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Today 12.4, China’s Liaoning Aircraft Carrier Combat Group is headed to the Western Pacific region. Last night (11.4), the Japanese Defense Ministry issued a statement saying that this group of warships had passed through the Miyako Strait.
Assistance to group boats.
Liaoning Aircraft Carrier Japanese Ministry of Defense |
Joining the group of ships, apart from the aircraft carrier Liaoning (16), there are 2 destroyers Tay Ninh (117) and Quy Duong (119) of the same type-052D (Lu Duong 3 class), 2 Tao escort ships. Trang (542) and Rizhao (598) of the same Type-054A (class Giang Khai 2), logistics ship Ho Ho Luan (965) Type-901.
The destroyers and escorts in this combat group are all of the new generation with many modern equipment. Even the Lu Lu 3ong-class destroyer, 7,500 tons of water displacement, proudly introduced by Beijing, has integrated an anti-missile defense system equivalent to the Aegis system into Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and cruisers. American class of Ticonderoga.
The Lu Lu 3-class destroyer is also equipped with 64 vertical launchers that can fire a variety of missiles, such as HHQ-9 air defense missiles, ground-to-air missiles, or YJ-18 ground-to-air missiles. , CY-5 anti-submarine missile. Accompanied by a variety of weapons and radars, electronic warfare …
Tao Trang escort ship (542), Giang Khai class 2 Japanese Ministry of Defense |
Giang Khai’s class 2 escort ship, 4,000 tons of water displacement, is equipped with 32 vertical launch tubes to fire HQ-16 surface-to-air missiles and Yu-8 anti-submarine missiles, accompanied by nearby artillery systems. war, torpedoes …
With such forces, basically this group of ships has formed a fairly comprehensive carrier battle group. Of course, if there is more underwater presence in this group of ships, it will ensure the “more defensive – manual” capability.
Drills of “ballast” from the United States?
In fact, this is not the first time that Liaoning has operated in the western Pacific region. Prior to this voyage, the Liaoning ship and escort ships had three operations in the western Pacific region in December 2016, 4.2018 and 6.2019, respectively. In particular, operational in June 2019, the Liaoning aircraft carrier moved to the Guam Island area, where there is a huge US military base.
Therefore, the Liaoning cruise this time may go further, even closer to Hawaii.
Ho Ho Luan Logistics Ship (965) Japanese Ministry of Defense |
Without stopping there, as discussed with Dr. Satoru Nagao (Hudson Research Institute, USA), the Liaoning Aircraft Carrier Combat Group will likely conduct an exercise in the Pacific region, and perhaps in the area near Guam or Hawaii.
There are many reasons to support this forecast. It was in late February when a group of four Chinese warships, including the destroyer Ho Hao Hao Dac (161), also of the Lu Yang 3 class and a logistics ship, conducted a drill near Hawaii. After Beijing published the content of the exercise, international experts commented that it was a front-line operation for Beijing to conduct an aircraft carrier combat group exercise in the Pacific and even in places. probably located near Guam or Hawaii, both are places where the United States gathers a fairly large military force.
During the February exercise, when he was returning to the Philippines, he encountered the Poseidon P-8A submarine fighter jet from the US. USA At that time, Chinese ships fired laser beams at US planes, prompting Washington to vigorously protest that they were dangerous and “unprofessional.”
Furthermore, the USS Theodore Roosevelt faces difficulties due to the Covid-19 epidemic, this is an opportunity for China to show strength. By seizing this opportunity, organizing such exercises will help Beijing reach a tipping point in its strategy to gradually scale up operations beyond the first and second island chains.
Therefore, the operation of this group of ships is likely to be a new step for the Chinese navy to pursue the ambition that Beijing has set.
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The first and second island chains are the concepts in the United States island chain strategy to surround China and the former Soviet Union. Consequently, the first chain of islands begins in the Kuril / Chishim archipelago and ends in Borneo and the northern part of the Philippines. The second chain of islands is generally counted from the Bonin Islands (Japan) to the Mariana Islands (considered United States territory) located in the eastern part of the Philippines.
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