Liaoning Carrier Group Returns from Record 40-Day Voyage

China’s first aircraft carrier, the CNS Liaoning, returned to its home port in Qingdao on June 22 after completing a 40-plus day far-seas combat training deployment — the longest such mission in the carrier’s history. Military analysts point to several unique features that distinguish this deployment from previous Liaoning voyages, including the integration of amphibious assault ship operations, the operational use of the Y-20U aerial refueling tanker, and notable counter-surveillance successes against Japanese tracking forces.

A Record-Breaking Deployment

The Liaoning carrier strike group operated across multiple maritime zones, including the South China Sea and the Western Pacific Ocean, conducting high-intensity combat training. According to Sina News, military expert Zhang Junshe stated that “40-plus days should be the longest far-seas training in the history of the aircraft carrier Liaoning’s deployments. The capability for far-seas offensive and defensive system-of-systems operations has been further enhanced.”

China’s Ministry of National Defense confirmed that the training was a routine exercise organized according to the Chinese Navy’s annual plan, in accordance with international law and practice, and not targeting any specific country.

Amphibious Assault Ship Integration

For the first time, the Liaoning group conducted joint exercises in the Western Pacific with an amphibious assault ship (LHD) formation, practicing integrated system-of-systems combat operations. Military expert Li Yaqiang, speaking to CCTV, explained that this division of labor allows the carrier to focus on air superiority and strike missions while the amphibious assault ship handles anti-submarine warfare and amphibious assault tasks, creating a more formidable combined combat capability.

This integration signals a significant doctrinal shift for the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), moving toward multi-dimensional, networked fleet operations that combine different vessel types into a cohesive fighting force.

Y-20U Aerial Refueling: A Force Multiplier

The deployment marked the operational use of the Y-20U aerial refueling tanker to provide in-flight refueling for carrier-based J-15 fighter jets. With a refueling radius of approximately 1,000 kilometers, the Y-20U dramatically extends the combat range and loiter time of the J-15, according to military expert Zhang Junshe. Previously, the PLAN relied on buddy-to-buddy refueling between J-15s, which carries significantly less fuel.

This capability represents a critical force multiplier for China’s carrier aviation, allowing the Liaoning to project power deeper into the Pacific than ever before.

Counter-Surveillance Success

Japan’s Joint Staff Office — nicknamed the “official photographer” of the PLAN for its regular release of high-quality surveillance images — failed to release any actual photographs of the Liaoning in its June 1 report. As Guancha reported, this rare absence of imagery suggests the carrier group employed effective electronic warfare and operational security measures.

Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force dispatched the destroyer JS Asahi to continuously monitor the Liaoning group, and Japanese aircraft conducted multiple close-range surveillance flights. The Liaoning group maintained high alert, conducted continuous combat takeoffs, flexibly changed formation, and professionally handled the provocations, according to Chinese state media.

Aircraft Sortie Data

Between May 26 and 28, the Liaoning conducted approximately 170 sorties of carrier-based aircraft and helicopters in the Pacific Ocean east of the Philippines — 80 sorties on May 26, 50 on May 27, and 40 on May 28, according to the Japan Ministry of Defense Joint Staff Office.

The strike group composition included the CNS Liaoning, CNS Wuxi (Type 055 destroyer), CNS Kaifeng (Type 052D destroyer), CNS Luohe (Type 054B frigate), and CNS Hulun Lake (Type 901 replenishment ship).

Geopolitical Context

The deployment’s conclusion coincided with the start of RIMPAC 2026 on June 24, the largest multinational naval exercise in the Pacific, involving 31 nations, approximately 40 surface ships, 5 submarines, 140 aircraft, and over 25,000 personnel. As Tencent News noted, the Western Pacific is entering a new phase of military competition where the contest is between entire military systems — including allies, bases, intelligence networks, and logistics chains.

China also displayed DF-17 hypersonic missile live-fire training during this period, and the Fujian (Type 003) carrier was reported to have transited the Taiwan Strait into the South China Sea, signaling that China’s long-range strike capabilities remain at combat readiness.

What’s Next

With the Liaoning now capable of sustained, multi-domain operations far from home waters, and the Fujian carrier entering service, the PLAN is building toward a multi-carrier force capable of extended power projection. Military expert Teng Jianqun noted that “the carrier group can go out, go far, and at the same time return safely and smoothly to its home port. This demonstrates that the carrier group and carrier technology are fully capable of completing the various tasks assigned by the nation.”

The key question now is how quickly China can integrate these hard-won operational lessons into its next-generation carrier force, and how the US-led alliance system will respond to an increasingly capable PLAN operating across the Western Pacific.