China's first and only aircraft carrier battle group has carried out its first-ever live-fire drills — a show of force amid ongoing tensions in the region — the Defense Ministry announced late Thursday.
The drills, which took place "days earlier," were conducted in the Bohai Sea and involved the Liaoning carrier and dozens of ships and aircraft — including J-15 carrier-based fighter jets carrying live ammunition.
The Liaoning performed various drills with several destroyers and frigates, involving scenarios such as reconnaissance, aircraft interception, sea attacks as well as missile defense. Multiple groups of J-15 fighters fired air-to-air and anti-ship missiles at targets during the exercise, the People's Liberation Army Navy said in a statement.