Hendrik_2000
Lieutenant General
NOthing new but it is official the CBG reached IOC
China Says Carrier Group Has Reached 'Initial' Combat Readiness
More
BEIJING (Reuters) - The carrier group led by China's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, has reached "initial" combat readiness, the defense ministry said on Thursday, in another significant step in the country's ambitious military modernization program.
Little is known about the aircraft carrier program, which China regards as a state secret.
It is part of President Xi Jinping's sweeping plan to refurbish the armed forces by developing everything from stealth jets to anti-satellite missiles, as China ramps up its presence in the disputed South China Sea and around self-ruled Taiwan.
China bought the Soviet-era Liaoning secondhand from Ukraine in 1998, before refitting mainly for training use as it honed the ability to operate fighter jets at sea and with other warships.
But the Liaoning has gone on increasingly high-profile missions recently, such as sailing around Taiwan, which China claims, and into the South China Sea.
The Liaoning and its accompanying carrier group had successfully been carrying out training missions, Defense Ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang told a monthly news briefing.
"The carrier group's exercises have been deepened to include combat operations in the open seas. It has initially formed a system combat capability," Ren said, without elaborating.
China's second, domestically-developed, carrier, began sea trials earlier in May. It is as yet unnamed.
Chinese military experts have told state media the new carrier, built in the northeastern port of Dalian, is not expected to enter service until 2020, once it has been fully fitted out and armed.
Here is the official announcement
The Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning formation by the Chinese Ministry of Defense acquired a part of the system operation capability. ...
China Says Carrier Group Has Reached 'Initial' Combat Readiness
More
BEIJING (Reuters) - The carrier group led by China's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, has reached "initial" combat readiness, the defense ministry said on Thursday, in another significant step in the country's ambitious military modernization program.
Little is known about the aircraft carrier program, which China regards as a state secret.
It is part of President Xi Jinping's sweeping plan to refurbish the armed forces by developing everything from stealth jets to anti-satellite missiles, as China ramps up its presence in the disputed South China Sea and around self-ruled Taiwan.
China bought the Soviet-era Liaoning secondhand from Ukraine in 1998, before refitting mainly for training use as it honed the ability to operate fighter jets at sea and with other warships.
But the Liaoning has gone on increasingly high-profile missions recently, such as sailing around Taiwan, which China claims, and into the South China Sea.
The Liaoning and its accompanying carrier group had successfully been carrying out training missions, Defense Ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang told a monthly news briefing.
"The carrier group's exercises have been deepened to include combat operations in the open seas. It has initially formed a system combat capability," Ren said, without elaborating.
China's second, domestically-developed, carrier, began sea trials earlier in May. It is as yet unnamed.
Chinese military experts have told state media the new carrier, built in the northeastern port of Dalian, is not expected to enter service until 2020, once it has been fully fitted out and armed.
Here is the official announcement
The Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning formation by the Chinese Ministry of Defense acquired a part of the system operation capability. ...
