Navy warships conduct open-sea drills in W Pacific

Two warships of China's Nanhai Fleet conducted open-sea offense and defense drills in the western Pacific Ocean on Sunday morning.

The Lanzhou and Hengshui warships of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy staged drills that simulated multiple complex situations on the sea and tested the offensive and defensive capabilities, as well as coordination of different weaponry.

The two-warship fleet will also conduct training in rights protection and replenishment.

The drills aims to explore ways of organizing open-sea exercise in complex sea areas, and enhance the navy's defense capabilities and combat effectiveness based on the information system, said Zhao Xiaogang, commander of the fleet.

The navy's open-sea drills have become routine, Zhao said, adding that the ongoing drills are regular arrangements in line with the Nanhai Fleet's annual training plan.