Japan is closely monitoring as the People's Liberation Army holds the "largest scale sea air joint training in history"
According to a report by Taiwan's Central News Agency on September 16th, the largest ever joint sea and air training conducted by the People's Liberation Army in the Western Pacific has ended.
According to reports, the Japanese Ministry of Defense announced on the 16th that the PLA Shandong carrier formation crossed the Bashi Strait and turned towards the South China Sea on the 15th, while at least 5 other warships sailed northward.
▲ In a certain sea area, the Shandong J-15 carrier based aircraft are arranged on the deck.
The Joint Staff Supervision Department of the Japanese Ministry of Defense announced on the 16th that from the 13th to the 14th, it was confirmed that multiple Chinese naval vessels, including the Shandong ship, were forming a formation to sail in the Pacific Ocean. During this period, the Maritime Self Defense Force observed about 40 fighter jets and 20 helicopters taking off and landing from the Shandong ship, totaling 60 carrier based aircraft taking off and landing activities.
According to reports, from the 14th to the 15th, the Shandong aircraft carrier fleet sailed from the Pacific towards the South China Sea through the Bashi Strait. Japan dispatched the destroyer Yuming for tracking, surveillance, and intelligence gathering.
According to a report from the Joint Staff Supervision Department of the Japanese Ministry of Defense, at least five PLA warships are sailing northward.
According to reports, foreign military journalists have published articles analyzing and judging that the People's Liberation Army has ended large-scale maritime exercises in the western Pacific.
The report cites an article by Chinese military commentator Shao Yongling on the 16th, stating that this is a cross theater joint exercise by the People's Liberation Army. The Shandong fleet of ships belongs to the Southern Theater Command, while the other escort fleet comes from the Eastern Theater Command. If we include the Wuxi fleet, which was still conducting exercises in the Sea of Japan at the time, and the 45th batch of escort fleets of the People's Liberation Army, composed of naval forces from the Northern Theater Command, which recently crossed the Miyako Strait, more than 20 ships were dispatched from the Third Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army to gather in the Western Pacific from the 11th to the 14th, this record can be said to be "unprecedented in scale.".
In response to the Japanese Ministry of Defense's report that the Shandong ship takes off and lands 60 carrier based aircraft in a day, Shao Yongling said that such high-intensity takeoff and landing operations also mean that the Shandong ship has formed a complete combat capability.
In addition, on the 12th, the Financial Times quoted foreign defense officials and analysts as saying that the Chinese Navy conducted the largest ever exercise in the Western Pacific, including aircraft carriers, "showcasing Beijing's military strength to counter the United States and its allies.".
Previously, a series of military exercises led by the United States were held in four locations around China, involving more than 20 countries.
