Amidst tensions with the United States over the disputed Senkaku Islands, the Chinese People's Liberation Army is bragging that its aircraft carrier combat task force, led by the inaugural Liaoning warship, is now close to rivaling the U.S. Navy.
The article features on the China Military Online website, which is described as "the only authoritative media of the Chinese People's Liberation Army," acting with the "official authorization of the related departments of the state and the PLA."
The report heralds the prowess of the Liaoning, along with its accompanying battleships, the "Shenyang" and "Shijiazhuang" missile destroyers as well as the "Yantai" and "Weifang" guided missile frigates.
The "combat effectiveness" of the fleet, once additional warships are added, will transform its firepower to a level, "very close to a U.S. aircraft carrier battle group in its heyday," states the report. Beijing plans to rival "the usual practice adopted by the U.S. Navy" by supplementing the combat force with a further two destroyers, an assault nuclear submarine and one supply ship.
"Given the consideration of the smaller tonnage and bomb load of the warships of the PLAN than those of the U.S. warships, the combat effectiveness of this taskforce is probably close to the current carrier strike group (CSG) of the U.S. (1-2 cruisers, 2-3 destroyers and other supporting warships)," states the report.
Some will see no coincidence in the timing of the report given the current stand-off between China and the U.S. over the disputed Senkaku Islands. It dovetails with a separate announcement that Beijing, "has begun mass producing and delivering its J-15 carrier-based multirole fighter jet."
Following China's announcement that it would impose an "air defense zone" over the region, backed by not so subtle hints that offending aircraft which refused to identify could be intercepted and even shot down, Washington called Beijing's bluff by flying two unannounced B-52 bombers through the area just days later.
