China’s first aircraft carrier recently held live-fire drills in the Bohai Sea, the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLA) said on Thursday night.

Dozens of ships and aircraft from the CNS Liaoning carrier battle group and the North Sea Fleet took part in the massive exercise. They fired more than 10 air-to-air, anti-ship and air defense missiles, the PLA Navy said in a statement.

Multiple groups of J-15 carrier-borne fighter jets used air-to-air and anti-ship missiles to hit targets during the exercise, the Navy added in its statement.

The PLA Navy statement marked the first official disclosure of the details of weapons used on the Liaoning carrier since it was commissioned in the Navy in 2012. The Navy however didn’t reveal the exact time of the exercise.

According to the PLA Navy’s training bureau, the live-fire drill was aimed at testing weapons and the training of personnel. Referring to it as part of the aircraft carrier’s training schedule, the bureau said the drill was “highly coordinated” and “reached its expected goal.”

Rear Admiral Chen Yueqi, commander of the Liaoning carrier battle group, said the exercise is a "milestone" for the unit during an interview with CCTV.

"It enabled us to explore how to organize a carrier battle group exercise and to test the training levels of our sailors and pilots. It can also boost the battle group’s efforts to become combat ready as early as possible," he said. 

(With inputs from China Daily)