The Ministry of Defense Praises the Liaoning Ship's Offshore Training, Deepening and Expanding Carrier Group Training for Offshore Combat Applications

[Global Times Report, Reporter Guo Yuandan] In response to the training operations being conducted by the Chinese Navy's Liaoning aircraft carrier group in the Western Pacific, at a regular press conference held on the 28th, Colonel Jiang Bin, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, stated that this is routine training conducted according to the annual plan. Since its commissioning, the Liaoning has systematically organized a series of comprehensive drills, deepening and expanding the carrier group's training for operations in distant seas, thereby forming a system of combat capabilities.

The Ministry of Defense highly evaluates the Liaoning

On May 19, the Chinese Navy announced that the People's Liberation Army Navy organized the Liaoning aircraft carrier group to conduct training in relevant waters of the Western Pacific. During this period, exercises will include distant sea tactical flights, live-fire shooting, support and cover, and comprehensive rescue, to test and enhance the troops' level of practical training.

The Japanese Ministry of Defense's Joint Staff Office previously released news claiming that the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force observed the Liaoning aircraft carrier group conducting takeoff and landing activities of carrier-based fighter jets and helicopters in the Western Pacific on May 26.

At the press conference on the 28th, Jiang Bin emphasized that as a pioneer in China's aircraft carrier construction and a talent incubator for aircraft carriers, the Liaoning has played an irreplaceable and important role in enhancing the combat capability of the Chinese Navy and will continue to make greater contributions to the Chinese Navy's journey into the deep blue, safeguarding national sovereignty, security, development interests, and world peace and stability.

Composition of the group draws attention

Recently, there has been speculation about the composition of the Liaoning aircraft carrier group: Type 055 destroyer (Wuxi), Type 052D destroyer (Kaifeng), Type 054B frigate (Luohe), and Type 901 comprehensive supply ship (Hulun Lake).

Among this group, the Luohe frigate has unexpectedly gained significant attention. This is the first time the Type 054B frigate has joined the aircraft carrier group for training after one year of service, and it is also the first time this type of ship has entered the Western Pacific to perform distant sea missions.

"As a new type of frigate improved based on the Type 054A, the Type 054B has stronger radar performance, with a longer detection range against aerial targets; at the same time, its strike capability has been comprehensively enhanced, with missile range, accuracy, and power superior to the previous model, significantly improving its offensive and defensive combat level in distant seas," military expert Zhang Junsha told a Global Times reporter on the 28th, stating that the participation of the Type 054B frigate in training with the Liaoning aircraft carrier group in the Western Pacific marks that this ship has matured in its distant sea combat capabilities.

Zhang Junsha stated that the Type 054B frigate is versatile, capable of forming an independent distant sea combat group with Type 055 and Type 052D destroyers to undertake distant sea offensive and defensive tasks, and can also escort aircraft carrier groups, amphibious assault ship groups, and transport fleets. Within the aircraft carrier group, the Type 054B frigate mainly undertakes anti-submarine and area air defense tasks. This ship is equipped with comprehensive anti-submarine equipment and weapons and can carry large anti-submarine helicopters, forming a three-dimensional anti-submarine capability; at the same time, it carries more air defense missiles, making it suitable for the "close escort" of the aircraft carrier group.

"The Luohe frigate, in coordination with the Type 055 10,000-ton destroyer and Type 052D destroyer within the group, significantly enhances the comprehensive combat capabilities of the aircraft carrier group in anti-submarine, anti-ship, air defense, and missile defense," Zhang Junsha analyzed, stating that the combination of Type 054B with Type 055 and Type 052D forms a "high, medium, low" configuration, creating a golden combination that further strengthens the aircraft carrier group's all-domain comprehensive combat capabilities, ensuring that the aircraft carrier group can effectively carry out defensive combat missions in distant seas.

Liaoning's new combat capabilities tested through a "major exam"

Earlier, Chinese state media published an article titled "Liaoning's New Real Combat Training, Can the J-35 Achieve Takeoff and Landing on a Ski-Jump Carrier?" mentioning that the Liaoning aircraft carrier group traveled to the Western Pacific for realistic combat training.

The article stated that this distant sea training revolves around four core subjects: distant sea tactical flights, live-fire shooting, support and cover, and comprehensive rescue, comprehensively honing the aircraft carrier group's distant sea combat, emergency response, and system offensive and defensive capabilities. The adaptability of the new generation stealth carrier-based aircraft J-35 to takeoff and landing on the ski-jump Liaoning carrier has drawn significant attention. The article also indicated that this training releases key strategic signals, showing that the new generation stealth carrier-based aircraft J-35 and the catapult-type J-15T can perfectly adapt to the ski-jump carrier takeoff and landing mode.

In this regard, Zhang Junsha believes that the J-35 fighter jet is fully capable of taking off from the Liaoning using the ski-jump method. As a domestically produced fifth-generation stealth fighter, the J-35 has a long radar detection range, large combat radius, and long range, capable of carrying longer-range air-to-air and air-to-ship missiles, and possesses supersonic cruise capability with excellent stealth performance. In combat, the J-35 can act as a "door kicker," breaking through enemy air defense systems first and striking enemy aircraft and radar facilities from a distance; while the J-15 heavy fighter can implement saturation strikes due to its large payload advantage. The combination of the J-35 and J-15 will greatly enhance the aircraft carrier group's air penetration and strike capabilities against both air and land targets, expanding maritime defense depth and ensuring the carrier can effectively fulfill its offensive and defensive missions in distant seas.

At the Ministry of Defense press conference, a media question specifically mentioned that the training of the Liaoning aircraft carrier group included the advance announcement of training subjects, including live-fire shooting. Zhang Junsha believes this means that multiple live-fire shooting exercises, including naval guns, carrier-based aircraft missiles, and shipborne missiles, will be organized within the training area of the aircraft carrier group.

Previously, Japanese ships and aircraft had repeatedly conducted close reconnaissance during our aircraft carrier group's training in the Western Pacific, posing a serious threat to the safety of our group and easily triggering maritime and aerial incidents. In response, Zhang Junsha emphasized that relevant countries' ships and aircraft should avoid intruding into the training area of the Chinese Navy's aircraft carrier group for close harassment, otherwise they will bear the consequences.

"Navies of all countries enjoy the freedom of navigation, overflight, and training on the high seas, and Japan should not adopt double standards but should respect the legitimate rights of the Chinese Navy. We hope Japan will stop such dangerous behavior and view the Chinese Navy's normal distant sea training with a calm mindset," Zhang Junsha said.