Satellite photos show that the two Chinese navy aircraft carriers Liaoning and Shandong ships have been with the Hainan Sanya Military Port. It is expected to gradually carry out dual aircraft carrier drills to create a double aircraft carrier battle group.
Experts interviewed believe that China already has the conditions to develop a double aircraft carrier battle group, and then allows the navy to have the ability to compete for air power in the Western Pacific.
According to the satellite photos released by the "Airbus Defense and Space" website, the Liaoning Ship stopped at the Sanyan Port after the Western Pacific drill, and stopped on both sides of a large dock with the Shandong ship.
In the short -sided side of the dock, two escort ships are also stopped, one of which is the 052D destroyer, and the other is marked as the type 051B destroyer Shenzhen ship.
This is the first time that the two aircraft carriers have appeared in the same frame together in a battle attitude.The two ships last time were still in Dalian Shipyard. At that time, the Shandong ship had not been in service, and the Liaoning ship did not form a complete combat capability.
After serving in the Liaoning Ship in 2012, it has long been a scientific research and experimental platform to undertake a lot of training tasks.Earlier this year, the Liaoning ship completed about a year of transformation, including optimizing the bridge, ship island and deck layout, and completed the upgrade from training ships to combat ships.
The upgraded Liaoning ship passed through the Western Pacific Ocean on September 18th on September 18. On Monday (October 7), he was photographed by satellites at the Sanya Port on Monday (October 7).During the period, the Liaoning Ship took the Surawishi Sea in southern Philippines into the South China Sea.
According to the statistics of the Ministry of Defense of Japan, Liaoning Ship has been a week.Express 410 secondary carrier -based aircraft take off and land , including 250 fixed -wing fighters and 160 helicopters.Earlier, its highest record was set off and landing 320 carrier -based aircraft in December 2022.
Given that the number of carrier -based aircraft takes off and landing is one of the core indicators to measure the combat effectiveness of the carrier, the combat power of the Liaoning ship obviously improves the qualitative improvement before the upgrade.
The Shandong Ship went to the Philippine Sea for a long time from July to August for training. During the period, it was only 25 days apart, which was the shortest in recent years and showed a high frequency of displacement.The Shandong Ship continued to conduct practical exercises in the South China Sea and the Western Pacific in September, and completed the night aircraft carrier qualification certification of a new batch of carrier -based pilots.
Chinese Navy expert Cao Weidong analyzed in an interview with Lianhe Morning Post that after both the Liaoning ship and the Shandong ship have the ability to combat, China already has the conditions to develop double aircraft carrier combat groups.In terms of steps, the chessboard should be deduced first, then the actual soldiers exercise, and then the practical exercise.
Cao Weidong pointed out that only by exploring a reasonable division of labor through practical exercises at sea can we play the effect of the double aircraft carrier fighting group, one, one larger than two.Essence
He said: "It is impossible for a carrier to reach the intensity of more than 30 carrier -based aircraft at the same time, but the cooperation of the two aircraft carriers can achieve the strength of better competition for air power."
Some analysts believe that the most advanced Ford -class aircraft carrier of the U.S. military can fly at least 25 fixed -wing carrier aircraft in the first two waves, and the smooth jumping carrier of the PLA is subject to the restrictions on the tonnage, the number of carrier -based aircraft and the take -off method.It is not enough to match.
Cao Weidong also said that the training requirements of the aircraft carrier battle group have deeper water depth and broad airspace. Only the South China Sea is met in China to meet this condition.Political considerations.
