https://www.scmp.com/rss/273366/feed China's first aircraft carrier went into commission on September 26, 2012 and was named "Liaoning" after the northeastern province. The 300-metre ship, refurbished and upgraded from the unfinished Soviet carrier Varyag, which China bought from Ukraine in 1998, is believed to be years away from active service. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Wenran Jiang Wenran Jiang Historians are likely to point to 2025 as the watershed in China’s 21st century ascent, a year in which the People’s Liberation Army’s power projection matured across all domains, resetting the global balance of power. This seismic shift is underscored by an unmistakable admission: the US has formally acknowledged the limits of its global reach in its new national security strategy and begun a strategic recalibration away from undisputed hegemony. These military and strategic realities are... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3336668/2025-marked-end-pax-americanas-unipolar-moment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3336668/2025-marked-end-pax-americanas-unipolar-moment?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Dec 2025 21:30:07 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi acknowledged that China had notified Japan in advance about drills involving the aircraft carrier Liaoning that led to a stand-off between warplanes from the two countries over the weekend. However, Koizumi told a press conference on Wednesday that the notification lacked detail about the scale and location of the exercise in the Pacific southeast of Okinawa’s main island and Beijing had not provided “notices to air missions”, a warning to ships and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3335816/china-reveals-radio-communication-heard-mid-air-standoff-japanese-fighter-jets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3335816/china-reveals-radio-communication-heard-mid-air-standoff-japanese-fighter-jets?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Dec 2025 20:06:34 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen Chinese naval vessels have intensified pass-through operations as tensions between Beijing and Tokyo continue to rise. Japan’s defence ministry said on Tuesday that a PLA Navy Type 054 destroyer had sailed southeastwards between Okinawa Island and Miyako Island, heading towards the Pacific Ocean, while another travelled eastwards through the Osumi Strait. The operations on Monday came shortly after the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning charted an unusual course towards Japan’s main islands... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3335703/why-chinas-liaoning-carrier-unique-route-amid-beijing-tokyo-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3335703/why-chinas-liaoning-carrier-unique-route-amid-beijing-tokyo-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Dec 2025 05:23:37 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang China’s Liaoning carrier strike group continued military drills in waters near Japan’s Okinawa on Sunday, Tokyo said, a day after a rare stand-off between Chinese and Japanese fighter jets in the area. The PLA Navy aircraft carrier and three guided missile destroyers were sailing northeast between Okinawa and Minami-Daito islands, and in waters around 190km (118 miles) east of Kikai Island, Japan’s defence ministry said on Sunday night. Around 50 take-offs and landings by carrier-based fighter... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3335566/japan-keeps-tabs-4-chinese-navy-ships-near-okinawa-after-military-stand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3335566/japan-keeps-tabs-4-chinese-navy-ships-near-okinawa-after-military-stand?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Dec 2025 06:00:00 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang A rare military stand-off unfolded northeast of Taiwan near the Miyako Strait on Saturday, when Japan claimed that Chinese naval fighters had intermittently beamed fire-control radars – a tactical precursor to missile engagement – on its F-15J jets. Responding on Sunday, Beijing said Japanese jets had intruded on a People’s Liberation Army naval drill by flying too close to its aircraft carrier fleet. According to Japan’s Ministry of Defence, J-15 fighters launched from China’s Liaoning aircraft... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3335493/tokyo-accuses-chinese-fighters-locking-japanese-jets-northeast-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3335493/tokyo-accuses-chinese-fighters-locking-japanese-jets-northeast-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Dec 2025 04:16:52 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng Chinese aircraft carriers have undergone intensive far-sea training to forge strong combat readiness, carrying out dozens of “train-as-you-fight” drills beyond the island chains and ramping up the frequency of aircraft launches. The revelation was just one detail in a PLA Daily article last week that shed light on the training activities of China’s three aircraft carriers – a subject that the People’s Liberation Army has previously guarded closely. The details come less than two weeks after... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3333118/china-reveals-guarded-carrier-tactics-train-you-fight-drills-beyond-island-chains?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3333118/china-reveals-guarded-carrier-tactics-train-you-fight-drills-beyond-island-chains?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Nov 2025 10:24:44 +0000 Sophie Wushuang Yi Sophie Wushuang Yi When President Xi Jinping commissioned the Fujian on November 5, China became only the second nation to have an aircraft carrier with an electromagnetic catapult system. It is also notable that, last month, two navy aircraft from the USS Nimitz crashed into the South China Sea. These events crystallise a strategic reality often obscured by aggregate force comparisons: the relevant naval balance is not between the 11 US aircraft carriers and China’s three, but between what the United States can... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3332517/south-china-sea-how-third-pla-navy-aircraft-carrier-changes-dynamics-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3332517/south-china-sea-how-third-pla-navy-aircraft-carrier-changes-dynamics-us?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Nov 2025 12:30:10 +0000 Alcott Wei Alcott Wei China’s third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, is expected to achieve combat readiness sooner than the first two, and the country has the potential to produce more carriers for regular deployment on the high seas, according to state media. The reports also said China had the technology to build nuclear-powered carriers. The Fujian, the nation’s most advanced carrier and the first with electromagnetic catapults, was officially commissioned in Sanya, Hainan province, on Wednesday. It will now focus... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3332111/chinas-fujian-carrier-track-rapid-combat-readiness-will-there-be-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3332111/chinas-fujian-carrier-track-rapid-combat-readiness-will-there-be-more?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Nov 2025 12:18:12 +0000 Haining Gao Haining Gao – https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3331912/chinas-third-aircraft-carrier-enters-service?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3331912/chinas-third-aircraft-carrier-enters-service?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Nov 2025 07:58:17 +0000 Haining Gao Haining Gao – https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3319123/chinas-aircraft-carrier-ambitions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3319123/chinas-aircraft-carrier-ambitions?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Jul 2025 07:53:34 +0000 Enoch Wong Enoch Wong New details emerging about a rare Chinese military drill involving two aircraft carriers in the Western Pacific last month reveal that the vessels are training with greater intensity and complexity, according to experts. One analyst said that by testing themselves against each, the Liaoning and Shandong carriers could gain a level of experience that even the United States military could not gain in battle because it was usually engaged with far less powerful rivals. Since Monday, state... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3316817/how-are-chinese-aircraft-carriers-pushing-limits-and-testing-boundaries-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3316817/how-are-chinese-aircraft-carriers-pushing-limits-and-testing-boundaries-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Jul 2025 12:00:08 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran The crossing of a US-designated island chain in the Western Pacific by a Chinese carrier group marks an increase in Beijing’s “operational tempo” that the Philippines should pay heed to, observers say. They warn, however, that a “delicate balance” should still be maintained to avoid any escalation amid calls for vigilance. Regional governments such as Japan and Taiwan have advised increased caution, and a former official in the Joe Biden administration has suggested formalising the so-called... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3314425/should-philippines-worry-about-chinese-carrier-group-crossing-first-island-chain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3314425/should-philippines-worry-about-chinese-carrier-group-crossing-first-island-chain?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Jun 2025 06:30:07 +0000 Hayley Wong Hayley Wong In sending two aircraft carriers to the western Pacific concurrently for the first time, Beijing is learning to coordinate the vessels in open ocean, a tactic it would likely use to deter US forces in a Taiwan conflict, according to defence analysts. The two carriers – the Liaoning and Shandong – were spotted in the waters, having entered the western Pacific via separate courses over the past two weeks. They are believed to have practised dispersing, concentrating and communicating in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3314380/what-does-chinas-military-gain-operating-2-aircraft-carriers-second-island-chain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3314380/what-does-chinas-military-gain-operating-2-aircraft-carriers-second-island-chain?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Jun 2025 14:00:07 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma The Trump administration has started a review of Joe Biden’s Aukus nuclear submarine deal with Australia, just as China flexes its muscles by sending two aircraft carriers on an unprecedented deployment in the Pacific. “We are reviewing Aukus as part of ensuring that this initiative of the previous administration is aligned with the president’s America First agenda,” a US official said of the review, which was first reported by the Financial Times. China has criticised the 2021 Aukus accord,... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3314152/trump-puts-submarine-pact-rough-waters-china-touts-strength?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3314152/trump-puts-submarine-pact-rough-waters-china-touts-strength?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Jun 2025 09:00:34 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen In an unprecedented show of strength, the Chinese aircraft carriers Liaoning and Shandong have been conducting exercises in the western Pacific Ocean beyond the second island chain. The People’s Liberation Army’s Navy said on Tuesday it had deployed two carrier groups in the Western Pacific and surrounding waters and conducted exercises to test their “far-sea defences and joint operational capabilities”. “It is a routine training exercise organised according to the annual plan, aiming to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3313809/chinas-liaoning-and-shandong-aircraft-carriers-sail-beyond-second-island-chain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3313809/chinas-liaoning-and-shandong-aircraft-carriers-sail-beyond-second-island-chain?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Jun 2025 08:26:17 +0000 For a nation of more than 17,000 islands at the southern edge of one of the world’s most contested waterways, the idea of an aircraft carrier might seem like a bold, even necessary, step. But Indonesia’s dream of owning such a symbol of naval might is colliding with a harsh reality: the lack of money and, perhaps, need. “It seems that we need an aircraft carrier for non-war military operations,” Admiral Muhammad Ali said at a press conference on February 6, citing humanitarian assistance,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3299656/indonesias-budget-battles-sink-its-aircraft-carrier-dreams?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3299656/indonesias-budget-battles-sink-its-aircraft-carrier-dreams?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Feb 2025 00:00:12 +0000 China’s military has accelerated pilot training for the Fujian aircraft carrier, believed to be for operating KJ-600 early warning aircraft, according to state media. According to a video released by state broadcaster CCTV on Wednesday, the Naval Aviation University of the People’s Liberation Army has been using land-based aircraft to train pilots for a new type of carrier-based “special mission” aircraft, which has not yet entered into service. The training was intended to ensure pilot... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3297497/china-trains-special-mission-pilots-combat-readiness-fujian-carrier-cctv?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3297497/china-trains-special-mission-pilots-combat-readiness-fujian-carrier-cctv?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Feb 2025 13:00:14 +0000 A more powerful and advanced version of a Chinese ship-based jet fighter seems to be in service, appearing in official footage of aircraft carrier drills, according to a military analyst. A number of J-15Bs, an updated variant of the fourth-generation twin-jet J-15 Flying Shark, were spotted in footage and photos of high-seas navy exercises released on Thursday. Without specifying when the exercises took place, the People’s Liberation Army Navy said the drills were the first time two of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3284876/updated-chinese-j-15-fighter-jet-spotted-aircraft-carrier-drill-footage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3284876/updated-chinese-j-15-fighter-jet-spotted-aircraft-carrier-drill-footage?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Nov 2024 14:00:07 +0000 The Chinese navy’s two active aircraft carriers – the Liaoning and the Shandong – have completed their first dual carrier exercises in the South China Sea, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Thursday. The report did not give details of the drills, but it included footage showing multiple J-15 fighter jets taking off from the Liaoning, with at least a dozen of the warplanes taking part in live combat drills. The two aircraft carriers were also shown sailing side by side. Military commentator and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3284678/chinese-navy-holds-first-dual-aircraft-carrier-drills-south-china-sea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3284678/chinese-navy-holds-first-dual-aircraft-carrier-drills-south-china-sea?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Oct 2024 12:00:24 +0000 A former US envoy and Taiwanese lawmaker have warned that Beijing could delve into further detail regarding mainland China’s law enabling it to act towards “non-peaceful” reunification with Taiwan. Next year Beijing could use the 20th anniversary of its Anti-Secession Law to clarify how “non-peaceful means” may be taken against Taiwan, according to Taipei City councillor Vincent Chao. Chao delivered his cautionary remarks at the launch of a report assessing the legal implications of the law by... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3282518/beijing-could-soon-elaborate-anti-secession-law-non-peaceful-taiwan-reunification?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3282518/beijing-could-soon-elaborate-anti-secession-law-non-peaceful-taiwan-reunification?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Oct 2024 23:16:59 +0000 China has tested a new type of ship-borne fighter jet on its aircraft carrier, state media reported on Friday. The unidentified new fighter carried out take-off tests on the Liaoning, China’s first aircraft carrier, according to a documentary aired by state broadcaster CCTV. In the documentary titled Quenching, Liaoning crew member Zhang Naigang recalls his experience conducting the first test flight of the J-15 “Flying Shark” 12 years ago – and now the new fighter jet. While the documentary... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3278500/china-has-reportedly-tested-next-generation-carrier-based-fighter-jet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3278500/china-has-reportedly-tested-next-generation-carrier-based-fighter-jet?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Sep 2024 00:00:17 +0000 China’s third and most advanced aircraft carrier, the Fujian, finished a smooth eight-day maiden sea trial and returned to Shanghai’s Jiangnan shipyard on Wednesday, according to official news agency Xinhua. The aircraft carrier completed tests of its power and electrical systems and achieved “the expected results” during its first trial, the news agency said. There were no tests directly related to the carrier’s cutting-edge electromagnetic catapult system carried out during the trial. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3261913/smooth-sailing-chinas-fujian-aircraft-carrier-it-finishes-first-sea-trial?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3261913/smooth-sailing-chinas-fujian-aircraft-carrier-it-finishes-first-sea-trial?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 May 2024 12:31:34 +0000 Photos have been posted online of an apparent full-scale dummy of China’s new fifth-generation fighter on one of the country’s aircraft carriers. The images began circulating on Weibo last week and appear to be of a model of a J-35 stealth fighter on the Liaoning, China’s first aircraft carrier. Then on Monday state-owned, Hong Kong-based newspaper Wen Wei Pao published clearer pictures of the dummy wrapped in a tarpaulin on the carrier at a shipyard on the northeast coast owned by Dalian... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3253044/fresh-sightings-chinas-j-35-fighter-plans-deck-liaoning-aircraft-carrier?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3253044/fresh-sightings-chinas-j-35-fighter-plans-deck-liaoning-aircraft-carrier?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Feb 2024 13:02:16 +0000 Chinese warplanes made a record number of sorties off its latest combat-ready aircraft carrier during a military exercise in the western Pacific Ocean, nearly doubling the previous benchmark. Japan’s Joint Staff Office said on Tuesday that navy fighter jets and helicopters made around 620 take-offs and landings from the Shandong carrier in the 18 days from April 7, up from 320 from the Liaoning in the 15 days of an exercise in December. A higher sortie rate can potentially increase the combat... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3218622/chinas-shandong-aircraft-carrier-sets-new-sortie-benchmark-military-exercises?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3218622/chinas-shandong-aircraft-carrier-sets-new-sortie-benchmark-military-exercises?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Apr 2023 03:00:18 +0000 The Chinese navy plans to recruit women and recent university graduates to become aircraft carrier-based pilots as the country faces a shortage of qualified aviators to operate its ship-borne planes. A recruitment notice posted on the navy’s official WeChat account on Monday called on young men and women to “devote their youth to building a world-class navy and contributing to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation!” According to the notice, candidates must be recent graduates holding a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3211582/china-recruits-women-fly-carrier-based-warplanes-navy-faces-pilot-shortage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3211582/china-recruits-women-fly-carrier-based-warplanes-navy-faces-pilot-shortage?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Feb 2023 12:00:15 +0000 The Chinese military is seen to have increased its capacity to project naval power deeper into the Pacific, following displays of improved operational skills and survivability of its aircraft carrier strike groups beyond the South China Sea. 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... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3205906/chinese-navy-drills-reveal-greater-ability-project-power-deeper-pacific-analysts-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3205906/chinese-navy-drills-reveal-greater-ability-project-power-deeper-pacific-analysts-say?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Jan 2023 14:00:18 +0000 China’s third and most advanced aircraft carrier, Fujian, is expected to start sea trials this year, according to the ship’s vice-captain, a development that will further advance the country’s military capabilities. “In the new year, we must take hold of all the work centred on the sea trials and contribute to realising the army’s [Two Centenaries] goals,” said Qian Shumin in a video address shared on Tuesday. The second of President Xi Jinping’s Two Centenaries goals is to return the nation to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3205399/chinas-advanced-fujian-aircraft-carrier-ready-start-sea-trials-year-boost-military-capacity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3205399/chinas-advanced-fujian-aircraft-carrier-ready-start-sea-trials-year-boost-military-capacity?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Jan 2023 08:30:10 +0000 China’s first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, is leading the navy’s most powerful strike group to the western Pacific Ocean for a major year-end naval drill. Japan’s Maritime Self-Defence Force (MSDF) said on Friday that the Liaoning was escorted by three of the country’s most powerful destroyers and two other vessels. Chinese defence experts said the departure indicated the People’s Liberation Army remained combat ready despite a surge in coronavirus cases throughout the country. The Japanese... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3203740/chinas-liaoning-carrier-strike-group-makes-show-force-western-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3203740/chinas-liaoning-carrier-strike-group-makes-show-force-western-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Dec 2022 18:00:21 +0000 China’s navy has been taking a leaf out of its US counterpart’s command structure, with state broadcaster CCTV providing an insight this week into one of the first jet fighter pilots to serve in a senior role aboard an aircraft carrier. J-15 pilot Xu Ying performed the initial night landing on the deck of Liaoning – China’s first aircraft carrier – in 2017, and was promoted to executive officer (XO) of the Shandong – its first domestically built carrier – in 2020, after a year of warship combat... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3196028/chinas-jet-fighter-pilots-elevated-aircraft-carrier-fleet-grows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3196028/chinas-jet-fighter-pilots-elevated-aircraft-carrier-fleet-grows?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Oct 2022 13:00:12 +0000 Young military officers aboard China’s first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, are using their English skills to warn off foreign warplanes and vessels, the ship’s commander has said. “When encountering foreign warplanes and warships, young officers in the CUES unit use their fluent English to warn them in a domineering way, warn them proactively and deal with them steadily,” Senior Captain Lu Qiangqiang said in a video produced by state broadcaster CCTV. The CUES unit is named after the Code for... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3194762/chinas-military-deploys-english-skills-during-tense-maritime?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3194762/chinas-military-deploys-english-skills-during-tense-maritime?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Oct 2022 05:00:04 +0000 China’s navy, the world’s second-most powerful – with two aircraft carriers commissioned and another launched in June – is struggling to meet increased demand for qualified ship-borne fighter jet pilots, analysts said. The People’s Liberation Army Navy has sped up carrier-based fighter jet pilot training programmes in the decade since the commissioning of its first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, but its lack of a fighter trainer specifically designed for carrier-based operations has hindered... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3194213/chinese-navy-struggles-find-enough-pilots-3-aircraft-carriers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3194213/chinese-navy-struggles-find-enough-pilots-3-aircraft-carriers?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Sep 2022 16:30:10 +0000 A video released on Chinese state media appears to show a Chinese J-15 fighter jet scrambled at sea to warn off a suspected US guided-missile destroyer, according to an analyst. The video was released on a CCTV military programme to mark the 10th anniversary of the commissioning of China’s first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning. The video showed a fighter jet taking off from the deck of the Liaoning. A vessel resembling an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer then briefly appears below a Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3193971/does-video-show-chinese-navy-fighter-jet-warning-us-destroyer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3193971/does-video-show-chinese-navy-fighter-jet-warning-us-destroyer?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Sep 2022 09:44:41 +0000 China appears to be streamlining construction of its third and most advanced aircraft carrier, embarking on mooring trials for the Fujian at the same time as it installs and calibrates equipment. Mooring trials test all systems on a vessel – from power propulsion to mechanical equipment – in terms of how they work individually as well as together. The Fujian is the biggest and most complex warship developed in China, with advanced electromagnetic catapults – technology that only the United... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3193697/china-puts-shandong-aircraft-carrier-systems-milestone-test?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3193697/china-puts-shandong-aircraft-carrier-systems-milestone-test?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Sep 2022 12:00:14 +0000 China’s third aircraft carrier is undergoing fitting out at a shipyard in Shanghai, with recent photos posted on social media suggesting that its radar and weapon systems are not yet in place. The Fujian was launched a month ago, and military analysts say the process to get the warship ready for active service could take several years – from the fit-out to testing and sea trials. Photos taken on Sunday by a military enthusiast and posted to Chinese microblogging service Weibo show two mounting... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3185845/chinas-fujian-aircraft-carrier-doesnt-have-radar-and-weapon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3185845/chinas-fujian-aircraft-carrier-doesnt-have-radar-and-weapon?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Jul 2022 15:15:18 +0000 China could be about to launch its third and most advanced aircraft carrier, according to the latest commercial satellite images of the shipyard. The images – provided by Planet Labs and taken on Tuesday – show a line of lights at the No 4 dock at the Jiangnan shipyard in Shanghai, where the Type 003 warship has been under construction. They also show that the dry dock has been flooded so that the vessel can be floated, and banners with political slogans and flags can be seen on the warship. Say... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3181948/chinese-shipyard-ready-launch-type-003-aircraft-carrier?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3181948/chinese-shipyard-ready-launch-type-003-aircraft-carrier?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Jun 2022 09:52:46 +0000 The exercise in October was typical. Along with a Japanese helicopter carrier, Britain’s HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier joined two American carriers, the USS Ronald Reagan and USS Carl Vinson, to patrol the waters around Taiwan. The patrol by multiple aircraft carriers came amid a spike in tensions between China and the United States and served to show the participants’ resolve to maintain a “free and open” Indo-Pacific. In addition to patrols and exercises by the vessels, more countries... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3181430/say-it-aircraft-carriers-why-countries-send-big-ships?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3181430/say-it-aircraft-carriers-why-countries-send-big-ships?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Jun 2022 23:00:36 +0000 The launch of China’s third aircraft carrier, the Type 003, which had been expected on Friday, has been postponed. Military enthusiasts had predicted that Friday would be the launch date after the Maritime Safety Administration released a notice last week, saying five commercial vessels in the Shanghai shipyard where the carrier is being built would be launched to clear the area. However, the Maritime Safety Administration did not issue any notice on Thursday to warn passing commercial ships of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3180349/china-delays-launch-type-003-carrier?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3180349/china-delays-launch-type-003-carrier?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Jun 2022 12:35:33 +0000 China’s defence ministry has urged Japan to stop “dangerous” close monitoring of the country’s navy exercises, saying it poses a serious safety threat to both sides. Ministry spokesman Senior Colonel Wu Qian on Thursday also accused Japan of using Chinese military activities as an excuse to expand its own military. It follows a drill in the western Pacific early this month, when China’s Liaoning aircraft carrier strike group was shadowed by Japan’s Izumo warship. The Japanese air force also... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3179317/china-urges-japan-stop-dangerous-close-monitoring-navy-drills?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3179317/china-urges-japan-stop-dangerous-close-monitoring-navy-drills?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 May 2022 12:23:21 +0000 The Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning is on its way home after wrapping up a three-week naval drill under the close watch of foreign counterparts in the Western Pacific, with defence analysts saying the exercise was aimed at deterring Taiwan’s independence-leaning forces. The Liaoning, the Chinese navy’s first aircraft carrier, is expected to arrive at its permanent Qingdao port in Shandong province on the weekend. The carrier strike group, which includes at least another seven surface warships... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3179001/chinas-liaoning-carrier-group-ends-pacific-navy-drills-seen?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3179001/chinas-liaoning-carrier-group-ends-pacific-navy-drills-seen?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 May 2022 13:00:26 +0000 Ongoing drills involving China’s Liaoning aircraft carrier offer pointers to how training plans for future carrier strike groups will develop, according to military analysts. The Japanese defence ministry has released details of the exercises in the Philippine Sea and said the carrier’s J-15 fighters had carried out about 200 sorties during the first 10 days of the exercise, which began late last month. The ministry added that Z-18 anti-submarine and early-warning helicopters were also taking... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3178106/chinas-carrier-drills-offer-pointers-plans-future-strike-groups?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3178106/chinas-carrier-drills-offer-pointers-plans-future-strike-groups?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 May 2022 14:30:23 +0000 The Chinese navy’s largest destroyer led three corvettes in a joint services exercise in the Yellow Sea, a new “high-low mix” drill that experts say was aimed at simulating military confrontations with weaker regional counterparts. The Lhasa, a Type 055 stealth-guided missile destroyer and the largest and most advanced warship of its kind in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), conducted a series of assessment drills with three Type 056A corvettes in the Yellow Sea recently, state broadcaster... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3177840/chinese-navys-biggest-destroyer-leads-yellow-sea-combat-drills?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3177840/chinese-navys-biggest-destroyer-leads-yellow-sea-combat-drills?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 May 2022 22:00:16 +0000 Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning has displayed mature combat readiness via high-frequency plane operations, military analysts said, calling it a message to foreign navies nearby as military tensions heat up over Taiwan. Fighter jets and helicopters on the Liaoning conducted “more than 100 landings and take-offs” in six days during exercises south of the Okinawa Islands and east of Taiwan last week, according to the Japanese defence ministry, whose ships and planes monitored the drills. This... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3177631/chinese-pla-navy-sorties-test-combat-readiness-100-times-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3177631/chinese-pla-navy-sorties-test-combat-readiness-100-times-over?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 May 2022 10:00:13 +0000 The Chinese navy aircraft carrier Liaoning has been carrying out fighter jet combat drills in the western Pacific, with Japanese light carrier Izumo on the watch nearby. The refurbished Soviet Kuznetsov-class carrier was photographed sending off and retrieving its ship-borne fighter J-15s and early warning helicopter Z-18s on Tuesday, a Japanese defence ministry statement said. This came as the eight-strong Liaoning carrier strike group carried out battle exercises south of Okinawa and east of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3176668/japanese-warship-jets-shadow-pla-navy-strike-group-western?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3176668/japanese-warship-jets-shadow-pla-navy-strike-group-western?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 May 2022 12:15:37 +0000 Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning has led a larger than usual strike group to train in the western Pacific as tensions rise over Taiwan. Escorting the Liaoning were five destroyers, including a Type 055 – the most powerful such warship in the Chinese navy – as well as one frigate and one supply ship. The fleet passed through the Miyako Strait between Japan’s Okinawa islands on Monday afternoon to enter the western Pacific before heading south, Tokyo’s defence ministry said. The USS Abraham... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3176405/chinese-aircraft-carrier-leads-large-strike-group-western?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3176405/chinese-aircraft-carrier-leads-large-strike-group-western?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 May 2022 13:08:41 +0000 Eight Chinese naval vessels, including an aircraft carrier, passed between islands in Japan’s southern Okinawa chain on Monday, Tokyo’s defence ministry said in a news release. The ships, which included several destroyers, sailed between the main Okinawa island and Miyakojima, according to the ministry. Although there was no incursion into Japan’s territorial waters, helicopters on board the Liaoning carrier took off and landed, the ministry said. China’s defence ministry did not answer calls... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3176316/japan-says-chinese-aircraft-carrier-liaoning-sailed-near?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3176316/japan-says-chinese-aircraft-carrier-liaoning-sailed-near?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 May 2022 03:23:44 +0000 China’s recent airlift to Serbia has highlighted the role that its growing fleet of Y-20 transport planes will play in its future strategic ambitions. Six of the transport planes, reportedly carrying FK-3 medium-range missile systems, flew to Serbia earlier this month in a three-day mission, according to the air tracking site Flightradar24. In the past two years the planes have been used to send humanitarian aid to countries such as Pakistan and Tonga, to bring back the remains of Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3175348/serbia-airlift-highlights-importance-chinas-military-workhorse?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3175348/serbia-airlift-highlights-importance-chinas-military-workhorse?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Apr 2022 08:38:58 +0000 The Chinese navy has appointed its first woman commander to one of its warships. Wei Huixiao, the captain of the guided-missile destroyer Shaoxing, was the subject of a number of profiles in state media over the weekend as the PLA Navy celebrated its 73rd anniversary. Wei, who had previously worked for the tech giant Huawei Technologies, applied to join the navy in 2011 while completing her PhD and was tipped as a future commander four years ago. She was born in 1977 in the Guangxi Zhuang... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3175339/mistress-and-commander-chinese-navy-names-its-first-female?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3175339/mistress-and-commander-chinese-navy-names-its-first-female?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Apr 2022 06:02:22 +0000 Four of China’s largest and most advanced destroyers have been spotted off the east coast of China as a US Navy carrier strike group is conducting an exercise with Japan near the Korean peninsula. Chinese social media outlets, including the Weibo account Eagle Eye on Military Vision, published pictures of the four ships at sea, while HI Sutton, an analyst at US Naval Defence Intelligence News, identified them as four Chinese Type 055 Renhai-class guided-missile destroyers in waters near Qingdao,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3174157/china-gathers-most-powerful-destroyers-us-carrier-group-holds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3174157/china-gathers-most-powerful-destroyers-us-carrier-group-holds?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Apr 2022 15:00:13 +0000 Chinese aircraft carrier the Liaoning returned to its home port of Qingdao on Thursday after 20 days of training in the region, with the navy and state media saying it had been closely shadowed by a Japanese warship at one stage. The Liaoning and five other warships carried out combat exercises in the Yellow and East China seas and the western Pacific Ocean, military mouthpiece PLA Daily reported on Friday. The People’s Liberation Army drills began on December 9 and included fighter jet landings... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3161753/chinese-aircraft-carrier-liaoning-back-home-after-being?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3161753/chinese-aircraft-carrier-liaoning-back-home-after-being?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Dec 2021 12:07:28 +0000 China is building more vessels than it would need for operations close to its coast, because of its expanding overseas interests, a former Chinese colonel has said. Zhou Bo, a retired People’s Liberation Army (PLA) senior colonel and a former director at the international military cooperation office, also said it was impossible for the country’s aircraft carriers to mainly stay in their home ports. “The aircraft carrier itself is an open sea combat platform,” he was quoted as saying on Sunday by... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3161170/chinas-aircraft-carriers-will-operate-worlds-oceans-ex-colonel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3161170/chinas-aircraft-carriers-will-operate-worlds-oceans-ex-colonel?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Dec 2021 15:00:20 +0000