In recent hours, the Joint Staff of Japan’s Self-Defense Forces issued an alert stating that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) aircraft carrier Liaoning (CV-16) was detected near the island of Iwo Jima (currently known as Iwo Tō). This marks the first time in history that a flagship of the Chinese Navy has been spotted operating in the vicinity of this Japanese archipelago in the Pacific Ocean.
The Liaoning and its accompanying vessels have been deployed for several weeks as part of routine navigation and training activities by the PLAN in the Pacific region. During this deployment, CV-16 was observed operating alongside the cruiser CNS Wuxi (104), the destroyer CNS Tangshen (122), and the fleet oiler CNS Hulunhu (901), along with the carrier’s embarked air wing.
It is important to note that the movements of the carrier, its escorts, and embarked aircraft have been closely monitored by Japanese authorities from May 25 to May 30, as the vessels followed a route that indicated China’s Navy is exploring new areas of operation. The deployment marked the farthest distance yet reached by PLAN surface vessels in the Western Pacific.
This voyage, described as “unusual” by the Japanese authorities, as it was the first time the aircraft carrier was observed near the aforementioned archipelagos, was accompanied by exercises, as well as take-offs and landings of fighters and helicopters belonging to the Carrier Embarked Air Group. According to officially disclosed data, a total of 120 fighter and helicopter flight operations were detected in 48 hours.
Japan’s most recent report, dated June 2, stated that on May 30, the Liaoning was heading south through the Philippine Sea. A map released by Japanese authorities showed the carrier east of the island of Samar (Philippines) and west of Guam—its farthest-known operating point to date. In previous deployments, CV-16 had remained within the South China Sea and the Philippine Sea.
A new report also indicates that the Liaoning operated in the Western Pacific within Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), near Minamitorishima, a remote island located east of Iwo Jima. Also known as Marcus Island, Minamitorishima is Japan’s easternmost territory, situated roughly 1,850 kilometers southeast of Tokyo and about 1,260 kilometers east of the nearest Japanese island, Minami-Iwo-To. At the same time, the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) destroyer JS Haguro (DDG-180) closely shadowed the carrier strike group, according to an official release issued on June 9.
It is also worth noting that between June 7 and 9, China’s second aircraft carrier, the Shandong (CV-17), along with accompanying vessels, was detected in the Western Pacific conducting takeoff and landing drills with its own air wing. Analysts suggest that having both of China’s flagship carriers operating in roughly the same region sends a clear message of presence in response to the U.S. military deployment in the Philippines.
Cover photo: Chinese Navy aircraft carrier Liaoning.
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