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China’s Shandong aircraft carrier sets new sortie benchmark in military exercises

  • Aircraft perform more than 600 take-offs and landings during manoeuvres in April, Japanese forces say
  • Increase in jet and helicopter activity part of bigger, multi-service drills, analyst says

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A J-15 Chinese fighter jet takes off from the Shandong aircraft carrier during exercises around Taiwan on April 9. Photo: Xinhua
Chinese warplanes made a record number of sorties off its latest combat-ready aircraft carrier during a military exercise in the western Pacific Ocean, nearly doubling the previous benchmark.

Japan’s Joint Staff Office said on Tuesday that navy fighter jets and helicopters made around 620 take-offs and landings from the Shandong carrier in the 18 days from April 7, up from 320 from the Liaoning in the 15 days of an exercise in December.

A higher sortie rate can potentially increase the combat power and flexibility of an aircraft carrier group.

The Joint Staff Office said that from April 7 the carrier group started training with J-15 carrier-based fighter jets and Z-18J helicopters on the flight deck in the Philippine Sea, east of Taiwan and south of Japan’s Yaeyama and Miyako islands in the Ryukyu chain.

From April 8 to 10, the Shandong – the country’s second combat-ready carrier – and its escorts, including advanced Type 055 and Type 052D destroyers, took part in the “Joint Sword” exercises around Taiwan, the first time an aircraft carrier has been involved in a drill targeting the self-ruled island.

During the Joint Sword drill, Taiwan’s defence ministry said it detected J-15 fighters entering its self-declared air defence identification zone for the first time.

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