Aircraft carrier Liaoning sets out for routine exercises

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A fleet of Chinese warships headed by China's first aircraft carrier Liaoning set out from the eastern Chinese port city of Qingdao on Sunday for a routine training mission.

The naval formation composed of destroyers Jinan and Yinchuan, frigate Yantai and a squadron of J-15 fighter jets and helicopters will carry out a series of tasks to strengthen coordination among them and improve the skills of crew and pilots in different marine regions.

J-15 aircraft on board the Liaoning carrier./ CFP Photo

As the first aircraft carrier commissioned into the People's Liberation Army Navy Surface Force, Liaoning is being used by the Navy as a training ship to practice with carrier usage. Last December, it was deployed for the first time in distant sea waters for exercises and completed a passage through the Taiwan Strait in January.

Liaoning is a refurbished aircraft carrier built from the hull of a Soviet Union ship bought from Ukraine. It used to be China's only aircraft carrier until April 2017, when the country unveiled its first home-made carrier, the Type 001A.