According to a new report, the aircraft carrier Liaoning (CVN-16) of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has been conducting damage control exercises during a new navigation near Japanese waters. Although the purpose of this deployment was not officially announced, Japanese authorities detected the vessel last Sunday along with four escorts in the East China Sea and near the Senkaku Islands, a Japanese archipelago under dispute and claimed by China.
In recent hours, the aircraft carrier Liaoning has made headlines not only because of its latest deployment but also due to its presence in a sensitive area for both Tokyo and Beijing. In this context, the CVN-16 carried out damage control drills which, according to experts, are meant to test the combat capabilities of the carrier in the event of an attack, including simulated scenarios involving fire detection, smoke control, and first aid for the injured. These types of drills help maintain and improve the skills and readiness of the Liaoning‘s crew to face critical situations that may arise at sea, as during a deployment—be it in exercises or long-duration operations—the ship may suffer accidents and damage that require immediate action in order to limit their impact and prevent the vessel from being rendered inoperative.
These exercises are part of a series of activities recently carried out by the aircraft carrier. As previously reported, the Liaoning was operating in the waters of the East China Sea, southwest of the Senkaku Islands—territory administered by Japan but claimed by China—where it was detected accompanied by other ships. These are: the Luyang III-class destroyers CNS Qiqihar (121) and CNS Tangshan (122), and the Jiangkai II-class frigates CNS Binzhou (515) and CNS Anyang (599). During these operations, the strike group also conducted takeoff and landing exercises with fighter jets and helicopters.
The aforementioned islands are currently administered by Japan but claimed by both China and Taiwan. According to Japanese media, this was the first time China carried out such maneuvers with the Liaoning aircraft carrier in this area of the East China Sea. It is worth noting that the Senkaku Islands (known in China as Diaoyu) are a chain of small islets rich in fishing resources and with energy potential. They were nationalized by Japan in 2022 and are protected under Article 5 of the Mutual Security Treaty with the United States, which means that any attack on the islands is considered an attack on Japan, and therefore on U.S. interests in the region.
In recent hours, Japan’s Joint Staff of the Self-Defense Forces reported that the Liaoning was observed sailing southeast through the waters between Japan’s main island of Okinawa and the Miyako Islands towards the Pacific Ocean. During this latest leg of its journey, a new round of takeoffs and landings by the fighter jets of its embarked air wing was recorded. According to official data, a total of 120 fighter and helicopter flight operations were detected within 48 hours.
As has become increasingly common, these types of incursions into disputed islands and territories are part of the ongoing operations that China—through the PLAN—carries out as a message to the region, showcasing its military capabilities, power projection, and its ability to assert its claims over archipelagos it considers part of its sovereign territory.
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