Chinese state media has reported that the PLA Rocket Force recently joined the Shandong carrier group in a 30-day exercise close to the US naval station in Guam.
China’s three aircraft carriers, two of which have been commissioned and one of which was launched in June, represent China's expanding naval might. However, it appears that the country will have a difficult time making full use of these carriers as it struggles to keep up with the rising need for skilled ship-based fighter jet pilots, SCMP reported.
China's navy, the world's second-most powerful - with two aircraft carriers commissioned and another launched in June - is struggling to meet increased demand for qualified ship-borne fighter jet pilots, analysts said. The People's Liberation Army Navy has sped up carrier-based fighter jet pilot training programmes in the decade since the commissioning of its first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, but.