Chinese Aircraft Carrier Shandong Back in South China Sea

The Chinese Shandong Carrier Strike Group (CSG) entered the South China Sea on Monday after 19 days of steaming in the Philippine Sea, according to a release by Japan’s Ministry of Defense.

CNS Shandong (17) and its escorts sailed through the Bashi channel – between Taiwan and the Philippines – on April 5 and have now exited via the same route.

Meanwhile, the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group docked in Thailand on Monday as part of a port visit until Saturday.

Shandong, cruiser CNS Yan’an (106), destroyers CNS Jiaozuo (163) and CNS Changsha (173), frigates CNS Xuchang (536) and CNS Liuzhou (573) and fleet oiler CNS Chaganhu (905) had been sighted sailing in an area 223 miles south of Yonaguni Island at 8 p.m. on Monday, according to a news release issued Tuesday by the Joint Staff Office (JSO) of Japan’s Ministry of Defense. The Shandong CSG then sailed into the South China Sea. On Monday, Japanese officials observed a total of 10 J-15 fighters sorties as well as launches of Z-18 helicopters had been observed by Japan Maritime Self Defense Force destroyer Akebono (DD-108). Japan Air Self-Defense Force fighter aircraft were scrambled in response to the J-15 launches.

Earlier on Monday, the JSO outlined the location and composition of the Shandong CSG from April 17 to Sunday, along with the number of flight activities carried out. Destroyers Akebono, JS Fuyuzuki (DD-118) and JS Asagiri (DD-151) shadowed the PLAN CSG in that period, according to the release. A total of 180 J-15 fighter launches and recoveries were carried out during this period, along with 100 helicopter take-offs and landings. JASDF fighter aircraft were scrambled in response to the fighter launches.

The positions and composition of the Shandong CSG is as follows:

Chinese H-6 Bombers made circuit flights on Friday and Saturday through the Miyako Strait into the Pacific and returned back through the Miyako Strait into the East China Sea, according to JSO releases on those days. Two H-6 bombers flew in the afternoon on Friday, while Saturday’s flight went from the morning through the afternoon and also involved a pair of H-6 bombers. On both occasions, JASDF fighters were launched to shadow the bombers.

From Wednesday to Thursday, 18 Russian Navy warships transited La Pérouse Strait from the Sea of Okhotsk to the Sea of Japan. The ships included destroyers RFS Marshal Shaposhnikov (543) and RFS Admiral Panteleyev (548); frigates RFS Sovershennyy (333) and RFS Hero of the Russian Federation Aldar Tsydenzhapov (339); corvettes RFS R-20 (921), RFS R-14 (924), RFS R-18 (937), RFS R-11 (940), RFS R-298 (971) and RFS R-19 (978); landing ship tanks RFS Admiral Nevelskoy (055) and RFS Peresvet (077); missile range instrumentation ship Marshal Krylov (331); hospital ship Irtysh; a Dubna-class oiler; two Alexadrit-class minesweepers; and a tugboat.

Fast attack craft JS Wakataka (PG-825) and JMSDF P-3C Orions Maritime Patrol Aircraft of Fleet Air Wing 2 based at JMSDF Hachinohe Air Base, Honshu shadowed the Russian ships. La Pérouse Strait separates the Russian island of Sakhalin from the Japanese main island of Hokkaido. The Russian Navy ships, all part of Russia’s Pacific Fleet, were returning to their home bases on the Russian continent following the conclusion of a surprise readiness exercise involving the entire Russian Pacific Fleet that began on April 14 and ended on Thursday. More than 25,000 servicemen, 89 airplanes and helicopters, and 167 warships – including 12 submarines – were involved in the exercise that covered a wide range of combat drills and live firings, according to a Russian Ministry of Defense release.

Meanwhile, the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group is in Thailand on a port visit until Saturday, according to a news release from the U.S. Embassy in Thailand. The release did not say where the Nimitz CSG would dock, but Thai ship spotters have posted pictures of the carrier docked at the port city of Laem Chabang, Chonburi Province. The CSG had been conducting routine operations in the South China Sea and marked its 350,000th arrested aircraft landing on Saturday, making it the first active-duty carrier to reach this benchmark, according to a Navy news release.

The current composition of the CSG is carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68) with embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 17, cruiser USS Bunker Hill (CG-52), and destroyers USS Decatur (DDG-73) and USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG-108). Destroyer USS Chung-Hoon (DDG-93), which is part of the CSG, left Subic Bay in the Philippines on Thursday following a port visit, while USS Paul Hamilton (DDG-60), the remaining destroyer of the CSG, is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations.

In Japan on Thursday, the JMSDF’s Indo-Pacific Deployment 2023 (IPD23) kicked off with the departure of frigate JS Kumano (FFM-2), which forms the third surface unit of the deployment. IPD23 is the JMSDF’s annual operational, presence and engagement in the region. The first surface unit includes destroyer helicopter carrier JS Izumo (DDH-183) and destroyers JS Samidare (DD-106) and JS Shiranui (DD-120), along with four embarked helicopters. The second surface unit, which will depart later, includes Landing Ship Tank JS Shimokita (LST-4002) with its two embarked LCACs. A JMSDF submarine will also participate in IPD23.