June 8, 2025, according to the news released by Japan's Ministry of Defense, China's Liaoning aircraft carrier strike group broke through the second island chain for the first time and arrived at the sea area east of the sulfur islands. This means that the Liaoning aircraft carrier of the Chinese Navy has run the farthest ever in the Pacific with so many escort vessels, a total of 16 surface warships. In the future, not only the Liaoning aircraft carrier, but also the Shandong aircraft carrier and Fujian aircraft carrier will frequently operate here, and may even head for the U.S. Navy's Pearl Harbor base in Hawaii! According to the notification from Japan's Self-Defense Forces, the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force's Aegis-type destroyer Haguro is currently responsible for tracking and monitoring the Liaoning aircraft carrier strike group. This indicates that in June 2025, the aircraft carrier battle group of the Chinese Navy has included the U.S. Navy's Guam base within its strike range for the first time.

The latest Liaoning aircraft carrier of the Chinese Navy photographed by Japan's Self-Defense Forces

From the current position, the Liaoning aircraft carrier strike group of the Chinese Navy and the Shandong aircraft carrier strike group are both executing denial missions. If our unification campaign begins, the Liaoning aircraft carrier strike group and the Shandong aircraft carrier strike group of the Chinese Navy will not fight alone but will receive support from the PLA's land-based anti-ship ballistic missiles and strategic bomber forces. If everything goes smoothly, they can stabilize the situation and expand the fruits of victory. From this perspective, our 055 ten-thousand-ton destroyers, large aircraft carriers, Dongfeng anti-ship ballistic missiles, and H-6N strategic bombers are still far from enough. Having preparations but not using them is one thing, but having none is another matter entirely.

It is estimated that J-15 carrier-based aircraft will conduct exercises near the U.S. Guam base and over the sulfur islands.

The route of the Liaoning aircraft carrier strike group of the Chinese Navy this time is estimated to be in the sea areas where the U.S. and Japan fought during the Pacific War, the regions where the Imperial Japanese Navy and the U.S. Navy engaged in naval and aerial battles during World War II.

In the future, when the Fujian aircraft carrier enters service, it is not just the Guam, South Bird Islands, and sulfur islands that will be targeted; it may even head toward Pearl Harbor and the U.S. Navy's Hawaiian base. To this day, the mission of the Liaoning aircraft carrier strike group of the Chinese Navy has not yet ended, and it is temporarily unclear what the next step will be. Will the Liaoning aircraft carrier strike group circle around Japan or encircle the Mariana Islands? The Chinese Navy is still setting new records. It can be said that in the Pacific Ocean, the U.S. Navy has seen the rise of a new powerful maritime force, and is now "dividing" the Pacific with the U.S. Navy. The sharp blade of the Chinese Navy has finally reached beyond the second island chain and is getting closer to the special operations near Hawaii.

The farthest sea area reached by the Liaoning aircraft carrier of the Chinese Navy this time

Our strategic goal is very clear: the aircraft carrier strike group covers the landing forces and successfully lands in Taiwan Province. The key to success lies in the PLA's encirclement and interception of rescue efforts to prevent joint military intervention by the U.S. and Japan. The main role of the Chinese Navy's aircraft carriers is to deny access. Will there be a fleet battle like in World War II in the future? Judging from the air combat in the India-Pakistan conflict, it's hard to say now. Perhaps a single hypersonic anti-ship missile hitting its target could end the war. Now it's the missile era; modern air-to-air missiles and anti-ship missiles are far too advanced. Discovering an enemy usually means destroying it, and discovering an enemy often means being destroyed yourself.

The U.S. Guam base is no longer the main target of the PLA's strikes; the PLA has shifted its focus to the second island chain.

After air combat, remaining outside the enemy's range is certain. In the future, there probably won't be another great carrier battle like in World War II, where a few H-6N strategic bombers fly over and drop air-launched anti-ship ballistic missiles to end the battle. The Liaoning aircraft carrier and Shandong aircraft carrier of the Chinese Navy may not even provide situational awareness; they might just offer electronic support and launch positions. In the future, the Chinese Navy's aircraft carriers will provide more ground support. With such a formidable fleet of the Chinese Navy's Liaoning aircraft carrier, has the Pentagon of the U.S. Department of Defense remained silent? They will likely speak up tomorrow.

The Liaoning aircraft carrier strike group of the Chinese Navy has unprecedentedly approached the sulfur islands.

If the Chinese Navy's aircraft carriers are positioned at Guam and sulfur islands, they must have their own early warning and anti-submarine systems. The characteristic of the Chinese Navy's aircraft carrier battle group is its large escort fleet. Apart from the Type 054A frigate for escort and anti-submarine duties, the large Type 056A frigates can also perform auxiliary anti-submarine tasks and assist in anti-submarine operations. The Type 056A frigates should be arranged in advance at strategic locations, especially in narrow waters near straits, cooperating with friendly submarines and airborne anti-submarine aircraft to wait in ambush. The Type 056A frigates mainly sweep seas in the Taiwan Strait, South China Sea, and the Ryukyu Islands. For distant seas, the Type 054A frigates are most suitable for anti-submarine missions.

A double aircraft carrier fleet of the Chinese Navy will also appear deep in the Pacific Ocean sooner or later.

Is the Liaoning and Shandong aircraft carriers still lacking in airborne early warning aircraft? The carrier-based slanted takeoff unmanned early warning aircraft are still lacking, those that can patrol above the carrier or hover over each ship. Logically speaking, the powerful early warning radar on the Type 055 ten-thousand-ton destroyer is sufficient to deal with the current U.S. Navy. However, when facing the U.S. Navy's carrier strike group, we must consider accelerating the deployment of unmanned early warning aircraft, unmanned anti-submarine aircraft, and unmanned attack aircraft. Previously, the U.S. Navy believed that only the DF-26 anti-ship ballistic missile could strike Guam and sulfur islands. Now the Chinese Navy has arrived as well, and in the future, the Chinese Air Force will also reach here: the strike range of the J-36 covers Guam.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7513677646103003688/

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