China’s Type 054B frigate makes carrier force debut with Liaoning for live-fire drills

Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning and its strike group are holding a live-fire exercise in the Pacific east of the Philippines, following one of its longest deployments in the South China Sea. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Kuznetsov-class carrier, along with at least four escorts, was spotted on Monday about 880km (547 miles) southwest of Okinotorishima, Japan’s southernmost point, according to a statement from the Japanese defence ministry. On Tuesday, carrier-based fighter aircraft and...