Australian Defense Force Monitors PLAN Task Group in Philippine Sea
The Australian Defense Force is monitoring a four-ship People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) task group operating in the Philippine Sea, officials said Wednesday.
“We are aware the task group is composed of four ships,a Yushen landing helicopter dock assault,a Renhai-class cruiser,a Jiangkai-class frigate and Fuchi-class replenishment vessel,an Australian P-8 observed the task group on the evening of the second of December in the Philippine Sea,approximately 500 nautical miles north of Palau,” Adm. David Johnson,chief of Australia’s defense force,told the australian Senate during a committee hearing Wednesday.
Johnson did not specify the names of the ships but satellite imagery company Vantor, in a release provided too USNI News, said the task group was made up of cruiser CNS Yan’an (106), a Type 054/054A frigate, amphibious assault ship CNS Hainan (31) and fleet oiler CNS Luomahu (907).
“We will continue to monitor this task group as we learn more about its direction, its purpose and intent,” Johnson said in the senate hearing.
Australian Senator Sarah Henderson asked if the Defense Department considered it likely that the PLAN task group would make its way to near Australia’s waters. In response, Johnson said it was possible given that in the past, similar PLAN task groups had operated in the Philippine Sea and subsequently headed out to either the Western Pacific, Southwest Pacific or near Australia.
Johnson said he is confident in the ADF’s capability,alongside its partners,in monitoring the PLAN task group and its ability to provide continuous information and advice to the Australian government on the movements of the Chinese warships operating in the area.
“If they move into the southwest Pacific, we would work with our Pacific partners in that area, the French in New Caledonia – so it very much depends on where the ships might proceed. Of course, we work closely with the united States at all times to bring the best of our capabilities together,” Johnson said.
Chinese Navy Maintains Global Presence with Deployments in Indo-Pacific
Recent reports detail ongoing deployments of people’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) task groups across the Indo-Pacific region, signaling a continued effort by China to project naval power and conduct training exercises. These deployments come as australia focuses on regional presence patrols and maritime surveillance.
According to a statement by Chinese Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Jiang,a new PLAN task group has been dispatched,though details regarding its composition and mission were not provided.https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202512/1309499.shtml
Earlier this year, in February and March, a PLAN task group led by the cruiser CNS Zunyi (107), accompanied by frigate CNS Hengyang (568) and fleet oiler CNS Weishanhu (887), circumnavigated Australia. During this deployment, the task group conducted live-fire drills in the Tasman Sea, which temporarily disrupted commercial air traffic. The group’s movements were closely monitored by Australian and New Zealand warships, as well as Australian P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft.
Currently, the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) does not have any vessels deployed outside of Australian waters. Frigate HMAS Ballarat (FFH155) recently concluded its fourth and final Regional Presence deployment for 2025, with the next scheduled to begin in January 2026. https://www.defence.gov.au/news-events/releases/2025-12-04/hmas-ballarat-returns-after-successful-regional-presence-deployment However, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) continues to operate P-8 Poseidon aircraft from bases in Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore, conducting routine maritime surveillance throughout the Indo-Pacific.
Further north,PLAN task group 989,consisting of the amphibious transport dock Changbai Shan (989),training ships CNS Zheng He (81) and CNS Xiangqianjin-1 (88),completed a four-day port visit to Port Klang,Malaysia on Wednesday. The task group,which departed China on November 15th,is currently transiting the Malacca Strait en route to Indonesia,conducting a training cruise for midshipmen from the PLA’s naval engineering and aviation universities.
In Singapore, the PLAN’s 47th Chinese Naval Escort Task Force, comprising destroyer CNS Baotou (133), frigate CNS Honghe (523), and fleet oiler CNS gaoyouhu (904), arrived at Changi Naval Base on monday. The task force is en route to its homeport of zhoushan, China, following a deployment to the Gulf of aden. The group departed China on December 15, 2024.
China has maintained a continuous naval presence in the Gulf of Aden since 2008, deploying task forces to escort Chinese merchant and fishing vessels and to conduct exercises in the region. In march, baotou and Gaoyouhu participated in joint drills with Iranian and Russian warships as part of the Maritime Security Belt 2025 exercises in the Gulf of Oman.