Tension Rise, British Aircraft Carrier Confronts China in South China Sea

The British royal navy's aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth has been the center of attention with state-run chinese media outlets and diplomats accusing britain of stirring up trouble in the disputed waters at the behest of the united states. Satellite imagery has emerged that indicates that the UK royal navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth is underway in the south china sea while the chinese people's liberation army navy flat top 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 US geological survey. Twitter user at Duondong 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 Hanan island where it is home ported within a huge people's liberation army navy base. Meanwhile the imagery indicates that HMS Queen Elizabeth is somewhere between the coast of Vietnam and the island of Borneo. 

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 carrier strike group CSG 21's presence in these waters. HMS Queen Elizabeth is currently undertaking its first operational cruise as part of carrier strike group 21 which also includes the royal navy type 45 destroyers HMS Diamond and HMS Defender. The type 23 frigates HMS Northumberland and HMS Ken an Astute-Class nuclear-powered attack submarine apparently, HMS Artful and two royal fleet auxiliary support ships, rRFA tide force and RFA Fort Victoria.

Also within CSG21 are the U.S Navy's arleigh burke-class destroyer USS the sullivans and the Dutch Navy's dead safe and prevention class destroyer H and LMS Everton. Meanwhile HMS Queen Elizabeth is embarking on eight F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing stole stealth fighters from the UK royal air force RAF. There are another 10 of these jets on board the ship from the U.S marines core marine fighter attack squadron VMFA 211 the wake island avengers which is currently under british command.

Royal navy rotary wing assets comprise wildcat HMS2 multi-role 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 CSG 21-2. At the same time that CSG 21 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 seventh fleet task forces and includes the arleigh burke-class destroyer USS Kid and the independence class literal combat ship 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 PLA navy 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.

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-sister Vessel Liaoning was underway in Japan's Miyako strait earlier this year. It was reportedly joined by two type o five 2D Lugon Class destroyers, one type 0 five five Renai Class Destroyer, one type 0 five four a 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.