Strike groups return to home ports after exercises

China's two carrier strike groups have recently returned to their home ports after a series of training operations and exercises in the Western Pacific, according to the People's Liberation Army Navy.

The Navy said in a news release on Monday afternoon that the two strike groups, led by the CNS Liaoning and CNS Shandong aircraft carriers, carried out "realistic and systemic" combat training and cooperated with other PLA branches to conduct mock battles.

Units involved in the exercises performed early-warning, reconnaissance, air and missile defense, fighter deployments, assaults against sea targets and other maneuvers, the release said.

During the dual-carrier mission, the strike groups explored and verified their tactics and also honed their crews' skills, effectively improving the flotillas' combat capabilities, it stated.

According to the Navy, during the training session, the Chinese vessels had several encounters with foreign warships and aircraft that conducted close-in reconnaissance and surveillance operations.

The groups maintained high alert and were always ready to respond to possible threats. They mobilized carrier-based fighters to establish security perimeters, handling various scenarios professionally and effectively.

The exercise was the second time that both of the Navy's carrier strike groups participated in an operation together. The first time was in October, when they conducted a joint combat exercise in the South China Sea.