Two Chinese aircraft carriers conducted about 1,120 flight operations near Japan since late may
China’s two operational aircraft carriers conducted a total of about 1,120 takeoffs and landings of fighter jets during most recent sailings that have seen the Chinese Navy expand increasingly farther into the Pacific Ocean, a spokesperson at the Joint Staff Office of the Japanese Defense Ministry told Naval News on June 24.
Specifically, the spokesperson said Chinese aircraft carriers Liaonging and Shandong had conducted the flight operations in the Pacific Ocean near Japan through June 22 after being tracked by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) from late May.
Among these operations, the spokesperson said that the Liaonging, China’s first aircraft carrier, had conducted about 700 takeoffs and landings in the East China Sea, part of the Pacific Ocean, and the western Pacific from May 25 to June 19.
Most notably, the Liaoning was spotted for the first time operating in the waters east of Iwo Jima, a remote island in the Pacific, on June 7. The Liaoning and its escort sailed as far as to waters about 300 kilometers southwest of Minamitorishima, Japan’s easternmost island. This marked the first time a Chinese aircraft carrier has crossed the so-called Second Island Chain, which stretches from Japan to Guam— a U.S. territory—and to Indonesia. This area was within Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) near Minamitorishima.
Minamitorishima, which is a remote island east of Iwo Jima, sits at Japan’s eastern-most point. Iwo Jima is well known as a fierce battle site during the World War II.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson said the Shandong, China’s second carrier, had conducted about 420 takeoffs and landings from June 9 to 22. The Shandong carrier strike group (CSG) circled clockwise surrounding ocean area around Okinotorishima, Japan’s southernmost island. The area also included Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
Equally significant, it is also the first time that two Chinese aircraft carriers have been spotted conducting simultaneous operations in the Pacific.
During this sailing on June 7, a J-15 fighter jet from the Shandong tailed a P-3C patrol aircraft of the JMSDF for about 40 minutes from 10:30 am to 11:00 am and “made an unusual approach” to the P-3C patrol aircraft, with a horizontal distance of only about 45 meters with no altitude difference.
Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani said at a press conference on June 20 that China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) intends to improve the operational capabilities of the Liaoning and Shandong, and to enhance its ability to carry out operations in distant sea and air spaces.
The Chinese navy’s latest moves appear to be aimed at preventing intervention by U.S. military forces, including United States Forces Japan, in the event of a Taiwan emergency. To that end, the PLAN appears to be striving to build a full readiness system that will enable it to deploy Chinese surface ships, air power, and possibly submarines in the West Pacific and elsewhere.
