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The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz of the United States Navy along with its combat group entered the South China Sea last Thursday. At the same time, China’s Shandong Aircraft Carrier Strike Group entered the same waters. Photo/US Navy
BEIJING – Aircraft carrier The United States (US), USS Nimitz, and its combat group began operating in South China Sea since Thursday last week.
At the same time, China’s aircraft carrier Shandong and its battle group were also in the same waters for combat exercises.
An American defense official told CNN that two Chinese ships were trailing the USS Nimitz Carrier Strike Group.
The USS Nimitz Carrier Strike Group (CSG) consists of the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier, a missile-armed cruiser and three missile-armed destroyers.
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According to the commander of the USS Nimitz, a combat group that has lethal and non-lethal capabilities from “space to undersea”, crossing every axis, and every domain. The battle group is entering the South China Sea for the first time.
Meanwhile, Chinese state media, Global Times, on Monday (16/1/2023), reported that the Shandong Carrier Strike Group had conducted a series of confrontational exercises in the South China Sea at the time the USS Nimitz Carrier Strike Group entered the same waters.
Chinese military analyst Song Zhongping said the Shandong aircraft carrier had practically increased its combat readiness.
China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLA) confirmed that the Shandong Aircraft Carrier Strike Group conducted realistic combat-oriented confrontation exercises in the South China Sea.
“The exercise simulated an attack by enemy aircraft, and J-15 fighter jets took off from Shandong and conducted interception training,” the PLA Navy said in a statement.
