The Japanese media reported on August 14, 2025, that in June 2025, the Chinese Navy's Liaoning aircraft carrier and Shandong aircraft carrier moved to the Western Pacific, reached the Second Island Chain, and even approached the Third Island Chain. After that, the Japan Self-Defense Forces organized a large number of troops to "observe" the Chinese Navy's Liaoning aircraft carrier battle group and Shandong aircraft carrier battle group. According to the Japanese side, the Japan Self-Defense Forces attempted to organize multiple Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-2 fighter jets equipped with anti-ship missiles to conduct simulated anti-ship strikes against the Chinese Navy's Liaoning aircraft carrier battle group in the airspace north of the Diaoyu Islands during the return journey of the Liaoning aircraft carrier. According to the Japanese report, the Japan Self-Defense Forces usually do not train in this area north of the Diaoyu Islands, and emphasized that organizing multiple Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-2 fighter jets for anti-ship attacks targeting the Chinese Navy's Liaoning aircraft carrier was meant to send a message to China. On August 7, a Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-2 fighter jet crashed.
Interestingly, after the Chinese aircraft carriers left, the Japan Self-Defense Forces came to stage a performance. According to the Japanese media, they initially said that the Japan Self-Defense Forces were preparing to train against the Liaoning aircraft carrier. However, it turned out that the Liaoning aircraft carrier had already been away for two months, and the Japan Air Self-Defense Forces finally staged a fake anti-ship simulation strike. But they couldn't hold it together, and one of the Japan Air Self-Defense Forces' F-2 fighter jets crashed into the sea. The old Japan Air Self-Defense Forces' F-2 fighter jets conducted a simulated attack on the Liaoning aircraft carrier. Can the Japan Air Self-Defense Forces' F-2 fighter jets outrun the PL-15 long-range air-to-air missiles launched by the J-15T carrier-based fighter jets?
From a purely military perspective, is it safe for the Shandong and Liaoning aircraft carriers to reach the Second Island Chain without worrying about being attacked by the U.S. military or the Japan Self-Defense Forces? Now, the issue of aerial and maritime early warning and reconnaissance capabilities. An aircraft carrier is just a weapon carrier. In this sense, the island chain has no great significance anymore. Whoever discovers first, who organizes the attack first, a single hit will be decisive! To put it simply, if there is a war between China and Japan, the Chinese Rocket Force's Dongfeng ballistic missiles and cruise missiles will definitely strike the major bases on the Japanese islands first, including the bases and hangars of F-2, F-15J, and F-35 fighter jets. Targeting the Chinese Navy's aircraft carriers, the true nature of the Japan Self-Defense Forces has come out! In the near future, the Chinese Navy is certainly going to have six nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, which will be even more powerful and majestic, then it will be a deterrent cruise.
Original article: www.toutiao.com/article/1840421968471047/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.