China Conducts Unprecedented Dual Carrier Exercises in South China Sea

China has conducted a series of unprecedented military exercises using both of its aircraft carriers and a fleet of support vessels in the South China Sea.
Chinese state media unveiled video of the Liaoning and Shandong carrier groups conducting their first dual formation exercise on Oct. 31.
Video of the exercises showed the two aircraft carriers, China’s first, sailing through an unspecified area of the South China Sea with around a dozen smaller support ships in tow and a similar number of fighter aircraft flying in formation above.
Fighter aircraft can also be seen taking off and landing on the deck of one of the ships using a similar type of launch technology employed by Russian and Indian aircraft carriers.
The exercises were intended “to hone and improve the combat capability of the aircraft carrier formation system,” according to a social media account run by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), which is the military wing of China’s ruling communist party.
The exercises are the first of their kind and mark a major milestone in the development of China’s maritime capabilities, mirroring similar exercises conducted by two U.S. carriers in the Indo-Pacific in 2021.
Exercises with two aircraft carriers and their associated support vessels require a high level of operational flexibility and showcase the ability to deploy and sustain extensive air and sea power, providing a powerful deterrent to potential adversaries.
The PLA navy operates the Liaoning and the Shandong as its two active aircraft carriers. China’s third carrier, the Fujian, was unveiled in June 2022. It is still undertaking sea trials and is not yet operational.
The Liaoning was originally laid down as a Soviet ship in the mid-80s, whereas the Shandong was built domestically beginning in 2013.
The Fujian, meanwhile, began its sea trial in May of this year and is China’s first domestically designed carrier. It also boasts more advanced electromagnetic catapult technologies, similar to those of newer U.S. Navy carriers.
The exercises are also likely to rattle China’s neighbors, many of whom have longstanding territorial disputes with China owing to Beijing’s expansionist activities throughout the South China Sea.
It is currently unclear what, if any, effect the exercises will have on U.S. posture and actions in the Indo-Pacific region.
The Epoch Times contacted the U.S. Department of Defense for comment but didn’t receive a reply by publication time.