24/12/2013
China's first and only aircraft carrier has successfully carried out a series of tests during a training mission in the disputed South China Sea, state media reported on Monday.
This month's drills off the coast of Hainan Island mark not only the first time China has sent a carrier into the South China Sea but the first time it has manoeuvred with the kind of strike group of escort ships U.S. carriers deploy, according to regional military officers and analysts.
The Liaoning has carried out more than 100 tests, including of its combat systems, and training tasks since early December, the official English-language China Daily said.
"The Liaoning successfully performed several tests of the combat system today and organised for the first time comprehensive combat training," the newspaper cited the navy saying in a statement.
"Through this operation, we tested the carrier's combat capability and tried the performance of its propulsion and seaworthiness."
Read more at Reuters
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