Details of Liaoning Carrier Group's Far-Sea Training Revealed for the First Time: J-15 Intercepts and Drives Away Japanese P-3C Anti-Submarine Aircraft

On June 22 this year, the Navy's Liaoning aircraft carrier group successfully completed long-range realistic combat training and safely returned to its home port in Qingdao. The group continuously operated in multiple maritime and aerial regions, including the South China Sea and the Western Pacific, deeply conducting practical application verification, which significantly enhanced the carrier group's capability to fulfill its mission tasks.

This long-range realistic combat training lasted over 40 days, making it the longest such training since the Liaoning was commissioned. Achieving this was largely due to the 901-type Hulun Lake comprehensive supply ship, which has a full-load displacement of 50,000 tons. Its large tonnage and ample reserves of various supplies ensured that the entire Liaoning carrier group could complete such a long and intense training period.

In a certain maritime area of the Western Pacific, the Liaoning carrier group conducted joint exercises with an amphibious assault ship group. Both sides meticulously planned and organized integrated training, effectively honing the operational effectiveness of the carrier group in conjunction with the amphibious assault ship group for long-range combat actions.

During the training, Japanese vessels and aircraft repeatedly tracked, monitored, and provoked the group at close range. The Liaoning carrier group maintained a high state of alert throughout, continuously organizing combat takeoffs of carrier-based aircraft, flexibly changing combat formations, and professionally and prudently handling the Japanese side's dangerous actions. The 054B-type frigate Luhe, which accompanied the Liaoning on its voyage for the first time, consistently drove away Japanese vessels from a distance; the J-15 carrier-based aircraft effectively intercepted and drove away Japanese P-3C anti-submarine aircraft.

During this training, the Air Force's YU-20 large aerial refueling aircraft went to the Western Pacific to refuel the J-15T carrier-based fighter jets in mid-air. Compared to previous "buddy refueling" methods for carrier-based aircraft, the large refueling aircraft significantly enhanced the operational radius and loiter time of the J-15. This marks an important step forward for China's naval and air forces in long-range joint command and control as well as joint operational capabilities.

The "carrier mother" is indispensable in long-range realistic combat missions

Military commentator Du Wenlong: The Hulun Lake is the first ship of China's new generation of comprehensive supply ships, capable of providing dry and liquid supplies to aircraft carriers, destroyers, frigates, and all vessels within the group during long-range training.

Because this type of vessel has a very high supply efficiency, it can provide horizontal, vertical, and vertical supplies. The dry and liquid supplies needed by the vessels, including ammunition, fresh water, and fuel, can be supplied together. Especially for the supply of aircraft carrier groups, it needs to refuel aviation fuel to meet the comprehensive operational needs of carrier-based aircraft, and is referred to as the "carrier mother" within the group. If executing large-scale, long-duration, high-intensity combat missions in the open sea, the current comprehensive supply ships are indispensable.

Carrier group + amphibious assault group can execute complex amphibious landing tasks

Military commentator Du Wenlong: The aircraft carrier combined with the amphibious assault ship is two large-deck combat vessels operating in the open sea. This task is relatively complex and may be closely related to island seizure and landing operations.

Amphibious landing operations are the most complex combat actions in human warfare history, requiring coordination of surface, underwater, air, and land forces for joint operations. Therefore, if the aircraft carrier and amphibious assault ship can be perfectly combined into a combat group, the complexity involved, including systematic operational requirements, is significantly higher than other combat styles.

The 054B is a multifunctional, multi-role combat vessel

Military commentator Du Wenlong: Although the 054B frigate has differences in displacement and overall indicators compared to large destroyers and general destroyers, its unique characteristics are quite evident.

Firstly, it has a fast speed, allowing it to drive away vessels that interfere with the normal training of our group from the periphery.

Additionally, its radar system has been upgraded to a new phased array radar, capable of detecting aerial and maritime targets and quickly taking combat actions based on target indications.

Thus, it can flexibly and dynamically execute various combat tasks within the entire group, making it a multifunctional, multi-role combat vessel in the Navy's long-range operational capabilities.