Navy 83 Fleet Sets Sail to Continue Comprehensive Offshore Training and Visit Mission

On July 20

at around 10 a.m.

the Navy's Qi Jiguang and Kunlunshan ships

comprising the Navy's 83rd fleet

set sail from a military port in Zhanjiang

with over 900 naval cadets and personnel

to continue executing their offshore comprehensive training and visit mission

▲ Crew members retract the gangway

▲ Qi Jiguang ship departs from the dock

▲ The ship passes by as cadets salute

The cadets participating in this training visit

are mainly from the Naval Dalian Shipbuilding Academy

According to relevant plans

9 foreign military personnel will be mixed with Chinese cadets for joint training

to carry out practical training tasks together

▲ Cadets from the Naval Dalian Shipbuilding Academy conduct subject training with foreign military personnel

During the mission

the fleet will implement the military education guidelines of the new era

strictly adhere to the talent cultivation requirements of “broad caliber, solid foundation”

with a focus on training for combat

exploring the “offshore skill sharpening, practical position tempering, and training-research integration”

model for cultivating officers through offshore internships

▲ Cadets undergo training in the use of sextants

This mission's teaching and training

includes multiple subjects such as terrestrial navigation and celestial navigation

and combines the characteristics of the navigated sea areas

with on-site teaching and special lectures

aimed at comprehensively enhancing the cadets’

navigational skills, job awareness, and overall quality

laying a solid foundation for the long-term development of their naval careers

During the stay at foreign ports

the fleet will also conduct

official visits, deck receptions, and observation activities

for friendly exchanges

▲ Deck reception program featuring Sichuan opera face-changing

▲ Foreign military personnel perform at the deck reception

It is reported that

the Navy's 83rd fleet has already carried

cadets from the Naval Engineering University and the Naval Submarine Academy

as well as several foreign military personnel

successfully completing offshore comprehensive training

and visiting Russia and Vietnam

▲ Navy's 83rd fleet visits Russia

▲ Navy's 83rd fleet visits Vietnam

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Qi Jiguang, hull number 83, is currently the largest and most modern specialized training ship independently developed by China. This ship is mainly used for naval academy cadets and personnel to conduct offshore practical training, and is known as the "floating university" of the People's Navy, with a total length of 163 meters, a width of 22 meters, and a full-load displacement of over 9,000 tons.

Since its commissioning in February 2017, the Qi Jiguang has sailed across four continents and three oceans, visiting nearly 30 countries and regions including Portugal, Italy, New Zealand, and Vietnam, with a total voyage of approximately 180,000 nautical miles.

Kunlunshan, hull number 998, is the lead ship of the 071-class amphibious landing ship, launched in December 2006, and officially joined the People's Navy in January 2008. It is a landmark platform for the PLA's amphibious combat forces transitioning from nearshore to deep blue.

Kunlunshan has a length of 210 meters, a width of 28 meters, and a full-load displacement of about 20,000 tons, equipped with a dock, vehicle storage, hangar, flight deck, and other loading functional areas, capable of performing three-dimensional landing and transport combat missions. It is an important force for amphibious operations and national strategic delivery, having executed significant missions such as the 6th and 31st escort operations in the Gulf of Aden and Somali waters, and the China-Russia "Maritime Joint-2016" joint exercise.

Authors: Shi Jianhua, Cui Xiaohan, Zhang Wanying, Zhang Dan, Li Hui, Liu Jie, Chen Yusen, Zhao Ying, Wang Lei, Huo Yangke, Zhao Yingfu, Wang Yuli, Zhang Yuxiang, Li Kunpeng, Huang Xijun