Hongjian
Posts: 834
Joined: 1/2/2015 Status: offline
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Interesting article talking about the formation of a dual-carrier combat group in a Taiwan scenario: https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3042688/chinas-aircraft-carriers-tipped-team-target-foreign-forces quote:
“[Another major] task of the [battle group’s aircraft] is to stop US long-range bombers from taking off from a naval base in Guam. This would be to prevent American aircraft targeting the PLA’s landing transport formations and Chinese submarines,” it said. Beijing considers Taiwan a wayward province that must be unified with the mainland by force, if necessary. In addition to the Liaoning and Shandong, the dual-carrier group will include two Type 055 guided-missile destroyers, the region’s most advanced destroyer; four Type 054 frigates; six guided-missile frigates, as well as one supply ship and three Type 093B nuclear submarines, according to the report. Beijing-based military specialist Zhou Chenming agreed, saying a dual-carrier battle group would give the PLA a “bigger shield” and allow it to fend off any foreign fleets intent on intervening in Taiwan. “Together the two aircraft carriers would be able to launch nearly 30 carrier-based J-15 fighter jets to target any warplanes from American carrier strike groups, which would effectively reduce the numerical strength [of the American forces],” Zhou said. “But a dual-carrier battle group is purely a defensive combat formation – it’s not powerful enough to make a strike on other countries in the region, especially when dealing with the American carrier combat groups.” I think if they work as targeting assets for ASBM, they could potentially take on USN carrier groups in some way, but it would be very hard. As a forward airbase for CAP against US bombers, they could be useful tho. If so they shouldnt be deployed too far from the Chinese coast, or they would lose the ground based AWACS support, which would be vital for the role of intercepting US bombers. I would gaming it out whether they could truly stand against LRASM equipped B-1s taking off from Guam. It would be a hard fight, especially when they have little to defend against stealth missiles. A gamechanger would be the introduction of the Divine Eagle AEW drones, that would provide them with anti-stealth counterdetection capabilites similiar to the E-2D.
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