China Deploys Aircraft Carrier Liaoning For Pacific War Drills

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) announced that on May 19 that the Liaoning aircraft carrier strike group to ad been dispatched conduct training exercises in the Western Pacific. The exercises will include long-range tactical flights, live-fire drills, support and cover operations, and comprehensive rescue operations, which aim to test and improve combat readiness. With the Navy’s first supercarrier the Fujian still not fully operational, while the Liaoning’s sister ship the Shandong is undergoing refurbishment and modernisation, and the Liaoning is the Navy’s only aircraft carrier able to accommodate fixed wing aircraft that is currently deployable. At least two further supercarriers, including China’s first nuclear powered supercarrier, are currently under construction.

The Liaoning has been deployed for intense exercises, including multiple major shows of force, over the past six months. The warship’s air wing on December 7 began training flights in the Pacific Ocean, after it and its carrier group passed through waters off Japan's southernmost prefecture of Okinawa. J-15 fighters operating from the Liaoning reportedly formed radar locks on Japanese F-15 fighters over international waters southeast of Okinawa twice on December 6, causing serious concern in Japan due to the vast superiority demonstrated by the Chinese aircraft. This followed a significant rise in tensions between the two states. The Liaoning was subsequently deployed on April 20 to sail through the Taiwan Strait, in response to th deployment of the Japanese Murasame class destroyer JS Ikazuchi to itself transit the strait on April 17.

In late April the Liaoning led a carrier group for operations in the South China Sea, holding exercises near the Philippines, where the Philippines Armed Forces, alongside forces from the United States, Japan, Australia, Canada, France, and New Zealand, had been jointly holding the their own joint drills from April 20. Exercise were otherwise notable as the Liaoning deployed alongside a Type 075 class helicopter carrier, which can deploy up to 30 aircraft for a wide range of roles from airborne assaults to anti-submarine warfare. The Liaoning operations have rapidly grown more complex since it was brought into service in 2012, as new types of destroyers and attack submarines have joined its carrier groups, while new significantly enhanced J-15B fighters and J-15D electronic attack aircraft were confirmed to have been integrated into its air wing. 

After entering service in 2012 the Liaoning was for seven years designated as a training ship, and operated primarily to provide personnel with experience in carrying out carrier operations. In 2019, however, it was re-designated as a fully operational warship, following refurbishment that significantly improved its combat capabilities. The Liaoning is one of the largest carriers outside the U.S. Navy, and has on multiple occasions demonstrated the ability to launch rapid sorties near major targets. In May 2022, for example, the Liaoning launched over 100 sorties near U.S. military facilities in Okinawa. The future of the ship’s air wing, including whether it will integrate J-35 stealth fighters and new types of unmanned combat and support aircraft, remains highly uncertain, although rapid continued modernisation is expected.