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Chinese navy puts fleets through combat-readiness paces
- Vessels from three commands tested in separate maritime operations on Wednesday
- Drills follow joint exercise in western Pacific by US and Japanese forces
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The Chinese military embarked on three sets of simultaneous maritime exercises this week just days after the United States and Japan held a massive joint naval exercise in the western Pacific.
In the East China Sea, China’s Eastern Theatre Command carried out combat exercises to improve air defences and manoeuvrability and put main guns to the live-fire test, state broadcaster CCTV reported.
The drill involved three destroyers including the Type 052D Xiamen, which is much more advanced than its predecessors.
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Meanwhile in the South China Sea, the Southern Theatre Command deployed the Type 903 Weishanhu supply ship and the hospital ship Youai to test their ability to work together in combat conditions, carrying out search and rescue, resupply and live-fire drills.
Also on Wednesday, the Northern Theatre Command held a major rescue exercise in the Yellow Sea, including a search and rescue operation involving a burning vessel.
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The drills came two days after the US and Japan ended their five-day Noble Fusion 2022.
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