The Chinese aircraft carriers Liaoning and Shandong conducted dual formation exercises in the South China Sea for the first time. This is a move that prepares the Chinese navy for more complex missions.
China is in conflict with several neighboring countries and claims territorial waters of the South China Sea. During this training, the formation moved to the Yellow Sea, East China Sea and South China Sea before returning home. The Reuters agency reports it but the news also appears in a post on the official Weibo account of the People’s Liberation Army Navy.
The Chinese Navy’s #Liaoning aircraft carrier task group carried out a dual-aircraft-carrier formation drill with the #Shandong aircraft carrier task group for the first time during a combat-oriented far-sea training exercise in late October. #PLA #Chinesenavy #aircraftcarrier pic.twitter.com/G3XhZqKK9U
— China Bugle China Bugle (@ChinaBugle) October 31, 2024
«In the South China Sea, the Liaoning and Shandong naval formations they conducted a dual carrier formation exercise for the first time to refine and improve the combat capability of the aircraft carrier training system,” it reads.
The PLA Navy operates the Liaoning and Shandong as its two active warships. China’s third aircraft carrier, Fujian, was unveiled in June 2022. It is still performing sea trials and is not yet operational.
Aircraft carriers side by side, the (strange) Chinese double exercise in the South Sea: what is Beijing preparing for?
The combined airpower and strike force of Liaoning and Shandong exceed those of some small or medium armed forces. The two aircraft carrier groups, during the training, could also count on early warning systems and support destroyers and frigates, which gave them air, anti-submarine and anti-ship defense capabilities.
Taiwan, aircraft carriers and Chinese ships in the Strait: Beijing’s pressure on the “rebel” island increases
The strongest (and closest) contrast is certainly the one with Taiwan. An issue that is “at the heart of China’s fundamental interests,” a Chinese defense spokesperson said on October 31. “Several pieces of US weapons will not reduce the gap in military power between the two sides of the Strait, much less stop the historical trend of China’s reunification,” he added, reiterating the desire to bring Hong Kong back into the territory and sphere of influence Chinese.
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