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The Ultimate Guide to Tug Boats: Types, Functions, and Applications

A tug, or more commonly a tugboat, is an assistance boat which helps in the mooring or berthing operation of a ship by either towing or pushing a vessel towards the port.

A tug is a particular class of boat which helps mega-ships enter or leave a port. In addition to towing the vessel towards the harbour, tug boats can also be engaged to provide essentials, such as water, air, etc., to a vessel.

Tug boats are also essential for non-self-propelled barges, oil platforms, log rafts, etc. Due to their solid structural engineering, tugs are small but relatively powerful machines.

Their propulsion system is the main reason behind their enormous strength. Some secondary functions of a tug boat, along with easing mooring operation, are listed below:

• They can work as salvage boats and icebreakers.
• They can also have fire fighting accessories to assist in port or barges.
• They are the most critical marine vessels, acting as saviours to ships in hard times, such as in narrow canals and lousy weather.

Most tugboats can also venture into the ocean, but some do not have that propulsion power, like river tugs. River tugs are towboats designed to help out in rivers and canals. Their varied hull types make it dangerous for them to venture into the open ocean.

Renowned tugboat builders include Ranger Tugs, Florida Bay, American Tug, Nordic Tug and Tugboat. They make inboard, outboard, outboard-4S, and other diesel and gas fuel propulsion systems.

Tug boats are known for their moderate draft and broader beam, making them suitable for various commercial and recreational boating activities in coastal, inshore and offshore locations. Tugboats can carry about 6 to 8 passengers or guests.

Table of Contents

Applications Of A Tug

The usage and functions of tugs vary from port to port, as different ports have different requirements and intakes. The common thing is pushing or towing mega boats or barges. Their usage depends on the following factors:

• Port traffic volume,
• Types of ships to be served by that tug,
• Navigational obstacles to be catered to,
• Conditions of environmental protection,
• Local laws and
• Domains to be carried by a tug

The tug boats were among the first to have a steam propulsion engine, which the diesel engine has replaced today.

An average tug boat has 680-3400 horsepower engines (500-2500 kW), but those which are larger and venture out into deep waters have engines with a power close to 27200 hp (20000 kW) and a power: tonnage ratio ranging between 2.20-4.50 for large tugs and 4.0-9.5 for harbour tugs. These are incredibly high ratios, especially considering the ratio of cargo ships or vessels varies between 0.35 and 1.20.

Since a tug boat’s manoeuvrability is one of its assets, all engine developments have focused on improving it without compromising the vessel’s strength and power over the years. Thus, the transition from paddle wheels to propellers.

Classification Of Tugs Based on Purpose

Based on purpose, they serve marine tugs can be of two types:

1. Escort Tugs: The tugs designed generally to escort and manoeuvre ferries and barges to their destination are known as escort tugs.

2. Support Tugs: These tugs provide support services for offshore and towing operations. These tugs play a significant role in berthing operations.

Mainly, tugs used in the marine industry are of three types, which are listed:

• Conventional tug
• Tractor tug and
• Azimuth stern drive tug

1. Conventional Tug

These are the tugs we have been using since the start. They are made using the oldest known principle of tug development. The conventional tug has less manoeuvring capability but is still used in almost all ports worldwide.

With technological advancements, tugs are fitted with diesel engines with either one or more propellers. Single propeller tugs are classified into right-handed conventional and left-handed conventional tugs.

Right-handed conventional tugs are more common and likely to be used than left-handed ones. These are highly reliable.

The essential components of conventional tugs are briefed as follows:

• These have a classic rudder.
• A towing hook is provided in the centre of the tug. Along with other components of tug positioning, a hook is of enormous importance. The safety and performance of the tug boat mainly depend on the towing point location. When a gob line accompanies the towel hook, this point can be taken towards the aft; its distance is reduced from its original value of 0.45 times LWL to minimise tug manoeuvring.
• Its stern consists of the power plant complex.

Configuration of propeller used

Screw propeller — In the “conventional” tugboat, the propelling device is generally diesel driven. The propeller develops thrust in water and is responsible for ships’ movement. These tugboats are designated based on several propellers in them:

• Single screw tug implies one conventional propeller tug,
• Twin-screw tug implies a two-propeller traditional tug and
• A triple screw tug implies three classic propeller tugs.

In conventional screw propeller tugs, a moveable nozzle and rudders are provided, but the whole propeller is immovable or fixed.

The main advantages or features of conventional tugboats are as follows:

• The construction of traditional tugs is quite simple and requires less maintenance, so the maintenance and construction costs of these tugs are meagre compared to the two types of tugs.
• These are self-sufficient and thus require no support system.
• The smaller the propeller, the larger the open water.
• These tugs have the upper hand and maximum efficiency in towing for port-to-port.
• These assist with pushing and tugging operations while carrying towing on a line.
• The operation cost is relatively low and economical while working with moderate-sized vessels.

Disadvantages

There may be certain disadvantages of conventional tugboats, and these are briefed as follows:

• The design principle is ancient; thus, it degrades performance standards.
• They are unidirectional and cannot work in the reverse direction until provided with a reduction gear to facilitate reverse flow.
• There are more chances of cavitation in these tugs.
• These tugs’ stability and strength are less than the other two.
• Due to obsolete design principles, their usage is limited to small and medium boats, so azimuthal stern drive and tractor tugs are employed to assist the mega ships.
• The repositioning of the tugs is relatively slow due to the limited manoeuvring capacity.
• There are more chances of capsizing or overturning the vessel, which results in fatal accidents. A release hook is required to overpower this issue of capsizing and halting the development of girthing.
• Conventional tugs have low values of astern power

2. Tractor Tug

The key to the tractor lies in using a 2-multidirectional propulsion unit, some of which are like large rotating outboard motors, with others consisting of rotating vertical blades.

They enable the tug’s thrust units to be placed side by side, more or less under the bridge, facilitating spectacular manoeuvrability in the right hands.

The towing point can be placed much nearer the stern to get maximum output from the propulsion units, and therefore, the thrust is always outside of the towing point, thus creating a joyous turning moment.

The rotating disc decides the magnitude of the force of thrust. Tractor tugs’ versatility is further enhanced by working the tug’s towline directly from a winch drum with a remote joystick controlled from the bridge. The tug master can thus alter the span of the towline at his will and with considerable ease. Their precision in manoeuvring makes them the most widely used tugs.

Advantages:

It is the most critical type of tug, and a tractor tug has many positive points. Some of its advantages are briefed as below:

• These are the only tugs which provide full thrust over 360 degrees.
• They have rapid power-on response time and are well known for their outstanding manoeuvrability.
• In contrast to conventional tugs, tractor tugs are adaptable to repositioning swiftly at the pilot’s will or on demand of the towing job in which they are employed. Thus, they are readily available tugs with high-efficiency values.
• Their straightforward control systems pose a shallow risk of girthing or capsizing.
• These have extraordinary performance and fast speed.
• They can effectively overcome the forces of interaction with ships at close distances.
• They can work efficiently in sideways movement due to the close location of the propulsion unit to the turning point.
• They have improved operational capability in restricted areas such as a lock flow channel.
• In these types of tugs, a rudder is not required, and the use of a rudder can be eliminated.
• They have reliable and robust propulsion units.

Tractor tugs are the most effective and potent sort of tugs. As everything has specific cons and pros, these have certain loopholes, mainly their complexity and cost. Other drawbacks of these tugs are as follows:

• These kinds of tugs have less bollard pull than ASD tugs.
• They are considered to have very high capital investment costs, implying a lot of money is required to buy and maintain these tugs. In short, it confers that the initial and maintenance cost of tractor tugs is very high.
• The repair and maintenance of complex under-water units of these tugs are pretty expensive
• Handling in an open seaway might be poor with the short distance between the pivot point and the thrust creating a short turning lever
• Heeling angles with full side thrusts may be up to 21 degrees with some tugs. Therefore, the risk of damage can exist when lying alongside a ship
• Sophisticate under-water units may be damaged on grounding
• A draft may be up to 5m, which is significant in comparison to conventional tugs
• The retraining of a traditional tug master is essential to maximise a tug’s potential fully

3. Azimuthal Stern Drive (ASD) Tugs 

These tugs are midway between conventional and tractor tugs as these utilise some of the benefits of both traditional and tractor pulls. It can have two towing locations, one forward and one amidship, and the main propulsion is from two rotating azimuth units, which are placed like a traditional twin screw tug.

These are considered more efficient than conventional tugs but less efficient than tractors. The significant advantages of using ASD tugs are as follows:

• Better directional stability at speed
• They are more suitable hull form for open waters and working in a seaway
• They have improved the bollard pull
• The azimuth units are easy to withdraw for maintenance and repair
• The maximum heel with side thrust is less than 15 degrees, compared to tractor tugs, which have a twenty-one-degree value.
• These tugs have a shallower average draft of 3m

These tugs are challenging to work with as compared to tractor tugs, and other drawbacks of working with these tugs are as follows:

• The side-stepping ability of ASD tugs is not so good.
• The squat at the stern and flooding of the aft deck have been acquainted with certain types when backing with full power.
• They are still susceptible to girting or capsizing when using the aft towing position.
• These types of tugs are slightly more at risk from the interaction effects.
• These have somewhat Complex control systems.
• These tugs are more susceptible to rubbish damage in propellers
• It is not uncommon for 99 % of all towing to be limited to a forward position

Other Miscellaneous Types Of Tugs

Along with these classifications mentioned above, some other miscellaneous types of tugs are briefed as below:

1. Tractor Tugs With Cycloidal Propellers

Before the Second World War, tugboats had high power ratings and large tonnage capacities, and the propeller used was cycloidal to facilitate manoeuvrability; these were renowned as Cycloidal Tugboats. Voith Schneider propeller (VSP) is an advancement of a cycloidal drive. It is excellent at manoeuvring operations, so it became a perfect choice for ferries and barges.

2. The Carousel Tug

The Dutch developed the Carousel Tug, which emerged as an award-winning Maritime innovation in 2006. It consists of interlocking inner and outer rings, the former connected to a vessel and the latter with the tug’s body attached to a towed ship through winches or hooks.

3. Reverse Tractor Tugs

The tractor tugs are termed reverse tractor tugs if they have Z-drive aft-mounted propulsion units. These reverse tractor tugs don’t have a skeg and work efficiently in escorting. These tugs have fewer fatigue issues than tractor tugs due to the unavailability of flat plate skeg. Generally, ASD tugs serve as reverse tractor tugs.

4. Combi-Tugs

A bow thruster and a nozzle with steering are fitted with a conventional Screw Tug to improve manoeuvrability. These modified tugs, along with additional devices like a thruster and steered nozzle, equipped with the latter devices are referred to as “Combi-Tugs”. Combi-Tugs are preferably modified with twin-screw conventional tugs to have maximum efficiency.

5. Z-PELLER

It can have two towing locations, one forward and one amidship, and the main propulsion is from two rotating azimuth units, which are placed like a traditional twin screw tug. Azimuthing propulsion unit replaces conventional shafts and propellers, which allows 360-degree rotation about the vertical axis.

6. Giano Tug

The Giano Tug is highly stable and can serve the purpose of both support and escort tug. It is a high-tech tug which allows remote manoeuvring through VSAT or 4G connections. Its 360-degree rotation and excellent side-stepping speed made it to the top in the order of standards of tugs.

7. Eco-Tugs

Hybrid technology tugs or tugs with LNG as a running fuel are categorised as eco-tugs. These tugs serve the same purpose of escorting and supporting as the conventional tugs, but without harming and polluting the marine ecosystem.

8. Ice Tugs

These tugs escort ferries or barges and serve as icebreakers or salvage boats to make the ferries and barges speed up to their destination.

The Most Powerful Tug in the World

“The title of most powerful tugboat crowns Farstad Shipping’s Far Samson by the Guinness World Record, which achieved an astounding four hundred twenty-three tons bollard pull during testing.” The Spanish shipyard launched a groundbreaking, powerful tug boat to supply the Luleå, Sweden Port.

But presently, Gondan Shipyard promises to build and deliver an ice-breaking towing tug, which is assumed to bag the ticket for the most potent hybrid tug in the World.

Robert Allan’s design was the foundation for building this tug. To assist ships or vessels through challenging regions, it employs a powerful hybrid power system, namely Wärtsilä’s HYTug power system. It combines “Lloyd’s Register class and a 3600-H design of RAL TundRA”.

All the super, as well as substructures of this giant, are very strong and efficient. The superb hull structure is provided, which beats even the class rules of Finnish-Swedish ice. The excellent bollard pull of this tug of about 100 tonnes emphasised its capabilities. It is operated in a diesel manual mode to achieve maximum efficiency.

These can easily break a metre of ice with a comparatively high speed of about three knots. The tug’s thirty-six-metre span is equipped with an excellent propulsion system. Its propulsion system comprises batteries to store energy and run in specific emergencies, shaft motors, generators, two diesel key engines, etc.

The essential features of this tugboat are as follows:

• It is flexible in operation and can switch swiftly.
• It emits less fuel under its hybrid conformations, making its maintenance economical and more accessible.
• There are a variety of operation modes available in this tug due to its innovative and hybrid design.
• It can serve multi-purpose purposes in ice management, assisting ships and enormous barges during voyages, fighting fires, and towing in coastal regions and difficult conditions.

You might also like to read:

• A Guide To Types of Ships
• Types of Sailboats: A Comprehensive Classification
• Different Types of Submarines and Underwater Vessels
• Different Types of Barges Used in the Shipping World
• LNG Tankers: Different Types And Dangers Involved

About Author

Zahra is an alumna of Miranda House, University of Delhi. She is an avid writer, possessing immaculate research and editing skills. Author of several academic papers, she has also worked as a freelance writer, producing many technical, creative and marketing pieces. A true aesthete at heart, she loves books a little more than anything else.

Read More Articles By This Author >

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BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT

Not only a dirty job, but one of these most dangerous too. They work with cables that are under huge amounts of strain and could snap. Hat tip to all the tug boat crews out there, helping ships in their time of need.

I am engineer Ali Abusada from Libya I was the chairman of Libyan to wage and selvage company now I am consulting engineer for the company , we are looking for getting new tugboats of 5000hp 4500 hp 300 hp. I need to know where we can find chance in Mediterranean

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Description

If you're looking for a personal cruiser with superb seamanship, comfort, and fuel efficiency, a tug boat may be exactly what you're looking for. As a cross between a trawler yacht and a downeast boat , tug boats generally share many of the same characteristics. Whether you are crossing the gulf stream over to the Bahamas or cruising up the coast of the Pacific Northwest, many of the mainstream tug boat brands offer exceptional performance at slower, more efficient speeds.

At United, we have many yacht brokers experienced in the sale of pre-owned tug boats and the construction of new builds. We invite you to contact us today and let one of our professional yacht brokers assist you in finding the right tug boat that fits your requirements.

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Whether venturing on a long-range cruise or using your tug boat as a liveaboard , these seaworthy "workhouses" are characteristically sturdy, durable, and strong. There is often a deep-v hull and high bow flare which easily cuts through waves, even in choppy seas. Premium tug boat brands use high-quality materials including resin-infusion processes in order to create a strong hull. Typically most tug boats consist or one or two cabins, as they are meant to offer a more private cruising experience for the owner.

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Nordic Tug Boats, for example, offers models from the mid-20 foot range up to a 54 tug boat. Designed for luxury, comfortable cruising Nordic Tugs are built in the United States since the 1970's. Many tug brands often use fuel-efficient diesel inboard engines like the Volvo Penta series that are known for reliability.

Ranger Tug Boats have been in business now for over 60 years and originated in the rough waters of the Pacific Northwest. The pilothouse on a Ranger Tug is almost unmistakable, a unique salon-line enclosed area for piloting in total comfort and shelter from the elements.

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Timmerman Yachts is a Russian builder of quality luxury motor yachts. Based in Moscow, it is owned by a group of Dutch and Russian investors and operates out of Moscow Shipyard. Several noted naval architecture and yacht design firms are involved with Timmerman, including Vripack, Guido de Groot Design, Ginton Naval Architects, Jon Bannenberg Ltd., and Francis Design Ltd.

Founded in 2003, the company was named for 17th century Dutch boat builder Franz Timmerman who brought Dutch boat manufacturing techniques to Russia and co-founded the Russian navy. Timmerman Yachts has more than 1,000 employees working at the Moscow Shipyard.

Timmerman has delivered a number of semi-custom luxury yachts between 26-47 metres in length, including TM26 and Timmerman FD-51, designed by Francis Design Ltd. Other notable Timmerman yachts include Victoria M, Alexandra (now Latitude) and Olsten 125′.

One of the 10 largest yacht builders in the world, Timmerman is focused on building high-quality luxury yachts at more competitive prices. Its Russian-Dutch partnership provides great yacht-building capabilities. Timmerman builds yacht to the highest standards and holds DNV, MCA and Russian River Register certification. The company reportedly has more than a dozen yachts in some phase of construction.

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Svitzer places order to build the world’s first battery electric methanol tug

Svitzer has contracted Uzmar shipyard to build a first of its kind battery-methanol tug for delivery in H2 2025. The 6MWh battery-powered tug will be deployed in Gothenburg and provide zero-emission services across a quarter of Svitzer’s operations in the port.

Copenhagen, 17 September 2024: Svitzer, a leading global towage provider, has today announced that it has signed a contract with the Turkish shipyard Uzmar to build a world-first battery-methanol tug. The tug will be based on Svitzer’s innovative TRAnsverse tug design and feature a 6MWh battery supported by dual fuel methanol engines for back-up and range extension.

The escort duty tug is expected to conduct more than 90% of its operations using its battery-electric powertrain and conduct up to 25% of Svitzer’s work in the port of Gothenburg. Svitzer’s innovative TRAnsverse tug design will allow the battery-powered tug to operate more efficiently than internal combustion engine powered tugs of a traditional design.

Designed in collaboration with naval architect, Robert Allan Ltd, the tug will feature an overall length of 34.9 meters, providing substantial stability and capacity. It will deliver an impressive bollard pull ahead of 85 tonnes and utilise escort steering and braking forces rated at 150 and 200 tonnes, respectively, measured at 10 knots. With a gross tonnage of approximately 806 tonnes and powered by a 6MWh battery system, the tug will be capable of achieving speeds of up to 14 knots.

Continuing developments in alternative power technologies convinced Svitzer that the combination of battery power and methanol engines can ensure both safe, efficient and reliable operations in a location with the right availability of these two power sources.

With an aim to become the world’s most sustainable port, the Port of Gothenburg was considered the perfect location for the new tug. The port is making significant investments to provide the necessary shore power charging options, and methanol is already being bunkered at the port. As such, Gothenburg has all the ingredients for safe and stable operation of the tug for many years to come.

Kasper Nilaus, CEO of Svitzer , said: “Applications for battery solutions are constantly expanding, and we see it becoming an important power option in the sustainability transition. This battery tug will bring a new dynamic to our operations. There will not be a one-size-fits-all solution for us to meet our ambitious decarbonisation targets, and equipped with this new power technology we have yet another option for how to significantly reduce emissions across the many global ports and terminals we operate in. In this way, we continue to develop our strategies for fleet-wide decarbonisation while constantly ensuring sustainable, safe and reliable marine services to Svitzer customers.”

Gareth Prowse, Head of Decarbonisation at Svitzer , commented on the contract: “The launch of a first-of-its-kind newbuild project with our partners at Uzmar Shipyard is a significant milestone for our decarbonisation ambitions. We are proud of the work we have done with our technology suppliers and engineering consultants to develop the tug to this point. The battery electric tug will mean we can deliver our services to customers in the Port of Gothenburg with significantly lower carbon emissions, and still to the highest operational and safety standards.”

A. Noyan Altug, CEO of Uzmar , commented: “Our close working partnership with Svitzer on planning and developing this newbuild project will see our shipyard deliver one of the most advanced tugs in the global fleet using new technologies and specifications. At Uzmar, we recognise the importance of reducing carbon emissions in the maritime sector, and we are fully aligned with Svitzer’s ambitious decarbonisation strategy. This project represents a significant step forward in that journey. By integrating cutting-edge technologies and sustainable practices, we are not just building a tug; we are helping to shape the future of green maritime operations. For Svitzer, our expert team will continue to deliver sustainable building excellence.”

Notes to editors About Svitzer Svitzer is a leading, global towage and marine services provider. The core business is to assist large seaborne vessels in manoeuvring in and out of ports and terminals to berth and unberth. With more than 450 vessels, Svitzer’s services play a crucial role as part of critical port infrastructure. Svitzer was founded in 1833 and serves approximately 2,000 customers in more than 140 ports and 40 terminals across 37 countries. Read more on www.svitzer.com .

For further information, please contact:  Nick Orsmond BLUE Communications  T: +44 77 825 55456 E: [email protected]

Anders Crillesen Global Head of Communications, Svitzer E: [email protected]

Attachments

• Svitzer press release_methanol-battery tug - 17Sep2024
• Battery-methanol tug rendering

News and releases

• September 18, 2024
• Coastal , News

Svitzer orders world’s first battery-methanol tug

Image: Svitzert

Copenhagen-headquartered global towage operator Svitzer has contracted Turkey’s Uzmar shipyard to build a first of its kind battery-methanol tug for delivery in the second half of 2025.

The tug will be based on Svitzer’s innovative TRAnsverse tug design and feature a 6 MWh battery, supported by dual fuel methanol engines for back-up and range extension.

The escort duty tug is expected to conduct more than 90% of its operations using its battery-electric powertrain and will conduct up to 25% of Svitzer’s work in the Port of Gothenburg , Swedeb.

Svitzer says that the TRAnsverse tug design will allow the battery-powered tug to operate more efficiently than internal combustion engine powered tugs of a traditional design.

Designed in collaboration with naval architect, Robert Allan Ltd, the battery-methanol tug will have an overall length of 34.9 meters and will deliver an impressive bollard pull ahead of 85 tonnes and escort steering and braking forces rated at 150 and 200 tonnes, respectively, measured at 10 knots.

With a gross tonnage of approximately 806 tonnes, the tug will be capable of achieving speeds of up to 14 knots.

Svitzer says that continuing developments in alternative power technologies convinced that the combination of battery power and methanol engines can ensure both safe, efficient and reliable operations in a location with the right availability of these two power sources.

The Port of Gothenburg, which has an aim to become the world’s most sustainable port, was considered the perfect location for the new battery-methanol tug. The port is making significant investments to provide the necessary shore power charging options, and methanol is already being bunkered at the port.

“Applications for battery solutions are constantly expanding, and we see it becoming an important power option in the sustainability transition,” said Svitzer CEO Kasper Nilaus. “This battery tug will bring a new dynamic to our operations. There will not be a one-size-fits-all solution for us to meet our ambitious decarbonization targets, and equipped with this new power technology we have yet another option for how to significantly reduce emissions across the many global ports and terminals we operate in. In this way, we continue to develop our strategies for fleet-wide decarbonisation while constantly ensuring sustainable, safe and reliable marine services to Svitzer customers.”

“The launch of a first-of-its-kind newbuild project with our partners at Uzmar Shipyard is a significant milestone for our decarbonization ambitions,” said Gareth Prowse, head of decarbonization at Svitzer. “We are proud of the work we have done with our technology suppliers and engineering consultants to develop the tug to this point. The battery electric tug will mean we can deliver our services to customers in the Port of Gothenburg with significantly lower carbon emissions, and still to the highest operational and safety standards.”

“Our close working partnership with Svitzer on planning and developing this newbuild project will see our shipyard deliver one of the most advanced tugs in the global fleet using new technologies and specifications,” said Uzmar CEO A. Noyan Altug. “At Uzmar, we recognize the importance of reducing carbon emissions in the maritime sector, and we are fully aligned with Svitzer’s ambitious decarbonization strategy. This project represents a significant step forward in that journey. By integrating cutting-edge technologies and sustainable practices, we are not just building a tug; we are helping to shape the future of green maritime operations. For Svitzer, our expert team will continue to deliver sustainable building excellence.”

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Russia submarines and naval ships cross into buffer zone off Alaska, U.S. Coast Guard says

Updated on: September 17, 2024 / 9:19 AM EDT / CBS/AP

The U.S. Coast Guard said Monday that it tracked a group of Russian naval vessels, including two submarines, as they crossed into U.S. waters off Alaska in an apparent effort to avoid sea ice, a move that is permitted under international rules and customs.

Crew of the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Stratton witnessed the Russian military vessels cross the maritime boundary and venture 30 miles inside an area extending beyond U.S. territorial waters known as the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone, the Coast Guard said in a news release.

The Russian vessels consisted of two submarines, a frigate and tug boat, the Coast Guard said. The encounter took place nearly 60 miles northwest of Point Hope.

"We are actively patrolling our maritime border in the Bering Sea, Bering Strait, and Chukchi Sea, with our largest and most capable cutters and aircraft, to protect U.S. sovereign interests, U.S. fish stocks, and to promote international maritime norms," said Rear Adm. Megan Dean. "Coast Guard Cutter Stratton ensured there were no disruptions to U.S. interests." 

The Coast Guard said the Stratton, a 418-foot legend class national security cutter, is "patrolling under Operation Frontier Sentinel, an operation designed to meet presence with presence when strategic competitors operate in and around U.S. waters," the Coast Guard said.

There have been several similar encounters in recent months. Last month, a U.S. Coast Guard cutter on routine patrol around Alaska's Aleutian Islands came across a Russian ship in international waters but within the U.S. exclusive economic zone.

 On July 6, the Coast Guard while on patrol  spotted four Chinese military ships  north of the Amchitka Pass in the Aleutian Islands in international waters, but also within the U.S. exclusive economic zone, officials said.

And on July 24,  the U.S. military intercepted  two Russian bombers and two Chinese bombers flying together in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone. The bombers were intercepted by U.S. and Canadian fighter jets and were not seen as a threat, according to North American Aerospace Defense Command. 

However, a U.S. defense official told CBS News this was the first time that Russian and Chinese aircraft had jointly entered the Alaska ADIZ. It marked a new show of expanding military cooperation that U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said at the time raises concerns.

While the Alaska ADIZ is considered part of international airspace, it is defined as an area where sovereign U.S. airspace ends but "that requires the ready identification of all aircraft in the interest of national security," according to NORAD. 

Military activity by the U.S., Canada, Russia and China has ramped up in the Arctic. In July, Moscow said it  scrambled fighter jets  to intercept two U.S. military long-range bomber aircraft that approached the Russian border over the Barents Sea in the Arctic. 

• United States Coast Guard

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