Latest news with #Shandong
Newsweek
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
China Reveals Major Boost to Aircraft-Carrier Force
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Chinese media reported that the number of fighter pilots recruited for the country's aircraft-carrier fleet hit a record high this year, as part of the East Asian power's rapid naval buildup. Newsweek has reached out to the Chinese Defense Ministry for further comment via email. Why It Matters China operates the world's largest navy by hull count, with over 370 ships and submarines in service, including two aircraft carriers. In June, both aircraft carriers were simultaneously deployed to the broader Western Pacific, demonstrating the country's growing naval power. While the United States continues to possess the world's largest aircraft carrier fleet—with 11 operational vessels—the Chinese navy is set to commission its third and most-advanced aircraft carrier, with reported plans to build the nation's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. File photo: The Chinese aircraft carrier CNS "Shandong" sails into Hong Kong on July 3, 2025. File photo: The Chinese aircraft carrier CNS "Shandong" sails into Hong Kong on July 3, 2025. Chan Long Hei/AP Photo What To Know China Central Television reported on Friday that the People's Liberation Army Navy—the official name of the Chinese navy—has recently concluded its pilot recruitment for the year. The intake includes high school graduates, students from naval aviation schools, and recent bachelor's and master's degree graduates from both military and civilian universities, the report said. It described the recruitment sources as "increasingly diverse and optimized." The report said that both the number of candidates meeting the standards for carrier-based fighter pilots and the proportion of qualified applicants have reached record levels. While the report did not provide exact figures, it added that "tens of thousands of young students" across China had "enthusiastically" signed up for naval pilot recruitment, significantly expanding the recruitment and selection base compared to previous years. Citing a military expert, Chinese state media Global Times said that the recruitment performance aligned with the development of the country's carrier-based aircraft, referring to the increasing variety and number of planes designed to operate from aircraft carriers. Last November, the Chinese military officially unveiled two carrier-based fighter jets—the J-15T and the J-15D. Unlike the original J-15 variant, the T model is capable of taking off from all three Chinese aircraft carriers, which use two different aircraft launching systems. Meanwhile, the D variant of the J-15 family is designed to conduct electronic warfare missions, matching its U.S. counterpart—the EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft. The Chinese military is also developing a stealth carrier-based fighter aircraft as one of the variants of the J-35 family, alongside the J-35A, which is designed for the nation's air force. Chinese J-15 carrier-based fighter jets are displayed during the open event of the aircraft carrier CNS "Shandong" in Hong Kong on July 3, 2025. Chinese J-15 carrier-based fighter jets are displayed during the open event of the aircraft carrier CNS "Shandong" in Hong Kong on July 3, 2025. Dai Menglan/China News Service/VCG via AP What People Are Saying Chinese military affairs expert Fu Qianshao told the Global Times on Friday: "The fact that pilot recruitments have reached a new high shows that the intake is steadily increasing, which aligns with the development trend of China's carrier-based aircraft." The Pentagon commented in its report on Chinese military power: "In 2023, the [People's Liberation Army] transferred the majority of [People's Liberation Army Navy] land-based fighter and bomber aircraft, air defense, and airfield units to the [People's Liberation Army Air Force] to refocus [People's Liberation Army Navy] efforts on developing a carrier-based aviation force." What Happens Next Chinese pilots assigned to carrier-based aviation units will need to be capable of both flying aircraft and operating electronic warfare systems in the future, the Global Times reported—raising the bar for professional skills and expanding the demand for talent across disciplines.
Canada News.Net
a day ago
- Politics
- Canada News.Net
China eyes blue waters of western pacific
New Delhi [India], July 29 (ANI): Geography is an enemy to China's aspirations for a powerful blue-water navy. While one cannot doubt the might of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), China remains hemmed in by a network of islands and land masses that stand in the way of free access to the Pacific Ocean. Another obstacle for Chinese military domination is its lack of true allies and, correspondingly, a network of military bases around the world it can rely upon in time of need. China's isolation sharply contrasts with its nemesis the USA, which demonstrated its ability to deploy over long distances and to intimately interoperate with allies like Australia and the UK during the recently concluded Exercise Talisman Sabre in Australia. Geostrategic experts call this natural network of land masses around China the First Island Chain, and it extends from the Japanese mainland and archipelago to Taiwan, the Philippines, before being anchored in the south in Indonesia. This island chain is extremely significant because, if China and the USA go to war over Taiwan, for example, then it would form a critical line of defense to contain China. Capturing Taiwan is therefore not only a 'patriotic duty' for communist China, but it would immediately give Beijing an open channel into the wider reaches of the Pacific Ocean. There is a Second Island Chain, but it is a chain in name only since it is characterized by vast oceanic stretches. It extends from Japan's outlying volcanic islands, passes through the Mariana Islands (where Guam is the critical hinge), the Caroline Islands, and terminates in western New Guinea. As it figures out how to more effectively penetrate into the Pacific Ocean, the PLAN has been making more frequent forays into the Western Pacific in recent years. These voyages have a training purpose and they lay down a marker to countries like Japan and the USA that China can sail wherever it pleases. Perhaps the clearest example of this mindset yet was the exercising of two PLAN aircraft carriers in waters far to the east of Taiwan and the Philippines recently. The first carrier, Liaoning, crossed the First Island Chain from the East China Sea on 27 May, with the Shandong carrier group following suit on 7 June. The latter had sailed from the South China Sea. Whilst in the Western Pacific, the two carrier groups conducted 'realistic combat training and adversarial drills,' according to China's Ministry of National Defense. Liaoning operated there from 27 May till 19 June, whilst Shandong remained there from 7-22 June. The training included reconnaissance, early warning, counterstrike, anti-surface warfare, air defense, and tactical flights. From 14-18 June, the two carrier groups likely performed carrier-versus-carrier wargames, with Liaoning presumably acting as the 'blue force' simulating an American carrier strike group. The two carriers remained some 500-600 km apart, just beyond their outermost defensive boundaries, and they performed intensive aircraft sorties. The highest number of daily sorties occurred on 14 June, when 90 take-offs occurred from Liaoning. The two carrier groups had recrossed the First Island Chain by 22 June. This twin deployment marked three significant 'firsts' for the Chinese military, according to Yu-cheng Chen and K. Tristan Tang in a report published by The Jamestown Foundation think tank in the USA. Firstly, they asserted, it was the first time two PLAN carriers have sailed simultaneously in the Western Pacific. Japan's Ministry of Defense has recorded 14 previous instances of Chinese aircraft carriers operating in that maritime zone since 2021, but this was the first time the PLAN did so with two carriers. The second milestone came about since this was the first time a Chinese carrier had voyaged beyond the porous Second Island Chain. This was achieved when Liaoning and her escorts sailed approximately 300 km southwest of Minami-Tori-shima and moved southwest by another 400-500 km the following day. Prior to this, the farthest a PLAN flattop had proceeded was when Liaoning reached 700 km east of Guam in December 2022. Significantly, Chinese carriers are nowaays foraying farther from home. Last year there were five Chinese carrier deployments, and four of those occurred near the Bashi Channel that separates the Philippines and Taiwan. Yet this year, with four carrier deployments already, all have been longer and more dispersed. Thirdly, Chen and Tang noted, was the record length of time a Chinese carrier group has conducted operations beyond the First Island Chain. For 27 days, at least one Chinese carrier group was operating in the Western Pacific. Liaoning was there 24 days, whilst Shandong managed 16 days. This accords with the PLAN's desire to expand its training plan and validate training scenarios in maritime areas China previously did not address. Chen and Tang commented, 'The drills constitute a shift in the PLAN's focus toward long-range operations. This likely stems from an assessment by the PLA's Central Military Commission (CMC) that the navy has achieved sufficient combat capability in the country's near seas.' The academics continued, 'The PLA has begun to cross the Second Island Chain, which includes Guam, in the Western Pacific. This shift brings Chinese forces closer to Hawaii. As a result, the United States may need to adjust its force deployments and rotation schedules accordingly. In addition, the latest shift could imply that the PLA Navy believes it has secured operational dominance in nearby waters. If so, it likely will engage in more assertive and potentially unsafe behaviour during naval encounters with vessels from neighbouring states in future.' Chen and Tang highlighted two pertinent points. 'The first is that the PLA has started shifting the focus of its training from near-seas comprehensive operations toward far-seas mobile operations. The second - which follows from the first - is that the CMC likely has determined that the PLA now possesses comprehensive near-seas combat capabilities, such as those needed for operations around Taiwan.' Far-seas mobile operations ,designed to control key straits, protect sea lines of communication, safeguard China's overseas interests and deter a military crisis, are a challenge for China. This is primarily because China lacks shore-based air support and close-range logistical supply. This lack of a supporting network forces the PLA to concentrate its naval assets and to perform far-seas raiding and guerilla warfare. This requires speed and effectiveness, as well as early-warning and monitoring capabilities. China is still developing doctrines for far-seas mobile operations, but they are predicated on China comprehensively dominating its near seas first. If the PLA cannot operate freely within the First Island Chain, it does not bode well for missions farther afield. China has already normalized operations around Taiwan, and it seems the PLA is now doing the same in the Western Pacific. Chen and Tang assessed: 'The PLA Navy's shift in training focus from near-seas to far-seas operations could lead to more direct pressure on the United States. Key US military outposts beyond the mainland - such as Hawaii - could have to contend with increased naval presence by Chinese naval forces operating closer and with greater endurance than before. This development not only challenges the United States' strategic depth in the Pacific, but may also compel it to reconsider its force deployment and readiness posture throughout the Indo-Pacific region.' Of course, it is helpful to contrast this Chinese carrier activity with that of its adversaries. During Exercise Talisman Sabre, held in and around Australia from 13-27 July, the USA and UK both operated aircraft carriers. The US Navy contributed USS George Washington, while the Royal Navy's HMS Prince of Wales participated in the massive wargames involving 19 nations. Equipped with F-35 fighters, the two carriers met in the Timor Sea north of Darwin in what they described as a 'powerful demonstration of naval power.' The US carrier was accompanied by a cruiser and destroyer, whilst HMS Prince of Wales was escorted by a multinational flotilla comprising Australian, British, Canadian, New Zealand and Norwegian warships. Rear Admiral Eric Anduze, Commander of Carrier Strike Group Five, spoke to ANI from his flagship USS George Washington shortly after the multinational exercise kicked off. He stated, 'We participate in Talisman Sabre 25 in order to rehearse, join and combine operations with our Australian counterparts, demonstrate maneuverability of naval forces in a contested environment, and increase operability and lethality.' Asked about the importance of such wargames, Anduze shared, 'We rehearse our tactics and communications, how we operate and how Australia operates, how we communicate and how we integrate across multiple domains. All of these experiences increase interoperability and strengthen our alliance as a whole for the security and freedom of the Indo-Pacific.' He elaborated on the importance of allies and interoperability: 'The US conducts routine operations in this area of operations to ensure freedom of navigation, a free and open Indo-Pacific that's resilient and prosperous for all. And we have to do it with allies and partners in order to be successful and have the most impact. So anytime we have the ability to share, coordinate and work together, it's a chance for our tactics to become more refined and for us to be able to come together quickly.' ANI asked whether aircraft carriers like USS George Washington have become vulnerable. Anduze asserted that aircraft carriers 'are still the most survivable airfield in the world. As time has evolved, threats have changed, and we've adjusted our tactics with the times in order to become more survivable. We have defense in depth, technology and tactics that help us protect this vessel, and all of the assets that sail with or around her throughout the entire area of operations.' The commander further noted: 'Submarine and missile technologies have evolved over the years, and aircraft technology has evolved over the years. It's a game of what technology does the enemy possess, and what technologies can we develop to counter those things, whether it's new aircraft like the F-35 and its stealth capabilities, better defense missiles, adjustments to our Aegis system and its ability to intercept incoming threats.' He assured, 'We're evolving and adjusting. And that's the technical piece of it, but there's also the tactical piece. I can't go into specifics of how we've changed our tactics to improve the security of the aircraft carrier, but we're always evolving. We're always assessing the threat and our capabilities, developing technologies and looking for ways to integrate those.' Indeed, a major portion of these developing threats is the PLA, which has developed weapons like the DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missile, DF-17 hypersonic missile and modern conventional and nuclear-powered submarines. As another example of the interoperability being achieved by Five Eyes partners - Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and USA - the Australian military rearmed a Canadian warship in Darwin during Talisman Sabre 2025. HMCS Ville de Quebec received RGM-84 Harpoon Block II missiles on two occasions. This proves the ability of partners to rearm each other far from home, thanks to common weapons. China, which has few close military allies, cannot compete with such an ability. Yet more interoperability occurred when two US Air Force pilots flew Australian F-35A fighters during Talisman Sabre 2025. This 'interfly' activity illustrated the close bonds between countries like the USA and Australia. One of the aviators involved, Major Justin Lennon of the USAF, noted, 'In the long term, as a coalition, normalizing interfly gives commanders additional options for agility and versatility in a future conflict. In a prolonged conflict, airplanes are capable of flying more hours a day than a pilot. Having the added flexibility to put any pilot in any F-35 and generate combat airpower anywhere in the world adds to the F-35 coalition's lethality.' China is working hard to extend its reach and to project power far from home shores. However, Beijing's ability to do so remains its obvious weakness, especially when one compares China's solitary status with the network of alliances and partnerships that the USA has forged in the Indo-Pacific region over decades. (ANI)
New York Times
6 days ago
- General
- New York Times
Corrections: July 24, 2025
A map with an article on Friday about recent military drills by China's aircraft carriers in the Pacific reversed the colors of two carriers in the map's key. The Shandong was in Hong Kong, not the Liaoning. Errors are corrected during the press run whenever possible, so some errors noted here may not have appeared in all editions. To contact the newsroom regarding correction requests, please email nytnews@ To share feedback, please visit Comments on opinion articles may be emailed to letters@ For newspaper delivery questions: 1-800-NYTIMES (1-800-698-4637) or email customercare@
Free Malaysia Today
7 days ago
- Climate
- Free Malaysia Today
2 dead, 10 missing after flash floods in China's Shandong
Natural disasters are common in China, particularly in summer when some regions experience heavy rainfall. (EPA Images pic) BEIJING : Flash floods in eastern China's Shandong province killed two people and left 10 missing today, state media said. Up to 364mm of rain lashed parts of the provincial capital Jinan between 8am and 5am, according to state broadcaster CCTV. The downpours triggered flash floods in two villages in the town of Dawangzhuang, 'destroying or damaging' 19 homes, CCTV said. 'At present, all-out efforts are being made to search for and recover the missing persons,' the broadcaster said. It added that authorities would 'carry out post-disaster rescue and follow-up work in an orderly manner'. Natural disasters are common in China, particularly in summer when some regions experience heavy rainfall while others bake in searing heat waves. China is the world's biggest emitter of the greenhouse gases that scientists generally agree cause climate change and make extreme weather more frequent and intense. But it is also a global renewable energy powerhouse that aims to make its massive economy carbon-neutral by 2060. Six people were killed and more than 80,000 evacuated due to floods in southern Guizhou province in June, according to state media. A landslide on a highway in Sichuan province this month also killed five people after it swept several cars down a mountainside.
Economic Times
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Economic Times
China shoots down US naval stealth cloak, deploys fifth generation Shenyang J-35 on aircraft carriers, F-35C has competition
For long the United States of America was the only naval power to operate a stealth fighter with the F-35C Lightning II deployed on its aircraft carriers. Now, the US will have to contend with China's growing and rapidly modernizing navy which has got its first operational stealth fighters in the form of Shenyang People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has received its first two J-35 carrier-based stealth fighter, directly challenging the US naval stealth jet superiority. While the US Navy has over 110 F-35Cs on its aircraft carriers, China is still in the nascent phase of deploying its naval stealth fighters. But given the speed and scale at which the Chinese defence shipyards have churned out aircraft carriers in the last few years, it won't be a surprise if it catches up with the US before Read: Delta pilot's daring move: how a split-second decision saved flight from mid-air B-52 disasterCompared to 11 nuclear-powered aircraft carriers in the US Navy, the most by any country, China has only two - the Liaoning and Shandong - in active service. China's third carrier Fujian is undergoing sea trials. It is also building a fourth aircraft carrier, codenamed "Type 004". The first three Chinses aircraft carriers are conventionally powered but Type 004 will have nuclear propulsion. — RupprechtDeino (@RupprechtDeino) A series of photos posted on Chinese microblogging platform Weibo show two J-35s flying with their tail number clearly visible. One of the J-35 has the number 0011 and the second one is 0012. But the aircraft carrier on which the stealth fighters have been deployed is still not clear although a closeup analysis of the photos show the pilots wearing bright blue helmets, a standard issue for Chinese naval pilots. The jets were photographed flying together and with the J-15B, a fourth+ generation jet in service with the Chinese Navy. Shark markings, the same as those on the other naval fighter J-15B, on J-35s indicate they are already in service with with the Chinese has bulit a massive 270,000-square-meter facility in the Shenbei New District where Shenyang Aircraft Corporation will produce the J-35 stealth fighters. According to indedpendent western analysts, the new facility is capable of churning out 100 aircraft annually, showcasing the Chinese desire and ability to quickly reach a level where it can pose a strong challenge to the US Read: Corey Adams to Alex Foster: Rising US college stars killed in senseless shootingsA few months back, there was a chatter on Chinese social media that the J-35 were undergoing trials on another first, China's Liaoning and Shandong aircraft carriers in June 2025 operated together in the Pacific Ocean, another signal to the US that its naval supremacy was no longer a certainty. The two ships conducted combat maneuvres and sent their fighters on F-35C is in service with many American aircraft carriers. The naval version of the F-35A and B, the C has bigger but foladable wings for carrier operations. The larger wing area gives the F-35C a bigger range and heavier payload carrying capability. It also helps the F-35C reduce its landing speed rapidly as it descends on the deck of an aircraft carrier. It features additional ailerons along the folding sections of the wings. The fighter's 25 mm GAU-22A cannon has 220 rounds for close quarter combat. F-35Cs deployed on USS Abraham Lincoln made their combat debut during an operation against Iranian-backed Houthi armed group in Yemen in November 2024.
