--- title: "British And Chinese Aircraft Carriers Both Underway In The Tense South China Sea (Updated)" description: "The British flagship, HMS Queen Elizabeth, has entered the South China Sea for the first time." date: "2021-07-29" modified: "2021-07-30" authors: - name: "Thomas Newdick" job_title: "Staff Writer" link: "https://www.twz.com/authors/thomas-newdick" url: "https://www.twz.com/41752/british-and-chinese-aircraft-carriers-both-underway-in-the-tense-south-china-sea" categories: - "Around The Globe" - "Carriers" - "Indo-Pacific" - "Kuznetsov Class (and variants)" - "Liaoning (16)" - "Navies" - "News & Features" - "People's Liberation Army Navy (China)" - "Royal Navy" - "Sea" - "Shandong (17)" - "South China Sea" tags: - "Aircraft Carriers" - "F-35B" - "HMS Queen Elizabeth" - "Liaoning" - "People's Liberation Army Navy" - "Plan" - "Royal Navy" - "Shandong" - "South China Sea" --- # British And Chinese Aircraft Carriers Both Underway In The Tense South China Sea (Updated) ![]() *www.twz.com* Satellite imagery has emerged that indicates that the U.K. Royal Navy aircraft carrier [HMS *Queen Elizabeth*]() is underway in the [South China Sea]() while the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy flattop [*Shandong*]() is also in these waters, though the two ships look to be sailing on opposite sides of the disputed body of water, at least for now. The appearance of the British flagship in the South China Sea had been anticipated, but it still carries a significant message as the United Kingdom and its allies look to further challenge China’s expansive [territorial claims]() in this region. Using satellite imagery provided by the European Space Agency and NASA/U.S. Geological Survey, Twitter user [@duandang]() appears to have located the two aircraft carriers in the South China Sea, separated by around 580 nautical miles of water. The *Shandong* looks to be underway just south of Hainan Island, where it is home-ported [within a huge]() People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) base. Meanwhile, the imagery indicates that HMS *Queen Elizabeth* is somewhere between the coast of Vietnam and the island of Borneo. ![message-editor%2F1627573127046-csg21\_underway\_hms\_queen\_elizabeth.jpg]() *HMS *Queen Elizabeth* and other members of Carrier Strike Group 21 in company with the Indian frigate *Shivalik* during recent Maritime Partnership Exercises in the Bay of Bengal., *Crown Copyright** According to the Hong Kong-based *South China Morning Post*, HMS *Queen Elizabeth* entered the South China Sea for the first time [on Monday](). The same source noted that the “relationship between Beijing and London is expected to deteriorate further as Britain carries out military and economic actions that frustrate Beijing’s ambitions” in this region. On the British side, there has apparently been no official confirmation so far of CSG21’s presence in these waters. https://twitter.com/_/status/1420569240122261504 HMS *Queen Elizabeth* is currently undertaking its first operational cruise, as part of [Carrier Strike Group 21]() (CSG21), which also includes the Royal Navy [Type 45 destroyers]() HMS *Diamond* and HMS *Defender*, the [Type 23 frigates]() HMS *Northumberland* and HMS *Kent*, an [*Astute* class]() nuclear-powered attack submarine (apparently HMS *Artful*), and two Royal Fleet Auxiliary support ships, RFA *Tideforce* and RFA *Fort Victoria*. https://twitter.com/_/status/1420370471393001474 https://twitter.com/_/status/1420660996100829184 https://twitter.com/_/status/1419911373937692679 Also within CSG21 are the U.S. Navy’s [*Arleigh Burke* class destroyer]() USS *The Sullivans* and the Dutch Navy’s *De Zeven Provincien* class destroyer [HNLMS *Evertsen*](). Meanwhile, HMS *Queen Elizabeth* is embarking eight [F-35B]() short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) stealth fighters from the U.K. Royal Air Force (RAF). There are another 10 of these jets onboard the ship from the U.S. Marines Corps’ Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 211, the “[Wake Island Avengers](),” which is currently [under British command](). ![message-editor%2F1627575317591-51315185339\_b86a6e6193\_k.jpg]() *An RAF F-35B Lightning landing on the deck of HMS *Queen Elizabeth*., *Crown Copyight** Royal Navy rotary-wing assets comprise [Wildcat HMA2]() multirole helicopters, anti-submarine warfare and [airborne early warning and control]() Merlin HM2 helicopters, and [Commando Merlin]() helicopters. Other helicopters are assigned to the U.S. Navy and Dutch Navy destroyers within CSG21, too. At the same time that CSG21 appears to be underway in the South China Sea, these same waters are also hosting a U.S. Navy [Surface Action Group](), or SAG, which is drawn from three U.S. 7th Fleet task forces and includes the *Arleigh Burke* class destroyer USS *Kidd* and the [*Independence* class]() Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) USS *Tulsa*. This is, according to the Navy, the first time a deployed LCS and a guided-missile destroyer have joined to form a surface task group, with the LCS having had a [notably troubled]() service career so far. Although unconfirmed, there are meanwhile reports of PLAN maneuvers underway around Hainan, which could involve the *Shandong*. This is China’s second aircraft carrier, constructed in China along very similar design principles to the former [*Kuznetsov* class]() carrier *Liaoning*, and which has been in service since late 2019. https://twitter.com/_/status/1420472694085062657 If it is taking part in an exercise of significant size and scope, the *Shandong* would also be accompanied by its own support assets. When the carrier’s sister vessel, *Liaoning*, was [underway in Japan’s Miyako Strait]() earlier this year, it was reportedly joined by two Type [052D *Luyang* class]() destroyers, one Type [055 *Renhai* class]() destroyer, one Type [054A *Jiangkai* class]() II frigate, and one Type 901 *Fuyu* class fast combat support ship. That CSG21 would enter the South China Sea had long been expected, as part of the 26,000-nautical-mile cruise that plans to take in visits to 40 nations, as well as various bilateral and multinational exercises. In a statement in April, U.K. Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said: “When our Carrier Strike Group sets sail next month, it will be flying the flag for Global Britain — projecting our influence, signaling our power, engaging with our friends and reaffirming our commitment to addressing the security challenges of today and tomorrow.” ![message-editor%2F1627576390393-fleet-20210706-aa0098-001.jpg]() *HMS *Queen Elizabeth* transits the Suez Canal in convoy with the UK Carrier Strike Group, en route to the Indo-Pacific., *Crown Copyright** Although not making specific reference to the South China Sea, before the departure of CSG21, the U.K. Ministry of Defense also noted that the deployment was “intended to bolster already deep defense partnerships in the Pacific region, where the UK is committed to a more enduring regional defense and security presence.” The arrival of CSG21 is part of a wider uptick in U.K. interest in the South China Sea, and the Royal Navy plans to permanently assign two [Offshore Patrol Vessels](), HMS *Spey* and HMS *Tamar*, to the Indo-Pacific region from August this year, as well as contributing a [Littoral Response Group]() (LRG) in the future. https://twitter.com/_/status/1418620270928175116 The United Kingdom, alongside the United States and other allies, both regional and interregional, have been keeping a close eye on developments in the South China Sea, where the waters have long been disputed, with competing territorial claims from China as well as Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. In particular, the island chains of the [Paracels]() and the [Spratlys](), home to significant natural resources, are subject to claims by different nations, while there are also territorial disputes over a variety of atolls, sandbanks, and reefs, including the [Scarborough Shoal](), which is subject to a dispute between the Philippines and China. As part of its wide-ranging claims in the region, manifested in the “[nine-dash line](),” China has embarked on efforts to build and arm [artificial islands](), as well as stepping up [naval patrols]() by its warships and aircraft. ![message-editor%2F1627576502152-9\_dotted\_line.png]() *A map of the South China Sea, with the “nine-dash line” marked in green., *CIA** In response, the U.S. Navy, in particular, has sent military vessels and aircraft on “[freedom of navigation]()” operations, or FONOPs, in the South China Sea, demonstrating its commitment to keeping access open to vital shipping and air routes. With a variety of vessels and aircraft involved, CSG21 is now well placed to carry out similar operations, with the option for elements of CSG21 to break away and potentially take part in their own FONOPs, as HMS *Daring* and HNLMS *Evertsen* [did recently in the Black Sea](). Earlier this year, the *Theodore Roosevelt* Carrier Strike Group and the *Makin Island* Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) conducted a [coordinated exercise]() in the South China Sea, while the *Liaoning* and its carrier strike group were in the same waters. At the same time, China and the Philippines were involved in a dispute as more than 200 Chinese vessels occupied an area in the West Philippines Sea known as Whitsun Reef. As the U.S. State Department expressed its concern about China’s maritime activities, China’s foreign minister [spokesman Zhao Lijian responded]() accused the United States of “inciting quarrels and sowing discord.” https://youtube.com/embed/RTud72N7M5Q The PLAN has also been increasingly assertive recently in enforcing its disputed claims in the region, including reports from Beijing that its military [chased an American warship]() out of the South China Sea. While that is disputed, the potential risks for anyone conducting FONOPs are clear. Against the backdrop of these developments, and accusations of militarization of the South China Sea from different parties, it’s not surprising that many analysts have identified the area as a potential flashpoint and one which could have enormous repercussions. All in all, the strategic and economic significance of the South China Sea is beyond doubt and it’s now clear that the United Kingdom, too, is increasingly willing to show its presence in these waters, within which it has been estimated that [up to a third]() of all maritime trade passes, by volume. Before it arrived in the South China Sea, CSG21 had taken part in [Exercise Konkan]() with the Indian Navy in the Bay of Bengal. As it passed Singapore, heading east, there was a chance to take part in [drills]() with the Republic of Singapore Navy, which provided the *Formidable* class frigate RSS *Intrepid*, the *Independence* class littoral mission vessel RSS *Unity*, and the *Endurance* class landing ship tank RSS *Resolution*. https://twitter.com/_/status/1419833715660791810 https://twitter.com/_/status/1419562249992220675 Other recent maneuvers included linking up with one of her American counterparts, the *Nimitz* class [USS *Ronald Reagan*](), as well as the *Wasp* class amphibious assault ship [USS *Iwo Jima*](), among other warships, for a major exercise in the Gulf of Aden, which you can read about [here](). Somewhat unusually, there is currently no U.S. Navy carrier presently operating anywhere in the [Western Pacific](). ![message-editor%2F1627580761539-queen-elizabeth-reagan-iwo-jima-task-force.jpeg]() *HMS *Queen Elizabeth* leads USS *Ronald Reagan*, and USS *Iwo Jima*, together with other warships, in the Gulf of Aden., *U.S. Navy** In previous weeks, CSG21 had been active in the eastern Mediterranean, where it [launched its first combat missions](), its F-35Bs joining the international coalition fighting ISIS in the Middle East. While in the Mediterranean, the Carrier Strike Group also attracted attention from [Russian Navy assets]() based in Syria, while Russian [warships were in turn shadowed]() by the carrier’s F-35Bs. So far, CSG21’s activities in the South China Sea have been low-profile, but that may well change, and it also remains to be seen just how Beijing will respond to this new development. **July 30:** China has now [issued a formal response]() to operations by CSG21 in the South China Sea. “The action should never try to destabilize regional peace, including the latest military collaboration between the UK and Japan,” Wu Qian, a spokesman from China’s Ministry of Defense, said. “The Chinese navy will take any necessary actions to counter-measure such behavior.” Meanwhile, China’s *Global Times* has issued a [report]() declaring that “the very idea of a British presence in the South China Sea is dangerous.” The report warns that “If London tries to establish a military presence in the region with geopolitical significance, it will only disrupt the status quo in the region \[…\] And if there is any real action against China, it is looking for a defeat.” https://twitter.com/_/status/1419911385799032834 So far, the U.K. Ministry of Defense has not issued a direct statement about CSG21 now being in the South China Sea. However, Commodore Steve Moorhouse, commander of the U.K. Carrier Strike Group tweeted on July 27 that “Last night we also passed close to the resting place of the previous *Prince of Wales* and *Repulse*.” Those two warships were sunk by the Japanese in the South China Sea during World War II and now rest off the coast of Malaysia. https://twitter.com/_/status/1420722837191499777 *Contact the author: thomas@thedrive.com* ## Author Thomas Newdick is a staff writer at *TWZ*, where he covers military aviation, defense technology, weapons systems, and international security. Based in Berlin, Germany, he reports on conflicts, military modernization efforts, and emerging aerospace technologies around the world, with a particular interest in airpower and its role in contemporary warfare. His reporting is informed by deep expertise in modern and historical airpower, particularly in Europe, with a focus on military aviation, air campaigns, and aerospace developments across the continent and beyond. Over a journalism career spanning more than 25 years, Thomas has become known for making complex defense and aerospace topics accessible to a broad audience. His reporting combines technical expertise, historical context, and a focus on the real-world operational and strategic implications of military developments. ### Author social links [Twitter]()