the giant ships surrounding Taiwan near Japan

China’s naval force is expanding its capabilities and technologies. In recent years, Beijing, which practically lacked first-class ships, now has three in its catalog. aircraft carriers which give it a relevant strategic projection compared to its neighboring countries. In fact, for the first time in history, the trio of ships – of which Spain has no equivalent – ​​was deployed in the region to carry out different missions and meet the particular objectives of each platform. Meanwhile, pre-war tensions rise and other countries like Japan take a stand, the first Japanese warship to cross the Taiwan Strait, the destroyer Sazanami.

The aircraft carrier Liaoning and its group of ships were deployed in the Philippine Seawhile the Shandong and its naval entourage did the same on the island of Hainan, as published by journalist Ian Ellis based on satellite images from September 18. The groups that make up each of these deployments consist of at least 4 destroyers, a combat support ship or a frigate. Some sources also mention the possibility of underwater support.

At the same time, the Aircraft carrier Fujian abandoned Jiangnan shipyard in Shanghai where it is finalizing its preparation to carry out some tests on the high seas. This model of boat is in fact the first entirely designed, developed and built in China, and also the only one to have a catapult allowing planes to take off from the bridge.

“Overall, even taking into account that the Fujian has not yet entered service, these deployments provide a powerful indication of the growing Navy presence and capabilities of the People’s Liberation Army”, they gather in TWZ. “Especially when it comes to their aircraft carrier force.”

Last week, the aircraft carrier Liaoning and its escort were sailing west of Taiwan, according to Taipei’s defense minister. This same ship then passes for the first time between the Yonaguni and Iriomote islands, in the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa, two strategic enclaves in which Japan has recently deployed electronic warfare systems and reconnaissance technology to monitor the passage of Chinese military ships, according to The diplomat.

The ability to the positioning of aircraft carriers east of Taiwan gives China a new attack vector so far little explored. This would also make it possible, in the event of armed conflict, to block aid from this region, where Taipei has the strongest support, such as the United States. Taiwan’s defense minister said last week that Chinese military activity is intensifying, while Pentagon intelligence is considering a possible attack around 2027, when some of Beijing’s defense programs take effect.

Fujian, the largest

The aircraft carrier Construction began in the mid-2010s. part of a broader Chinese agenda to become the country with the greatest military power in the world by 2049 – the centenary of the People’s Liberation Army. Initially, the Central Military Commission in Beijing intended to equip Fujian with a steam catapult system, a technology that has proven itself, but is already very outdated.

In 2013, before construction work began at the shipyard, it was reported ultimately, they were going to opt for electromagnetic catapults. These allow aircraft operating on the ship to take off with more fuel and weapons. And, furthermore, China thus aligns itself with other ships of similar size and destination, such as the American aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford.

Just a year ago, Beijing removed the covers from the rails of these catapults. leaving the cockpit visible to all of the aircraft carrier. The event coincided with the ship’s first trip to sea after completing dry dock work.

This technology helps the plane reach the speed needed to take off from the ship’s short landing strip. Until the introduction of Fujian, both Chinese aircraft carriers used a launch pad as a method of departure of fighters, which requires greater wear on the reactors and partly increases the risk during operations.

In testing over the past 12 months, the People’s Liberation Army Navy focused on evaluating the ship’s propulsion, navigation and communications systems. The first operations with aircraft on board should begin in the coming weeks, provided that the schedule that Beijing manages follows its course and The aircraft carrier will be activated next 2025.

As is often the case with everything related to the military field, the Chinese government is very reluctant to provide official information on the development of the Fujian CNS. No detailed technical specifications nor even less the weapons which will one day feature in a good part of the ship’s operational projection.

We only know that he has a length of 316 meters by a beam of 76.5 meters On the cockpit, more than 80,000 tons of fully loaded displacement are distributed. The propulsion section is provided by a pair of turbines which provide rotation on 4 axes with a total power of more than 220,000 horsepower.

One of the key issues of this type of ship is its transport capacity. Well, it is estimated that CNS Fujian It will be able to transport between 48 and 60 planes, helicopters and drones. A figure with which China cannot surpass the USS Gerald R. Ford of the United States, with which the Navy can transport up to 75 aircraft.

As for weapons, she could count on two PL-10 and PL-15 missile launchersone with a short range and another with a range of over 200 kilometers. However, to verify the effectiveness of this aircraft carrier, it will be necessary to wait for the first comprehensive tests and maneuvers in which it will surely participate once it enters military ranks.

Liaoning and Shandong

The Liaoning ship joined the Chinese ranks in the early 2000s and It was the first aircraft carrier of the People’s Liberation Army Navy Surface Force. Its origin dates back to the 1980s in the Soviet Union and more precisely at the Mykolaiv South shipyard located in Ukraine.

After the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991, the boat remained half built in shipyards and in 1998 China acquired it. After four years on Ukrainian territory, the ship was finally transferred to a Chinese shipyard where it was completed and commissioned in 2012.

He Liaoning lacks catapult for plane takeoffaccording to The National Interest, but China has decided to test the J-31B, which does not have a vertical takeoff and landing system. This can be a trial by fire for the hunter, who will have to use the ramp for his ascent and thus test his power for his entry into service on board the ship. Likewise, China has a ship with similar characteristics called Shandong.

The aircraft carrier has a 306 meters long by 74.4 meters wide at its widest part. The displacement reaches 60,900 tons when fully loaded and can reach 57 kilometers per hour with a range of 7,130 kilometers. It also has weapons specially designed for self-protection tasks.

As for Shandong, it is a variant of the Liaoning aircraft carrier commissioned in 2019 and, for now, it constitutes the most modern platform of its type in China. The ship’s original design belongs to the Kuznetsov class – the same as its sister ship – and the Dalian Shipyard engineers responsible for its construction modified it appropriately to suit Chinese needs.

As the press agency indicated at the time Xinhua, China began building this second copy in 2013 and the keel was laid in dry dock in March 2015. It was not until 2017 that the Shandong was launched, marking the start of a two-year trial period.

Interestingly, Ma Xiaoguang, then the Chinese mainland spokesperson at the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said he was proud of the country’s great achievements in modernizing national defense and the army. This measure, he continued, “will help strengthen our ability to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrityas well as the main and fundamental interests”.