The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) Shandong Carrier Strike Group sailed into the South China Sea Monday, passing through the waters between the Philippines and Taiwan, according to a Japanese Joint Staff Office release.
The Shandong CSG, which sailed into the Western Pacific on Oct. 26, left the area on Monday to enter the South China Sea, according to a JSO release the same day. A Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer shadowed the Shandong CSG while it was in the western Pacific, USNI News previously reported. In the Monday release, the Japanese Joint Staff Office included each sighting of the carrier strike group between Oct. 28 and Sunday.
A total of three JMSDF destroyers were involved in shadowing the Shandong CSG, though likely these were on a single destroyer rotational basis rather than all three simultaneously shadowing the PLAN CSG. The three JMSDF destroyers were JS Sazanami (DD-113), JS Samidare (DD-106) and JS Umigiri (DD-158).
A total of 420 fighter launches and recovery and 150 helicopter take-off and landings were conducted by carrier CNS Shandong (17) and Japan Air Self Defense Force (JASDF) fighter aircraft scrambled in response to fighter launches by Shandong, according to the release.
The release based the position of the Shandong CSG by the distance it was at relative to Miyako Island in southwest Japan with the map of the Shandong CSG’s position each day showing it operating northeast to east of the Philippines in the Philippine Sea, with the CSG being midway between the Philippines and Guam on Thursday and Friday.
The Shandong CSG deployment to the western Pacific is the third one it has carried out this year. Its initial deployment in April saw it operate 19 days in the Philippine Sea, followed by a five-day deployment in the Philippine Sea in September. The most recent deployment totaled 12 days.
Meanwhile, the Reagan and Vinson CSG are conducting drills with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, which began Saturday.
In the Philippine Sea, the Reagan and Carl Vinson CSGs are in the midst of conducting the Multi-Large Deck Exercise with JMSDF helicopter destroyer JS Hyuga (DDH-181), according to a Pentagon-released photo.
The drill began on Saturday and ends Tuesday, according to a JMSDF release Monday, and is taking place in the waters south of Okinawa.
The Reagan CSG comprises of carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) with embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5, cruisers USS Antietam (CG-54) and USS Robert Smalls (CG-62) and destroyer USS Shoup (DDG-86).
The Vinson CSG consists of carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) with embarked CVW 2, cruiser USS Princeton (CG-59) and destroyers USS Hopper (DDG-70), USS Kidd (DDG-100), USS Sterett (DDG-104) and USS William P. Lawrence (DDG-110).
The Reagan CSG wrapped up a port visit to Manila on Nov.1 while the Vinson CSG along with Australian and Canadian forces will take part in the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) Annual Exercise 2023 held from Nov. 10-20 in Japan’s seas and airspace.
Details of the position and composition of the Shandong CSG per the JSO release are as follows:
Date: Oct. 28
Position: 260 miles south of Miyako Island
Carrier: CNS Shandong (17)
Destroyers: CNS Guilin (164) and CNS Changsha (173)
Frigates: CNS Xuchang (536) and CNS Huangshan (570)
Fast combat support ship: CNS Chaganhu (905)
Date: Oct. 29
Position: 385 miles south of Miyako Island
Carrier: Shandong
Cruisers: CNS Dalian (105) and CNS Yan’an (106)
Destroyers: CNS Suzhou (132), Guilin and Changsha
Frigates: Xuchang and Huangshan
Fast combat support ship: Chaganhu
Date: Oct. 30
Position: 416 miles south of Miyako Island
Carrier: Shandong
Cruisers: CNS Dalian (105) and CNS Yan’an (106)
Destroyers: Suzhou, Guilin and Changsha
Frigates: Xuchang and Huangshan
Fast combat support ship: Chaganhu
Date: Oct. 31
Position: 400 miles south of Miyako Island
Carrier: Shandong
Cruisers: Dalian and Yan’an
Destroyers: Suzhou, Guilin and Changsha
Frigates: CNS Zhoushan (529) Xuchang and Huangshan
Fast combat support ship: Chaganhu
Date: Nov. 1
Position: 745 miles south of Miyako Island
Carrier: Shandong
Cruisers: Dalian and Yan’an
Destroyers: Suzhou, Guilin and Changsha
Frigates: Zhoushan, Xuchang and Huangshan
Fast combat support ship: Chaganhu
Date: Nov. 2
Position: 857 miles southeast of Miyako Island
Carrier: Shandong
Cruisers: Dalian and Yan’an
Destroyers: Suzhou, Guilin and Changsha
Frigates: Zhoushan, Xuchang and Huangshan
Fast combat support ship: Chaganhu
Date: Nov. 3
Position: 826 miles southeast of Miyako Island
Carrier: Shandong
Cruisers: Yan’an
Destroyers: Guilin and Changsha
Frigates: Xuchang
Fast combat support ship: Chaganhu
Date: Nov. 4
Position: 553 miles south of Miyako Island
Carrier: Shandong
Cruisers: Yan’an
Destroyers: Guilin and Changsha
Frigates: Xuchang
Fast combat support ship: Chaganhu
Date: Nov. 5
Position: 360 miles south of Miyako Island
Carrier: Shandong
Cruisers: Yan’an
Destroyers: Guilin and Changsha
Frigates: Xuchang
Fast combat support ship: Chaganhu
