The aircraft carrier Shandong of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy launched J-15 fighter jets and drove away foreign aircraft attempting close-in reconnaissance during a recent far seas training operation, official media revealed.
According to a report by China Central Television (CCTV) News, not long ago, during a far seas combat training mission, the aircraft carrier Shandong suddenly encountered foreign aircraft conducting close-in harassment. Facing the tense situation, the officers and sailors of Shandong‘s aircraft takeoff and landing support squadron ensured fighter jets were scrambled at maximum speed, successfully driving away the target. A naval officer participating in the mission said: “Every step of our support process demands split-second precision and flawless accuracy. Only then can we ensure our fighter jets are armed and airborne in the shortest possible time!”
A story by the PLA Navy’s official social media account provided another detail: during the recent far seas dual-carrier group training mission, the Shandong swiftly scrambled fighter jets under the support of the squadron to deal with a foreign military aircraft attempting close-range harassment, prompting the foreign aircraft to retreat after recognizing the Chinese response.
CCTV military channel also mentioned that during the training, foreign vessels and aircraft repeatedly conducted close-in reconnaissance and tracking surveillance. On one late-night occasion, the squadron successfully carried out carrier-based fighter jet launch operations, handling the situation with professional competence. A crew member aboard the carrier said that, “We maintain all-weather response capabilities. No matter the circumstances, if you dare approach, we have the ability to launch aircraft and respond.”
Zhang Junshe, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times that the rapid launch and response capability of the Shandong‘s fighter jets against unidentified aerial targets demonstrates the carrier group’s robust combat readiness and emergency response proficiency. This performance confirms that the command crew, pilots, and aircraft have passed rigorous operational tests, achieving deeper ship-aircraft-personnel integration, fully meeting the demands of maritime warfare, contingency operations, and emergency combat scenarios.
He further noted that these flight operations represent all-weather capabilities, including night operations and adverse weather condition sorties. This reflects substantial improvements in the carrier group’s reconnaissance, early warning, command-and-control systems, as well as emergency combat capacity. The carrier’s air wing has achieved full all-weather operational capability, marking continuous enhancement of the carrier’s comprehensive combat capability, now fully qualified for far seas defense missions.