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The US Navy deployed the Pathfinder-class survey ship USNS Mary Sears and destroyer USS John Finn through the Taiwan Strait on January 16-17, 2026, for data collection to support future underwater drone operations. This marks the Navy's first transit of the strait in 2026.

The operation aims to uphold freedom of navigation under international law and gather data for U.S. submarine operations, including identifying hidden Chinese submarines. The deployment is part of a new U.S. policy involving survey ships, which collect geophysical data and assess underwater environments.

The Navy also conducted three warship passages in the strait last year. Concurrently, China is developing the Type 096 ballistic missile submarine, capable of striking U.S. targets from protected waters, which increases strategic tension in the region.