Author: Ethan Connell
The PLAN carrier Liaoning (16) and three escorts transited between Okinawa and Miyako into the Pacific on Oct. 14, per Japan’s Joint Staff. About 250 km south of Ishigaki, the carrier ran roughly 10 fighter and helicopter takeoffs and landings. The group, which also includes Type 055 destroyers Anshan (103) and Wuxi (104) and Type 052DL destroyer Huainan (123), was confirmed heading for the South China Sea on Oct. 15. Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense, which is watching for a large-scale PLA exercise as the November-December drill season nears, said the deployment has put regional states on alert.