China holds 1st live-fire drills with aircraft carrier

By Fuat Kabakci

BEIJING

China has conduced its first live-fire exercise involving an aircraft carrier battle group, state media reported Friday.

The China Daily cited the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy as saying that dozens of ships and aircraft from the CNS Liaoning carrier battle group participated in the recent drills in the Bohai Sea, whose exact time was not disclosed.

More than 10 air-to-air, anti-ship and air defense missiles were fired during the exercise, according to the PLA Navy statement.

Scenarios including reconnaissance, aircraft interception, sea strikes and missile defense were performed by destroyers and frigates from the Liaoning carrier group.

Rear Admiral Chen Yueqi, the Liaoning carrier battle group’s commander, described the drills as a "milestone" for the unit.

"It enabled us to explore how to organize a carrier battle group exercise and to test the training levels of our sailors and pilots. It can also boost the battle group’s efforts to become combat ready as early as possible," he told China Central Television.

In January, the national defense ministry announced that China is designing and building its second aircraft carrier, a 50,000-ton carrier that would be entirely of independent Chinese design and powered conventionally rather than by nuclear energy.

China has been modernizing its naval capacity at a time when the United States and its allies are expressing alarm at its maritime expansion, which they suspect is aimed at extending its military reach.