According to a news release issued by Japan’s Joint Staff Office (JSO) on Tuesday, the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s Shandong Carrier Strike Group conducted 240 fighter jet launches and recovery and 140 helicopter takeoffs and landings over a week in the Philippine Sea.
The CSG remains deployed in the area. On Tuesday, the JSO released a statement on the daily location and composition of the Shandong CSG from July 9 through Monday. The Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force’s destroyer JS Akebono (DD-108) and J.S. Kirishima (DDG-174), escort destroyer JS Divine power According to JSO, (DE-230) was tracking the PLA Navy CSG. The JMSDF vessels likely took turns deploying to track the PLA Navy CSG, rather than all three ships tracking the CSG at the same time.
Tuesday’s announcement also included the date the Shandong CSG was first sighted, on July 9. Japan Air Self-Defense Force fighter jets were scrambled in response to the carrier’s fighter jets.
The published positions are given in distance from Miyakojima in southwest Japan and include a map showing the daily positions of the CSG in Shandong. Until now, the CSG has primarily operated in the same area east of the Luzon Strait between Taiwan and the Philippine island of Luzon. This differs from a deployment in the Philippine Sea in late October and November of last year, when the CSG also operated midway between the Philippines and Guam.
Release details include:
July 9
position: 335 miles southeast of Miyazaki Island
Career: central nervous system Shandong (17)
Cruiser: central nervous system Yan’an (106)
Destroyer: central nervous system Guilin (164)
frigate: central nervous system Yuncheng (571)
July 10
position: 267 miles southeast of Miyazaki IslandCareer: Shandong
Cruiser: Yan’an
Destroyer: Guilin
frigate: Yuncheng
Fast Combat Support Ship: central nervous system Chaganf (905)
July 11
position: 329 miles south of Miyazaki Island
Career: Shandong
Cruiser: Yan’an
Destroyer: Guilin
frigate: Yuncheng
Fast Combat Support Ship: Chaganf
July 12
position: 248 miles southeast of Miyazaki Island
Career: Shandong
cruiser: Yan’an and the central nervous system Xianyang (108)
Destroyer: Guilin and the central nervous system Zhanjiang (165)
frigate: Yuncheng
Fast Combat Support Ship: Chaganf
July 13
position: 242 miles south of Miyazaki Island
Career: Shandong
cruiser: Yan’an and Xianyang
Destroyer: Guilin and Zhanjiang
frigate: Yuncheng
Fast Combat Support Ship: Chaganf
July 14th
position: 273 miles southeast of Miyazaki Island
Career: Shandong
Cruiser: Yan’an
Destroyer: Guilin and Zhanjiang
July 15
position: 267 miles south of Miyazaki Island
Career: Shandong
cruiser: Yan’an and Xianyang
Destroyer: Guilin and Zhanjiang
frigate: Yuncheng
Fast Combat Support Ship: Chaganf
This is the Shandong CSG’s first deployment to the Philippine Sea this year. Last year, the CSG deployed to the area three times, including a 19-day deployment in April, a five-day deployment in September and a 12-day deployment from late October to early November.
Meanwhile, the Italian Navy’s aircraft carrier ITS Cavour The (550) is currently with airmen in Darwin, Australia, participating in the Royal Australian Air Force’s multinational exercise Pitch Black 2024, marking the first time the naval unit has taken part in the biennial exercise, which runs from July 12 to Aug. 2 in northern Australia.
CavourThe Australian Department of Defence said in a news release that Italy’s participation is a first in history and marks an important milestone for Italian naval operations in the Indo-Pacific region.
“This is the first time Italy has taken part in the Pitch Black exercise and also the first time that an aircraft carrier has taken part,” said Colonel Milos Argenton. CavourThe commander of the Defense Ministry said in a statement: Cavour “Although they have previously traveled across the Atlantic and around Africa, this is their first time in the Indo-Pacific region.”
Italian CSG Commander, Maj. Gen. Giancarlo Ciappina, said in a statement that exercise Pitch Black marks a milestone for the CSG, as the organisation recently declared initial operational capability for the F-35B Lightning II fighter jets.
“Exercise Pitch Black marks a milestone as we work with Australia to declare our first operational aircraft capability. Learning to fly and work together is a major achievement,” Mr Chapina said.
Both the Italian Air Force and the Italian Navy operate the F-35B. Cavour The carrier has a total of 13 aircraft on board, including a mix of F-35B and AV-8B Harrier II fighter jets, though the exact composition of the air force has not been disclosed.
Pitch Black will be the carrier’s first operational deployment to the Indo-Pacific, and it will be escorted only by the frigate USS ITS. Alpino Italy is also sending additional aircraft to take part in Pitch Black, including four Eurofighter Typhoons, four F-35As, two F-35Bs, one G550 early warning and control aircraft, three Italian Air Force KC-767 tankers, and two Italian Navy F-35Bs, which will stop in Qatar, the Maldives, and Malaysia before en route to Australia.
