Chinese aircraft carrier CNS Shandong (17) sailed back into the South China Sea on Tuesday after spending less than two days in the Philippine Sea. Meanwhile the Russian Navy Pacific Fleet cruiser RFS Varyag (011) and frigate RFS Marshal Shaposhnikov (543) are back in the Indo-Pacific having earlier completed a deployment to the Mediterranean.
On Wednesday, Japan’s Joint Staff Office issued a release stating that at 8 pm on Monday, carrier Shandong (17) was sighted with cruiser CNS Yan’an (106), destroyer CNS Zhanjiang (165) and frigate CNS Yuncheng (571) were sighted sailing in an area 329 miles south of Yonaguni Island and a total of 20 take-offs and landings had been carried out by Shandong’s embarked fighter jets and helicopters.
From Monday to Tuesday, the four PLAN ships then sailed back sailed towards the South China Sea, the statement said. Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) destroyer JS Akizuki (DD-115) shadowed the PLAN CSG, according to the release.
The Shandong CSG had previously deployed to the Philippine Sea from July 9 to 18 before returning back to its homeport. Last year in September, the CSG only spent five days in the Philippine Sea before returning back to the South China Sea.
The Abraham Lincoln CSG is expected to be now transiting the South China Sea on its way to the Middle East, USNI’s Fleet and Marine Tracker on Monday placed the CSG in the Sulu Sea and the carrier is to ‘accelerate’ its voyage to the Middle East. The Abraham Lincoln CSG is well south of the Shandong CSG’s last location.
In an earlier release on Tuesday, the JSO stated that on the morning of that day, a presumed Chinese drone flew in from the East China Sea, passing between Yonaguni Island and Taiwan and subsequently while over the Philippine Sea, turned around and passed between Yonaguni Island and Taiwan to return to the East China Sea. In response fighter jets from the Japan Air Self Defense Force (JASDF) Southwest Air District were scrambled, stated the release.
Meanwhile, Russian Navy Pacific Fleet cruiser Varyag and frigate Marshal Shaposhnikov entered the Malacca Strait on Thursday, according to a release by the Russian Navy Pacific Fleet on the same day.
The release stated that the day before, the two ships had crossed the Indian Ocean and before entering the Malacca Strait, shipboard training in air defence and damage control were conducted, “Ahead of the crews is the Singapore Strait, where there is traditionally increased ship traffic. The detachment’s personnel will conduct training in overcoming an area with intense ship traffic. Before passing the narrows, during the training, the personnel will practice actions to ensure safe maneuvering in an area with intense shipping”, read the release.
The two Russian ships will only pass by Singapore but not make a port call as Singapore has placed Russia under sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine. Russia routinely deploy ships from the Russian Pacific Fleet to the Mediterranean to bolster its presence there and both ships had left their homeport of Vladivostok on Jan. 22 to deploy to the Mediterranean.
Varyag and Marshal Shaposhnikov in March conducted trilateral drills with Iran and China in the Gulf of Oman before arriving in the Mediterranean on Apr. 1 following a transit of the Suez Canal. The two ships departed the region on Jul. 16, after conducting various engagement activities with countries friendly to Russia.
Elesehwere in the Pacific, Australia’s Department of Defense on Saturday announced that destroyer HMAS Sydney (DDG42) had conducted a successful firing of a SM-6 missile during Exercise Pacific Dragon 2024 in Hawaii, while the Royal Australian Navy released a video of the firing.
“In response to Australia’s challenging strategic circumstances, the Albanese Government is enhancing deterrence by rapidly boosting the Navy’s long-range strike capabilities and providing greater capacity to strike maritime, land and air targets at longer distances”, read the release.
The release stated that the SM-6 missile will be will be progressively deployed across the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN) three Hobart class destroyers alongside the SM-2 missiles already fielded by the destroyers and that the Aegis Baseline 9 combat system added to the destroyers will allow them to counter ballistic missiles. The Hobart class previously operated the Aegis Baseline 8 system but are now being upgraded to Baseline 9. The under construction
Hunter class frigates will also field the SM-6 according to the release.
Sydney previously participated in the Rim of the Pacific 2024 (RIMPAC2024) exercise which concluded on Aug. 2, the destroyer carried out a first-of-class firing of a Naval Strike Missile during the exercise, ““HMAS Sydney’s first-of-class firings of both Naval Strike Missile and Standard Missile 6 in less than a month is a clear demonstration of Navy’s intent to deliver on our commitment to accelerate our ability to support Defence’s strategy of denial in concert with our key Allies and partners,” stated RAN chief Vice Adm. Mark Hammond in the release which also stated that Sydney will carry out a Regional Presence Deployment Before returning to Australia later this year.
Pacific Dragon is a biennial air and missile defence exercise that normally follow the conclusion of RIMPAC though currently the U.S. Navy has not issued any release yet on this year’s iteration.
