China’s navy in live-fire drills across three theatre commands, hinting at moves to counter US
- Guided-missile destroyers and corvettes among ships taking part in fire-strike training and anti-missile defence and maritime assault drills
- Exercises involve the Eastern, Northern and Southern Theatre Commands, CCTV reports
It the second such drills in just over a month, with observers seeing the exercises as part of efforts to counter US military challenges.
State broadcaster CCTV reported on Monday that the People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern, Northern and Southern Theatre Commands held military exercises as part of “a comprehensive test of the overall operational capability of a naval formation in the context of actual combat”. It did not specify when and where the drills were carried out.
The Type 056A corvette the Huangshi, with the Northern Theatre Command that oversees Bohai Bay and the Yellow Sea, also took part in a fire-strike training in the waters of the Yellow Sea.
Meanwhile, a naval formation by Type 056A corvettes the Nanchong and the Wenshan with the Southern Theatre Command also took part in joint training on anti-missile defence and maritime assault, the report said.
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The last naval live-fire exercises involving the three theatre commands were held in mid-April, and one similar drill was held last year in July.
Song Zhongping, a military commentator based in Hong Kong and a former PLA instructor, said the coming together of three PLA fleets for fire-strike training would become more “common” amid growing challenges from the US.
“The purpose of enhancing combat training is to train and prepare for war,” Song said. “This is not only about the rising tensions in the Taiwan Strait but also Washington’s hardening anti-China policy.
“Tensions in Sino-US relations could flare up on several fronts and the PLA needs to be prepared for military conflicts.”
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