Sounds more like the ChiComs have found a way to compromise our navys sensors so that they can use the ancient tactic of ramming.
I read somewhere that the ChiComs have umteen thousand spys here. Plus so many of our elected and business leaders are quite willing to sell them our technology.
Binoculars dont get hacked. Underway in such waters you would think a warship, with a crew of hundreds, would have lookouts as SOP.
A warship should not be vulnerable to deliberate ramming by a merchant vessel. It is too easy to evade, if it is taking reasonable precautions.
And its course and schedule cannot be easily predicted such that it can be set up by a few deliberately planned ramming vessels - each of these would be passing hundreds of merchant vessels.
Nah, it was 6:30 AM, broad daylight and the ship complement was up and at work.
China doesn’t need spies.
Our industry which funds our politicians depends on the plants in China for their profits, and our media depends on those Chinese plants for their advertising revenue.
China has control over our industry, politicians and our media.