China’s second aircraft carrier, Shandong, and battle group train in the South China Sea
- WeChat post and video show J-15 fighter jets taking off with the Shandong’s ski-jump ramp and landing on the deck aided by arrester wires
- PLA’s Southern Theatre Command says its navy pilots conducted live-fire training to test weapons and equipment, and the troops’ standard of training
A WeChat post by the People’s Liberation Army’s South Sea Fleet said the training was intended to test troops’ combat strength in conditions simulating a battle.
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The South Sea Fleet said the training was conducted at an unspecified time in early autumn, which started on August 7 according to the lunar calendar.
The WeChat post and the video embedded in it offered few details but highlighted J-15 fighter jets taking off with the Shandong’s ski-jump ramp and landing on the deck aided by arrester wires. The South Sea Fleet also said it had carried out resupply training.
The video shows the Shandong accompanied by the Guilin, a Type 052D guided missile destroyer of the stretched variant. PLA media had reported the variant was equipped with advanced anti-stealth radar and had a longer helicopter deck. Another in the battle group was the Type 901 supply ship, the Chaganhu.