Chinese navy drills reveal greater ability to project power deeper into Pacific, analysts say
- China’s Liaoning and Shandong aircraft carrier groups have carried out massive drills in the western Pacific and the South China Sea
- Sheer number of fighter jet sorties shows China’s naval operation abilities have significantly improved, US-based analyst says
The assessment from analysts came as the Chinese navy completed two massive drills led by its Liaoning and Shandong aircraft carriers in the western Pacific and the South China Sea, respectively.
China’s Liaoning carrier strike group makes show of force in western Pacific
The Liaoning, which was China’s first-ever carrier when it launched in 2012, led a strike group of five warships – the guided-missile cruisers Anshan and Wuxi, guided-missile destroyer Chengdu, the frigate Zhaozhuang and support ship Hulunhu.
The strike group, described as China’s “most powerful” by nationalist tabloid Global Times, sailed into the Western Pacific through the Miyako Strait off Japan on December 16.
The flotilla returned to the East China Sea on January 1.
The two-week exercises featured a series of naval manoeuvres and flight operations, including a record 320 or so take-offs and landings of both fighters and helicopters, according to the Japanese defence ministry which monitored the drills.
That indicates the “sortie rate”, a measure of how much military power a navy can bring to bear, was around 20 per day.
On the day the group returned, a Chinese high-altitude long endurance drone, the WZ-7 Soaring Dragon, passed between the main Japanese islands as it flew from the East China Sea towards the Pacific Ocean, and then circled back via the same route, according to the Japanese ministry.
01:19
Chinese navy practises aerial combat as it prepares its newest aircraft carrier for operations
Separately, China’s second aircraft carrier, the Shandong, reportedly carried out combat-oriented training recently in an unspecified area of the South China Sea, where Beijing has territorial disputes with several neighbours.
State broadcaster CCTV aired footage showing the Shandong accompanied by a destroyer and a support ship. Several J-15 fighter jets were seen practising take-off and landing off its flight deck, although their number was not disclosed.
The strike group also carried out targeted training, emergency response and damage control exercises, CCTV reported.
China’s aim is to build a blue-water navy with at least six aircraft carrier battle groups by 2035.
New Chinese J-15 fighter jet looks ready for faster take-off
Timothy Heath, a senior international defence researcher at US think tank Rand Corporation, said the sheer number of take-offs and landings shows that China’s naval operation abilities have significantly improved.
“For China, 20 sorties per day represents a significant improvement,” he said.
“However, China still has a long way to go to catch up [with] the US Navy. For example, US aircraft carriers are capable of sustaining up to 160 sorties per day.”
Heath said the WZ-7’s flight showed the Chinese military was integrating drones into naval operations, which could improve the combat survivability of the carrier group.
“The high altitude long endurance WZ-7 can provide reconnaissance and surveillance support to the aircraft carrier … This will help the carrier group better detect and defend against potential threats.”
01:46
Chinese fighter jet almost collides with US military plane over South China Sea
David Silbey, a military historian at Cornell University, was of the same view.
“The Chinese are clearly working to achieve a similar level of capability and the number they managed during this drill is a definite sign of increased capability,” he said.
“The drone is used to locate and track potential enemy targets for Chinese air strikes, most likely American carrier groups. Once located, they would shadow the carrier group and pass targeting information back to the Chinese ships,” Silbey added.
Japan approves major defence overhaul on China threats
It now plans to acquire counter-strike capabilities and raise military spending to 2 per cent of gross domestic product by 2027, a move welcomed by Washington.
The US has also been increasing military cooperation with Taiwan, a potential flashpoint between Beijing and the US. Beijing, which sees Taiwan as breakaway territory, regards its return to mainland control as a core national interest.
