The Race to Control in South China Sea - YouTube Dictation

[HaraKiriBlade]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRGxtvSyqAE

There is this one part I can't quite make out. It's only one second - between 0:18 and 0:19.

An open contest between the United States and China has broken out in the South China Sea. After months of careful deliberation, weighing all of the risks, the White House authorized the U.S. Navy to send in a guided missile destroyer _______________ hard-up against one of the artificial islands that China has constructed in the Spratlys chain.

Actually, I am not even sure if he said 'hard-up.' I might be wrong.


Thank you.

 

[Tdol]

Actually, I am not even sure if he said 'hard-up.' I might be wrong.

You're right, but he does put a lot of emphasis onto hard so that it sounded a bit odd to me.