Zitat:China’s Liaoning Carrier Strike Group Deploys to Philippine Sea

The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) Liaoning Carrier Strike Group (CSG) deployed to the Philippine Sea Wednesday, in the carrier’s first western Pacific deployment since completing a mid-life refurbishment in March.

CNS Liaoning (16), accompanied by destroyers CNS Chengdu (120) and CNS Huainan (123), was sighted 130 miles northwest of Uotsuri Island around 7 p.m. Tuesday, according to a Wednesday release from Japan’s Joint Staff Office. A three-ship PLAN surface action group followed, likely also part of the Liaoning CSG.

The Liaoning CSG sailed south in an area 43 miles west of Uotsuri Island then saile south between Yonaguni Island and Iriomote Island to enter the Philippine Sea from Tuesday to Wednesday. Yonaguni Island lies 67 miles east of Taiwan, and PLAN ships routinely transit the waters between Yonaguni Island and Taiwan. Japan placed a radar and an electronic warfare unit on the island to track Chinese movements in the area, and the U.S. Marine Corps in August deployed a mobile radar there as part of the Marine Corps–Japan Self Defense Force (JSDF) exercise Resolute Dragon 24. [...]

The PLAN CSG sailed through Japan’s contiguous zone while sailing between Yonaguni Island and Iriomote Island, unacceptable to Japan, Japan Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroshi Moriya said in a Wednesday press conference. [...]

China’s media reported that along with at sea training, Liaoning had been conducting trials of the J-35 fighter aircraft, a carrier-borne next-generation stealth fighter aircraft, following its return to the PLAN fleet.

The JSO also issued a second release on Wednesday, about cruiser CNS Anshan (103), destroyer CNS Urumqi (118) and fast combat support ship CNS Hulunhu (901), which were sighted 49 miles northwest of Uotsuri Island around 9 a.m.

Zitat:China refits first aircraft carrier for streamlined ordnance deliveries

China carried out several modifications on the flight deck of its first aircraft carrier Liaoning during the ship's latest refurbishment. Liaoning underwent its latest refurbishment works from February 2023 to late February 2024, according to dates published in Chinese state-affiliated news websites.

No details have been provided by these news outlets on what the refurbishment programme comprised. But images of the vessel taken at its post-refurbishment sea trials in March 2024 indicate the presence of full-scale fighter aircraft mock-ups on its flight deck. [...] Recent satellite images of the modified Admiral Kuznetsov-class vessel confirm that China has added a weapons elevator in the aft section of the aircraft carrier's flight deck after the refurbishment. It measures about 6×2 m, and it is located across the flight deck's foul line at about 3.5 m forward of the vessel's stern. Satellite images taken of the ship before its latest refurbishment do not show the presence of this elevator.

In addition to this new weapons elevator at aft, China has also incorporated two weapons elevators in between the aircraft carriers jet blast deflectors in the forward section.

(24.12.2024, 15:38)Kongo Erich schrieb: ja, noch nicht bestätigt, aber - einer der wichtigsten Änderungen scheint die Vergrößerung des Flugzeugaufzuges zu sein, so dass auch schwerere, größere resp. längere Flugzeuge zwischen Hangar und Deck transportiert werden können