On Monday night, the People’s Liberation Army Navy aircraft carrier CNS Shandong (17) sailed out of the Philippine Sea back into the South China Sea, Japan’s Joint Staff Office (JSO) announced on Tuesday. Additionally, U.S. carrier USS George Washington (CVN-73) is set to arrive at its new Japanese homeport later this month, according to Japanese officials.
Shandong, cruiser CNS Yan’an (106) and destroyer CNS Zhanjiang (165) were sailing northwest in an area 397 miles south of Miyako Island on Monday. Shandong carried out 10 launches and recoveries of its embarked fighter aircraft, while the carrier’s embarked helicopters made a total of 10 take-offs and landings from the carrier.
Subsequently, the Shandong Carrier Strike Group (CSG) sailed toward the South China Sea, according to the release. JMSDF destroyer JS Yugiri (DD-153) shadowed the PLAN CSG.
The Shandong CSG had previously deployed to the Philippine Sea from Jul. 9 to 18 before returning to its homeport, and later conducted a short second deployment to the Philippine Sea from Aug. 12 to 13. Monday’s deployment spanned less than 12 hours when factoring in the time it took to sail into and out of the Philippine Sea. China has not issued any statement on the deployment so its reason remains unclear.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Monday launched Joint Exercise (AJEX) “DAGIT-PA”, “a comprehensive training initiative utilizing various assets from the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines, aimed at strengthening the AFP’s capabilities in land, air, and maritime operations,” read an AFP release. The exercise takes place within the northwest coast of the main island of Luzon and on Palawan Island and ends on Nov.15. The Shandong CSG deployment was in international waters east of the northeast tip of the main island of Luzon, on the other side from the location of the AFP’s drills.
Carrier George Washington is currently operating around the Philippine Sea according to USNI’s Fleet Tracker and conducting a patrol before pulling into Yokosuka to replace USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) the Forward Deployed Naval Force–Japan (FDNF-J) aircraft carrier. Ronald Reagan left Japan in May. Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday issued a release stating they had received a notification from the U.S Forces Japan (USFJ) that George Washington’s arrival is scheduled in mid to late November. Before entering Yokosuka, its embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5 will arrive at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni.
“As the security environment in the region becomes increasingly severe, maintaining a robust presence of the U.S. Navy through the forward-deployment of USS George Washington and the Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5 is essential to the security of Japan and the maintenance of regional peace and stability. Japan highly values the role that the US 7th Fleet plays for such objectives,” stated the release.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the Indonesian Armed Forces announced in a release that while the Indonesian Navy–Russian Navy exercise “Orruda 2024” was being carried out from Monday to Friday in Surabaya and the Java Sea, Russian Navy submarine RFS Ufa (B-588) will carry out a port visit to Surabaya, where the Indonesian Navy’s 2nd Fleet Command’s headquarters is located. The submarine will not take part in the Orruda 2024 drills though rescue tug Alatau, which has been accompanying the submarine, will join Russian Navy corvettes RFS Gromkiy (335), RFS Hero of the Russian Federation Aldar Tsydenzhapov (339) and RFS Rezkiy (343) and fleet oiler Pechenga and Indonesian Navy frigate KRI I Gusti Ngurah Rai (332) and corvette KRI Frans Kaisiepo (368) for the drills.
