"Official Photographer," why aren't you releasing any photos this time?
In the naval Liaoning carrier group
that has just completed its offshore training
the so-called "official photographer" of the Chinese Navy,
the Japanese Ministry of Defense
did not, as in the past,
produce a large number of clear photos of the vessels
essentially submitting a "blank paper."
They tracked and monitored every day,
but how come they didn't even get a chance to press the shutter this time?
The Japanese side not only "submitted a blank paper"
but also "lost track."
During this training period, the Japanese vessels and aircraft repeatedly tracked, monitored, and provoked the Liaoning carrier group at close range.
However, on June 1, in the report released by the Japanese side, only the fleet's track chart, the number of takeoffs and landings of carrier-based aircraft, and other textual information were recorded. Until the Liaoning carrier group returned successfully, no further photos were released. Moreover, the Japanese records abruptly stopped on May 29 and then jumped to June 20.
Not only could they not take photos, but they also lost track. They followed closely every day, yet had no chance to press the shutter. Is the camera broken? Of course not; it’s that the Liaoning carrier is no longer within their "sneaky peeking" range.
What does the Chinese aircraft carrier group rely on
to "shake off the peepers"?
- A tightly integrated combat system
The carrier group that went to sea for training included not only the Liaoning but also destroyers, an amphibious assault ship, and a supply ship. Air defense, anti-submarine, anti-ship, and resupply operations all functioned in unison. Moreover, the operational radius and air superiority time of the Chinese Navy in the sky are continuously improving.
A tightly integrated combat system and stronger operational resilience left the Japanese side, which was tailing closely, only able to watch the Liaoning carrier from a distance, ultimately submitting a report without any photos.
- A powerful electronic warfare system
The powerful electronic warfare system of the Liaoning carrier group significantly increased the difficulty for Japanese reconnaissance platforms. What does this mean for the Japanese side? Their radar searches, electronic reconnaissance, communication feedback, and data fusion could all be constrained and interfered with by Chinese electromagnetic activities. Want to further accurately identify the positions of each ship in the group? Determine the rhythm of carrier-based aircraft takeoffs and landings? Coordinate shooting angles for photos? It’s exceedingly difficult!
▲ Scene released by the Chinese side.
- Strong offshore system capabilities
This time, the Liaoning carrier's training entered an area that was the most challenging for the Japanese monitoring chain and where it was easy to lose track. The advantages of the Japanese "first island chain" monitoring system mainly lie in relatively fixed near-sea passages like the Miyako Strait and the Bashi Channel, while there has been a certain reconnaissance gap in the open waters of the western Pacific.
The strong offshore system capabilities of the Liaoning carrier group allow it to maneuver continuously in the vast waters of the western Pacific. Once it enters the deeper waters of the western Pacific, the area becomes more open, and the maneuvering space increases, objectively lengthening the Japanese monitoring chain and making it more difficult for them to get close for photography and maintain a continuous overview.
▲ Scene released by the Chinese side: In a certain area of the western Pacific, the Liaoning carrier group conducted joint exercises with the amphibious assault ship group.
Not being able to take photos or keep up reflects the continuous enhancement of the Chinese aircraft carrier group's integrated air and sea denial capabilities, which can firmly keep ill-intentioned "peepers" out of sight. If certain individuals still want to use the "old camera" and outdated thinking to view today's Chinese Navy, then the future "blank papers" will likely only increase.
Source: CCTV Military Comprehensive CCTV-13 "Military Situation Time"
The Chinese Navy's Liaoning aircraft carrier group conducted a training exercise in the Western Pacific, during which the Japanese Defense Ministry failed to capture any clear images. Despite multiple attempts to monitor the group, Japanese forces were hindered by the Liaoning's advanced electronic warfare systems, resulting in a lack of actionable intelligence. This exercise showcased the enhanced operational capabilities of the Chinese Navy, making it difficult for Japanese forces to maintain effective surveillance.
- The Japanese Defense Ministry did not capture any clear images of the Liaoning during its training exercise.
- The Liaoning carrier group included destroyers, amphibious assault ships, and supply ships.
- The Chinese Navy's electronic warfare systems hindered Japanese reconnaissance efforts.
- The Japanese monitoring efforts were unable to keep up with the Liaoning's movements in the Western Pacific.
- The report indicates a significant improvement in China's naval operational capabilities.