China's Liaoning aircraft carrier completes over 40 days of drills

China's Liaoning aircraft carrier and its accompanying fleet have returned to a Chinese port after more than 40 days of extensive drills. The naval exercise spanned the South China Sea and the western Pacific Ocean, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. The training's primary focus was on enhancing combat readiness. This included a range of simulated operations such as air defense, anti-ship strikes, support missions, long-range rescue operations, and live-fire exercises. CCTV reported that the carrier group conducted multiple rounds of ship-air offensive and defensive drills, aiming to improve its capabilities in far-sea operations. During the extensive training period, the Liaoning carrier group reportedly encountered and managed what CCTV described as "repeated close-range tracking, harassment and provocation" from Japanese ships and aircraft. In early June, Japan's defense ministry had confirmed monitoring the Liaoning carrier group operating east of the Philippines' Luzon island in late May, indicating a heightened naval presence and activity in the region.