Chinese navy intensifies blue water training

BEIJING - The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy is intensifying blue water training, according to a white paper issued Tuesday by the State Council Information Office.

"The PLA navy is improving the training mode of task force formation in blue water," says the white paper on "the diversified employment of China's armed forces."

The PLA navy organizes the training of different formations of combined task forces composed of new types of destroyers, frigates, ocean-going replenishment ships and shipborne helicopters, the white paper says.

"The Chinese navy is increasing its research and training on tasks in complex battlefield environments, highlighting the training of remote early warning, comprehensive control, open sea interception, long-range raid, anti-submarine warfare and vessel protection at distant sea," it says.

The PLAN organizes relevant coastal forces to carry out live force-on-force training for air defense, anti-submarine, anti-mine, anti-terrorism, anti-piracy, coastal defense, and island and reef sabotage raids, it says.

According to the white paper, since 2007, the PLAN has conducted training in the distant sea waters of the Western Pacific involving over 90 ships in nearly 20 batches.

During the training, the PLA navy took effective measures to respond to foreign close-in reconnaissance and illegal interference activities by military ships and aircraft, it says.

From April to September 2012, the training vessel Zhenghe completed global-voyage training, paying port calls to 14 countries and regions, it adds.