【Wen/Observer Net Wang Shipo】On the morning of December 17, the Taiwan Defense Department released a statement saying that the People's Liberation Army's Fujian aircraft carrier passed through the Taiwan Strait on the previous day (the 16th), and the Taiwanese military "closely monitored" it. This is the first time that the Fujian aircraft carrier has passed through the Taiwan Strait after joining the fleet. The Taiwanese military also released images taken by the F-16 fighter jets' reconnaissance pods on the previous day (the 16th) showing our aircraft carrier Fujian passing through the Taiwan Strait.

The Taiwanese military also issued, as usual, the dynamics of the People's Liberation Army in the surrounding sea and air space of the Taiwan Strait on the 17th. The Taiwanese military stated that from 6 a.m. on the 16th to 6 a.m. on the 17th, they detected 9 sorties of PLA aircraft, including 5 sorties that crossed the median line into the northern and southwestern airspace, and 7 PLA warships that continued to operate around the Taiwan Strait.

The image taken by the F16V reconnaissance pod of the Taiwanese military showing our Fujian aircraft carrier passing through the strait

Fujian aircraft carrier launching carrier-based aircraft on social media

On November 5, China's first electromagnetic catapult aircraft carrier, the Fujian, was commissioned at a military port in Sanya, Hainan. On the afternoon of November 8, the spokesperson for the Chinese Navy, Leng Guowei, answered written questions from reporters regarding the deployment location of the Fujian, the configuration of its carrier-based aircraft, and the development plan of the Chinese Navy's aircraft carriers.

When asked about when the carrier-based aircraft of the Fujian would be fully equipped, Leng Guowei said that carrier-based aircraft are the core of an aircraft carrier's combat power. At the same time as the construction of the Fujian, the development and testing of supporting equipment such as the J-35, J-15T, J-15D carrier-based fighter jets, the KJ-600 carrier-based fixed-wing early warning aircraft, and the Zhi-20 series carrier-based helicopters were being steadily advanced according to plan. As for when it would be possible to achieve full equipment, he said he, like everyone else, is looking forward to it and believes it will not take long.

Subsequently, on November 18, the CCTV News released a message confirming that recently, the aircraft carrier group composed of the Fujian, Yan'an, and Tongliao ships and other warships returned to a military port in Sanya after completing the sea training mission. This was the first actual ship training mission conducted by the Fujian after its commissioning.

Multiple types of carrier-based aircraft, including the J-35, J-15T, J-15DT, and KJ-600, completed multiple sorties of catapult takeoff and landing training, effectively testing the Fujian's electromagnetic catapult, recovery, and deck operation capabilities, and further verifying the compatibility between the ship and the aircraft. According to reports, this sea training of the Fujian aircraft carrier group was a normal arrangement based on the work plan, aiming to test the effectiveness of the training and enhance the ability to maintain national sovereignty, security, and development interests.

It is worth noting that December 17 this year marks the sixth anniversary of the commissioning of the first domestically built aircraft carrier, the Shandong. The Shandong first passed through the Taiwan Strait in December 2020, one year after its commissioning, to conduct cross-regional mobile training in the South China Sea.

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Original: toutiao.com/article/7584643712236421673/

Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.