Beijing (TDI): The 47th Chinese naval escort taskforce departed from a military port in Zhoushan, East China’s Zhejiang Province, at around 9:00 AM on Sunday, heading for the Gulf of Aden to take over the escort mission from the 46th taskforce.
The 47th escort taskforce consists of guided-missile frigate Honghe (Hull 523), guided-missile destroyer Baotou (Hull 133) and comprehensive supply ship Gaoyouhu (Hull 904), carrying two ship-borne helicopters and more than seven hundred mission members including dozens of special operations soldiers, according to Chinese media.
This is the 4th escort mission for comprehensive supply ship Gaoyouhu and the first for destroyer Baotou and frigate Honghe.
Guided-missile destroyer Baotou (Hull 133) is independently developed and built by China and has successfully completed more than ten major missions, including combat patrols and live-fire drills, since its commissioning.
This marks its first escort mission in the Gulf of Aden, according to a statement released by the PLA East Sea Fleet on Sunday.
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Guided-missile frigate Honghe (Hull 523) is also independently developed and built by China.
Comprehensive supply ship Gaoyouhu (Hull 904), a new type of ocean-going supply vessel independently designed by China, has previously participated in 3 escort missions.
During the mission preparation period, the taskforce focused on core escort capabilities, prudently planning and deploying detailed plans based on the actual features of the mission.
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The taskforce stressed targeted training, including rescuing hijacked merchant vessels, anti-piracy, counterterrorism and the actual use of weapons.
This effectively tested the plans’ feasibility and the reliability of the equipment, further improving the taskforce’s mission readiness, according to the statement.
