Five years after entering service, the Shandong (CV-17)—China’s first domestically built aircraft carrier—has reached a significant operational milestone. According to a recent report from Chinese state media, the carrier’s embarked air wing has surpassed 10,000 cumulative sorties. This achievement highlights the carrier’s consolidation as a key platform for China’s naval power projection in its claimed maritime zones and the broader Pacific region.
The figure, which includes a wide variety of missions—from basic training to operational deployments—sets a record for the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) young but rapidly advancing carrier fleet. Since its commissioning on December 17, 2019, Shandong has steadily improved its ability to launch and recover aircraft, increasing its sortie rate and reinforcing its role as a platform for strategic force projection.
In naval doctrine, sortie rate—the number of aircraft that can take off and land in a given period—is a critical indicator of readiness and efficiency. The higher the sortie rate, the greater a carrier’s ability to respond quickly during both training and, if necessary, real combat scenarios. It’s worth noting that China’s fixed-wing carrier aviation capability began in November 2012, with the first takeoff and landing of a J-15 fighter aboard the carrier Liaoning. Since then, progress has been steady, with the Shandong, as the first carrier fully built in China, symbolizing the leap in just a decade.
According to reports, the PLAN has refined its technical and operational procedures over time, enabling multiple aircraft to take off and land at short intervals. This translates into a tangible improvement in the carrier’s responsiveness to potential threats and enhances its value as a power projection platform in scenarios far from the continental maritime littoral.
One notable example of this was the recent dual deployment of the Liaoning (CV-16) and Shandong (CV-17) into the Western Pacific, operating simultaneously beyond the First Island Chain. Their presence extended into waters traditionally influenced by the United States and regional allies such as Japan and Australia. According to data released by the Japanese government, both carrier groups conducted over 1,000 flight operations between May and June near Japanese shores, including 270 sorties along a Pacific route between June 17 and 19.
Additionally, the two carriers reportedly participated in simulated confrontation exercises, acting as opposing forces and conducting coordinated strikes. These drills aimed to test combat tactics and evaluate the PLAN’s capacity to integrate modern naval assets. This demonstration of naval air power reflects both qualitative and quantitative advances in China’s maritime doctrine, underscoring a sustained ambition to boost its power projection amid rising geopolitical tensions.
These are the aircraft that make up the air wing of the aircraft carrier Shandong:
According to the latest reports from China’s aerospace sector, the embarked air group of the aircraft carrier Shandong—as well as that of the Liaoning—has undergone changes in its composition. This is due to the incorporation of new aircraft variants being introduced into service by the Naval Aviation branch of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), with particular emphasis on the latest versions of the Shenyang J-15.
As for rotary-wing aircraft, the Shandong is equipped with various helicopters used for early warning, anti-submarine warfare, and search and rescue (SAR) missions. Among them are the Z-18J, Z-18F, and Z-9C, respectively.
Images for illustrative purposes only – Credits: Chinese Navy
You may also like: As it returns to the United States, the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson conducted a deployment in the South China Sea
