The uninvited guest: Chinese sub pops up in middle of U.S. Navy
exercise, leaving military chiefs red-faced


American military chiefs have been left dumbstruck by an undetected
Chinese submarine popping up at the heart of a recent Pacific
exercise
and close to the vast U.S.S. Kitty Hawk - a 1,000ft supercarrier with
4,500 personnel on board.

By the time it surfaced the 160ft Song Class diesel-electric attack
submarine is understood to have sailed within viable range for
launching
torpedoes or missiles at the carrier.

According to senior Nato officials the incident caused consternation
in
the U.S. Navy.

The Americans had no idea China's fast-growing submarine fleet had
reached such a level of sophistication, or that it posed such a
threat.

One Nato figure said the effect was "as big a shock as the Russians
launching Sputnik" - a reference to the Soviet Union's first orbiting
satellite in 1957 which marked the start of the space age.
Millwright Ron
www.unionmillwright.com