First Photo of China's Carrier Battle Group

The Chinese Navy has released the first photographs of what many military observers believe is the 'Liaoning' aircraft carrier battle group reports Xinhua.

The photo (reproduced here) shows the Liaoning sailing in company with several battleships, submarines and military aircraft  The Navy did not disclose when and where the picture was taken.

The carrier has successfully carried out 37 days of tests and training exercises in the South China Sea and has now returned to a People's Liberation Army 's naval base in Qingdao.

Two missile destroyers, the Shenyang and Shijiazhuang, and two missile frigates, the Yantai and Weifang, participated in the mission escorting the carrier from Qingdao to Sanya. The use of four ships has led military observers to speculate that the navy's carrier battle group has taken shape with the Liaoning as its core.

Source: Xinhua