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China’s Liaoning carrier heads to Pacific as US, Japan prepare for drills
China's Liaoning carrier group entered the Philippine Sea on October 14 for its second western Pacific training deployment of 2026, shortly before US-Japanese exercise Keen Sword 27. Japan observed the carrier with two cruisers and a destroyer passing between Okinawa and Miyako, followed by flight operations south of Ishigaki Island. Japanese forces monitored the group with destroyer Yugiri and P-1 and P-3C patrol aircraft, while fighters responded to carrier aviation activity. China described the deployment as routine annual training, and the allied exercise beginning October 19 will include anti-ship training involving ground-based missile systems in Japan's southwestern islands.