Chinese naval planes conduct anti-submarine drills in South China Sea

Two aircraft worked together to identify ‘suspicious objects’ in disputed waters, PLA Navy captain says

With military tensions rising in region, China is keen to put its anti-submarine capabilities to the test, observer says

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The PLA Navy said the anti-submarine drill over the South China Sea took place earlier this month. Photo: Handout

Published: 5:41pm, 21 Mar 2020Updated: 10:33pm, 21 Mar 2020

Chinese military aircraft recently conducted an anti-submarine drill over the South China Sea, the People’s Liberation Army said on Friday, amid a growing number of patrols and exercises by US warships in the region.

The drill, which involved two aircraft, was conducted earlier this month, not long before the US naval and marine units took part in expeditionary strike force training in the disputed waters, the PLA Navy said in a report.

While acknowledging the difficulties involved in such an operation, the report said the aircraft successfully identified several suspicious objects.

“Anti-submarine exercises are like trying to find a needle in a haystack. It’s difficult, the underwater hydrological conditions are complex,” Yu Yang, the captain of one of the aircraft, was quoted as saying.

But by having two planes working together, it “increase[d] the probability of finding a submarine”, he said.

The anti-submarine exercise involved two aircraft from the PLA Navy. Photo: Handout