Undated file photo shows the Chinese navy's Liaoning (L) aircraft-carrier receiving supplies during open-sea combat training.Photo:Xinhua

In a recent cross-regional exercise by the aircraft carrier Liaoning of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, the vessel trained its crew in new skills, enabling them to work on different posts, with analysts saying on Thursday that the Liaoning, China's first aircraft carrier, explored new methods and gained experience for the country's aircraft carrier program.

As a part of this training program, Chen Haichao, the leader of the Liaoning's gas supply unit - who had been assigned to work in the generation of oxygen and nitrogen in the deep decks of the carrier - has now joined the flight deck support unit, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Wednesday.

Remila Dabuli, a telephone operator on the Liaoning, also completed the program, which made her the only female crew member in the aircraft dispatch team, supporting the takeoff operations of J-15 carrier-based fighter jets.

Their training results were displayed in the far sea drill, according to the CCTV report, which did not give more details on the exercise, other than saying that it was held far away from the coast and not in the Bohai Sea, where the Liaoning's daily training zone is.

In December 2021, the Liaoning aircraft carrier group held real combat scenario open seas exercises with the flotilla conducting comprehensive confrontational drills in the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea and the West Pacific for more than 20 days, the PLA Navy said at the time.

This will be the 10th year of the Liaoning's service with the PLA Navy as China's first aircraft carrier, and the ship's main mission, before being a combat-ready warship, is to explore methods and gain experience for China's future, more advanced aircraft carriers, a Chinese military analyst told the Global Times on Thursday, requesting anonymity.

The latest training program aimed at exploring the crew members' versatility, the expert said, noting that in combat, if troops at some posts suffered casualties, others with qualified skills can fit in quickly.

The commissioning ceremony of the Liaoning was held on September 25, 2012 in a naval base of Northeast China's Dalian Port, the Xinhua News Agency reported at the time.

China's second aircraft carrier, the Shandong, entered PLA naval service on December 17, 2019 in Sanya, South China's Hainan Province. A third aircraft carrier is reportedly under development.