By Enoch Wong
New details emerging about a rare Chinese military drill involving two aircraft carriers in the Western Pacific last month reveal that the vessels are training with greater intensity and complexity, according to experts.
One analyst said that by testing themselves against each, the Liaoning and Shandong carriers could gain a level of experience that even the United States military could not gain in battle because it was usually engaged with far less powerful rivals.
Since Monday, state broadcaster CCTV has released several clips of drills focused on reconnaissance and early warning, defensive and counterstrike operations, anti-surface assaults, air defence and day-and-night tactical flights by carrier-based aircraft.
On Thursday, the Shandong arrived in Hong Kong for a five-day port call.
In the latest drills, in June, the two vessels operated beyond the second island chain in the Western Pacific together for the first time, reaching waters near Japan鈥檚 easternmost islands and as far as 965km (600 miles) northeast of Guam, the US鈥 westernmost territory.
The drills were different in operations and strategic messaging from China鈥檚 first dual carrier exercise conducted in October, which mainly took place in the South China Sea, with additional manoeuvres in the Yellow and East China seas.
Timothy Heath, a senior international defence researcher at the US-based Rand Corporation, said the key difference was 鈥済reater complexity and intensity鈥.
鈥淏y contrast, last year鈥檚 exercise was essentially a trial run as it was the first time two carriers operated together. They did not travel as far or for as long a time, and the drills were simpler,鈥 Heath said.
Song Zhongping, a former People鈥檚 Liberation Army instructor, said the two carrier battle groups had acted as opposing red and blue teams for the first time, serving simultaneously as adversaries and support units.
鈥淭he unique carrier-centred training approach allows China to test its carrier strike groups realistically against potential adversaries,鈥 Song said.
鈥淭hey can practise high-intensity strike tactics, such as full-deck aircraft launches, use shipborne and airborne sensors to assess strike outcomes, and rehearse defensive measures or counter-attacks after sustaining hits. The critical data gathered provides valuable experience for refining tactics, techniques and weapons systems.鈥
Song said this kind of mutual offensive-defensive drills offered a training experience that was not available to the US Navy in battle because it usually targeted weaker opposition.
鈥淲hile US carriers have combat experience, it mostly involves striking asymmetric opponents, lacking genuine large-scale, carrier-to-carrier attack-and-defence scenarios,鈥 he said, noting that US carriers had struggled with saturation drone attacks from Houthi forces.
Song said it was also not an option for the US in training because of the investment and innovation required to simulate the complexities of modern peer conflict.
The CCTV report also indicated that other PLA service branches had taken part in the exercise, suggesting the drills included response to long-range, land-based anti-ship missiles.
鈥淭he ships that accompany the carriers are equipped for anti-submarine and anti-ship warfare, providing China a comprehensive combat capability that can be deployed as far as the second island chain,鈥 Heath said. 鈥淭his could give China greater ability to coerce and intimidate countries throughout the Indo-Pacific, and could motivate more Asian countries to increase their defensive preparations.鈥
The CCTV reports also mentioned foreign warships and aircraft closely tracking the Chinese carriers throughout the drills, prompting fighter scrambles 鈥渢o respond professionally and effectively鈥.
According to Song: 鈥淭hese reports reflect China鈥檚 determination to reinforce combat realism, ensure carrier security through actual confrontations, and accumulate operational experience.鈥
Heath added: 鈥淭he ability to operate dual carriers significantly expands the PLA鈥檚 ability to fight far from its shores. With two carriers, the PLA essentially has two floating airports that can carry out a high sortie rate.
Chinese carrier-based planes can also carry out diverse missions, including reconnaissance, strike, air defence, air superiority and more.鈥
Japan鈥檚 Ministry of Defence Joint Staff Office said that from May 25 to June 22 the two Chinese carriers conducted 1,120 carrier-based aircraft take-off and landing operations 鈥 700 by the Liaoning and 420 by the Shandong 鈥 in waters between the first and second island chains near Japan鈥檚 southeastern islands.
The Japan Times said the Liaoning carried out a record-breaking 90 aircraft take-offs and landings on two separate days in June, comparing it to the average 120 daily sorties on a US Nimitz-class carrier, which employs a Catobar 鈥 or catapult-assisted take-off but arrested recovery 鈥 system to launch a greater number of aircraft in a period.
鈥淭he Liaoning鈥檚 high sortie rate, despite its smaller tonnage, fewer aircraft and ski-jump launch system, shows the Chinese navy has truly pushed its operational capabilities to the limit,鈥 Song said.