Chinese Carrier Shandong Pushes Into Second Island Chain

PLAN’s latest deployment brings carrier strike group within 400 nautical miles of Guam

The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has demonstrated its expanding power projection capabilities by deploying its second aircraft carrier, Shandong, to waters near the US territory of Guam. The carrier strike group reportedly came within 400 nautical miles of the island, a key American stronghold in the Second Island Chain.

According to a map released on 25 April by the Joint Staff of the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF), Shandong and its escorts began moving southeast from waters east of Taiwan on 13 April, following their participation in Exercise Joint Sword. The task group included a Luyang III (Type 052D/DL)-class destroyer, two Jiangkai II (Type 054A)-class frigates, and a Fuyu (Type 901)-class replenishment vessel.

On 14 April, the group sailed eastward toward the Mariana Islands before turning south on 15 April. Based on JSDF mapping, defense analysts estimate the formation approached within 400 nautical miles of Guam. This assessment aligns with a report published by China’s state-owned Global Times on 25 April, which stated that Shandong reached waters approximately 600–700 kilometers west of Guam on 15–16 April, before transiting back through the Bashi Channel east of Taiwan.

The deployment underscores Beijing’s intent to project naval power deeper into the Pacific, signaling the PLAN’s growing ability to operate beyond the First Island Chain and challenge US presence in the region.

Source: Janes & XAirForces News, 26 April 2023

Photo: A file image of J-15 operations on the deck of Liaoning . The carrier's sister ship, Shandong , carried out a series of operations in the Western Pacific, including a passage near Guam, in April 2023. (Photo by AFP/Getty Images)

Editor: Naomi A.J. Takahashi (Oceanian ©XAirForces News Editor from Japan)

Keywords: China, People’s Liberation Army Navy, PLAN, Shandong, aircraft carrier, carrier strike group, Guam, Second Island Chain, power projection, Japan Self-Defense Forces, JSDF, Joint Sword exercise, Luyang III destroyer, Type 052D, Jiangkai II frigate, Type 054A, Fuyu replenishment vessel, Type 901, Mariana Islands, Bashi Channel, Taiwan, Global Times, Pacific, US military presence, naval deployment, Indo-Pacific security

Chinese Carrier Shandong Pushes Into Second Island Chain


(26.04.2023)