Article Posted on : - Aug 09, 2010

File photo.

BEIJING (PTI): China has test-fired its new range of ground-to-air missiles and several of its weapons during a five-day war games which involved drones, 200 fighter aircraft and 12,000 military personnel.

China's People's Liberation Army, (PLA), has concluded five day live-fire air defence military exercises which included skills to test precision attacks on air targets by ground-to-air missiles and several of its weapons in its arsenal.

The exercise included skills to test precision attacks on air targets by ground-to-air missiles and several of its weapons in its arsenal.

The live-fire drill, in Shandong Province, was part of the exercise code-named "Vanguard-2010," which was held in seven cities across Henan and Shandong provinces, involving more than 12,000 personnel.

Seven types of ground-to-air weaponry, including a new type of ground-to-air missile and another state-of-the-art anti-aircraft gun, were used in intercepting and concentrating fire on air targets, state media reported.

Nearly 200 military aircraft, including drones, reconnaissance aircraft, fighter aircraft and helicopters, were involved in the five-day military drill, Feng Zhaoju, deputy commander of PLA Jinan Military Command said.

The annual drill held in the back drop of rising tensions in the Korean peninsula, consisted of two phases, focusing on an emergency evacuation, strategy, reconnaissance, early warning, ground-to-air attacks and evacuation of command posts during the first phase.

Its second phase included testing of air defence abilities in a "complicated electromagnetic environment."

In the exercise "Vanguard-2009A", 5,000 troops from the army and air force and 2,200-strong armoured brigade from PLA's Jinan Military Area Command had participated.

The exercises followed massive naval war games by held by China off its Shanghai coast.

The exercises were held as US and South Korea held their war games following tensions arising of sinking of a North Korean naval vessel allegedly by North Korea few months ago.

China opposed the US-South Korean military exercises on the ground that it would escalate tensions in the area.