A training center attached to the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy recently conducted intensive drills focusing on air defense, missile interception, and joint anti-submarine operations to test fleet combat capabilities.
Upon the beginning of the drills, commanders and sailors on guided missile destroyer Yinchuan (hull 175) and aircraft destroyer Xianyang (hull 108) quickly took combat positions as the fleet departed port. Entering the mission area, they were alerted to a simulated enemy threat and shifted into an air-defense formation.
Following air defense procedures, Destroyer Xianyang detected and intercepted multiple incoming missiles, while Destroyer Yinchuan deployed decoy flares and engaged targets with onboard artillery to eliminate the threat.
The drill then shifted to close-range counterattack training.
After detecting simulated enemy fire, the Destroyer Yan'an, an iconic warship of the Chinese Navy bearing the name and enduring legacy of the sacred spot of the Chinese revolution and the cradle of New China, launched a swift counterstrike, successfully destroying the target vessel and concluding the live-fire exercise.
"The drills involved coordinated operations between multiple forces, including both naval and air units. Throughout the training, the warships encountered various simulated threats, effectively testing not only their combat readiness, which requires the forces to be ready for combats at any time, but also the fleet's joint operational capabilities," said Chen Jin, member of China's naval training center.
Chinese naval fleet conducts drills to boost combat capabilities
As part of the celebrations marking the 77th anniversary of the People's Liberation Army Navy, China's first domestically designed and built navigation training ship Zheng He will be opened to the public on Saturday and Sunday in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province.
Over nearly 39 years of service, Zheng He has trained over 40,000 naval officers for the Chinese PLA Navy, and is recognized as the cradle of naval commanders. With its voyages spanning six continents and three oceans, the ship has completed solo circumnavigation missions, setting multiple records, and has been honored with the title of "Meritorious Training Ship."
"Ship Zheng He, officially commissioned in 1987, will celebrate its 39th birthday next week. Look at this photo. In 1989, we visited Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, USA, for the first time on behalf of the People's Navy. That mission was also the first time that a People's Navy vessel crossed both the eastern and western hemispheres. Since the ship was commissioned 39 years ago, it has gone abroad on behalf of the People's Navy 16 times and visited 29 countries, including Russia, Republic of Korea, and Japan. Especially during the Harmonious Mission: Global Voyage of Zheng He in 2012, we visited more than 10 countries and set a record for the navy's single-ship global circumnavigation," said Wang Jianglin, a crew member of Ship Zheng He.
In addition to various types of weapon launching systems, Ship Zheng He is also equipped with navigation radar and can carry out teaching and training programs across more than 30 subjects at the same time.
"There are differences and connections between our training ships and combat ships. Take me for example. First of all, I am a qualified crew member. I need to perform regular duties on the ship and maintain the equipment. I am also a coach during the internships of students on board the ship. I teach students how to operate and use equipment, as well as giving some daily lectures. I am also a combatant. Our main task is to help students apply the knowledge they learn in the classroom to real combat on the battlefield, which solves the 'last mile' problem from campus to troops. Finally, I am also a commander. We should not only be able to fight and teach, but also be resourceful and be good commanders in our own positions," said Cheng Jialin, a crew member of Ship Zheng He.
China's naval training ship Zheng He to open to public celebrating Navy's 77th anniversary
