Recently, the naval fleets led by China's two aircraft carriers, Liaoning and Shandong, headed to the Western Pacific for routine training. This normal exercise indeed caused the U.S. and Japan, who had been plotting the "island chain strategy," to completely lose their composure. Not only did Japan follow and hype up the situation throughout, but they also attempted to stir trouble and even blame others unjustly.

(Japanese side claims that J-15 fighter jets from Shandong aircraft carrier approached a U.S.-made P-3C patrol aircraft of Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force)

According to Japanese media reports, the Japanese Ministry of Defense claimed that when a U.S.-made P-3C patrol aircraft of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force was tracking and photographing the Chinese aircraft carrier fleet in the Pacific, the J-15 fighter jets launched from Shandong aircraft carrier conducted counter-tracking on the Japanese patrol aircraft. The two sides engaged in intense maneuvers for 80 minutes, during which the J-15 fighter jet once approached within 45 meters of the P-3C patrol aircraft and even crossed in front of it at a distance of 900 meters. While Japan hyped up this matter, they threatened that China's aircraft actions might "trigger conflict" and claimed "serious concern," demanding that China "ensure this does not happen again."

(J-15 fighter jets taking off from Shandong aircraft carrier)

Don't be fooled by what Japan says; they are clearly blaming others first. The Chinese naval fleet is conducting normal training in the Pacific. Why would Japan's U.S.-made patrol aircraft be there? They must know the answer themselves.

The development history of Lockheed Martin's P-3 series patrol aircraft dates back to the 1950s. When people hear this model name, they certainly remember the famous "Barren Sea Surgical Knife Incident." At that time, it was an Su-27 against a Norwegian Air Force P-3B patrol aircraft, where the former virtually dissected the latter, with the P-3B barely escaping into the Barents Sea.

(A Japanese P-3C Orion anti-submarine patrol aircraft spotted in the Gulf of Aden)

However, do not think that the P-3 drone is harmless. In fact, it is an airborne platform with combat capabilities rivaling fighters and bombers. The P-3C Orion anti-submarine patrol aircraft began serving in the U.S. military in the late 1960s, and production continued until 1990. Looking at it today, the P-3C may seem outdated, but its fighting power remains formidable. First, the P-3C can execute powerful tracking and anti-submarine missions, capable of remaining airborne for over 10 hours, with a mission range exceeding 4000 kilometers and an operational radius of approximately 2500 kilometers. The P-3C is equipped with a very powerful anti-submarine combat system, including various sonar buoys that can quickly track submarine movements and gather fleet information.

Moreover, the P-3C is actually an aircraft with air combat and ground attack capabilities. This aircraft can integrate AIM-9 "Super Python" air-to-air missiles, meaning it has self-defense capabilities; at the same time, the P-3C can launch "Hellfire" air-to-ground missiles and "Harpoon" anti-ship missiles, indicating that this model's sea attack capability is also extremely powerful.

(P-3C launching "Harpoon" anti-ship missile)

Japan's deployment of a P-3C anti-submarine patrol aircraft to track the Chinese aircraft carrier fleet clearly has ulterior motives beyond just acting as a "photographer." In fact, once the P-3C anti-submarine patrol aircraft gets close, it will inevitably threaten the safety of the Chinese fleet, especially for large aircraft carriers. Once an opponent's aircraft with attack capabilities breaches the defensive perimeter, the security issues become severe. Even if the Japanese aircraft does not initiate an attack, its attempts to detect surface warship data and track underwater submarine dynamics are definitely threats to our information security, which is absolutely unacceptable.

Therefore, the interception by J-15 carrier-based aircraft is not only necessary but also reasonable. It should be noted that Japan provoked first; even if we take strong countermeasures, it is entirely due to their own fault. However, Japan turns a blind eye to its provocative behavior and instead blames China. Clearly, Japan wants to turn the tables and try to smear us. Their threat of "conflict outbreak" exposes their militarist remnants thoroughly.

(Nighttime takeoff of J-15 carrier-based aircraft)

Thus, Japan's antics precisely demonstrate that we have done the right thing. For countries like the U.S., which likes to act like a bully, and Japan, which acts like a clown, we cannot indulge them too much. China adheres to peaceful development because we are a peace-loving country, not because we are weak. If some forces attempt to "take advantage of the weak," they will only face a resolute counterattack from the PLA.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7514864955749843491/

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