue Long 2' on the U.S. Extended Continental Shelf (ECS) in the U.S. Arctic, approximately 290 NM north of Utqiagvik, Alaska, on July 25, 2025. A Coast Guard C-130J Hercules fixed wing aircraft from Air Station Kodiak responded to the Xue Long 2, an icebreaker operated by the Polar Research Institute of China and 130 NM inside the ECS boundary. The U.S. has exclusive rights to conserve and manage the living and non-living resources of its ECS. The C-130J aircraft was operating under Coast Guard Arctic District’s Operation Frontier Sentinel, which is designed to meet presence with presence in response to adversary activity in or near Alaskan waters.