Chinese Destroyer Sonar Pulses Injure Australian Navy Divers

"The Australian Government has expressed its serious concerns to the Chinese Government following an unsafe and unprofessional interaction with a People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLA-N) destroyer."

JAPAN - The Australian Ministry of Defense has reported that Chinese destroyer sonar pulses likely caused injuries to its divers, after which the divers were forced to exit the water within Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone during a scheduled port visit.

The HMAS Toowoomba was operating within Japan's EEZ and stopped to conduct diving operations to clear fishing nets that had become entangled around its propellers when a PLA-N destroyer (DDG-139) operating close by closed in on their position and "operated a hull-mounted sonar in a manner that posed a risk to the safety of the Australian divers who were forced to exit the water".

Chinese Destroyer Closed In On Position And Operated Sonar Despite Australian Navy Vessel Communicated Intentions To Carry Out Dive Operations