PLA drill applies China's own GPS

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) finished a two-day drill on Friday, testing application of China's independently developed global satellite navigation system in combat in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

The military used the Beidou Navigation Satellite System for precise positioning and navigating, real-time location reporting and data transmission over long distances, according to a news release from the PLA General Staff Headquarters.

It said that Beidou has allowed the armies to be more precise in command, weapon firing and logistics and that the technology has "been integrated into the PLA's modern command system and weapon platform".

Beidou is the Chinese equivalent of the United States' NAVSTAR Global Positioning System and Russia's Global Navigation Satellite System. Currently, Beidou owns 20 satellites.