The PLA navy announced that China's aircraft carriers Liaoning, Shandong, and Xiamen conducted dual carrier formation exercises in the South China Sea for the first. This move will allow China's Navy to carry out more complex and diverse missions.

China has a dispute with its neighbours about its claims to territorial waters in South China Sea.

According to an official Weibo post by the PLA Navy, during the training the formation traveled to the Yellow Sea as well as the East China Sea and South China Sea. It then returned safely home.

It said that "in the South China Sea the Liaoning-Shandong ship formations performed a dual carrier system formation exercise for the very first time in order to improve and hone the combat capabilities of the aircraft carrier systems."

Exercises with the two aircraft carriers, their support vessels and other assets require a high degree of operational flexibility. They also demonstrate the capability to sustain and deploy extensive air and naval power. This is a powerful way to deter potential adversaries.

The PLA Navy operates two aircraft carriers, the Liaoning (left) and the Shandong (right). The Fujian, China's third aircraft carrier, will be unveiled in 2022. The ship is currently undergoing sea trials, and it is not yet operational. Reporting by Farah Masters and the Beijing Newsroom; editing by Lincoln Feast.

(source: Reuters)