The 49th Escort Task Force of the Chinese Navy Sets Sail for the Gulf of Aden
On August 12, the 49th escort task force of the Chinese Navy set sail from a military port in Sanya, Hainan. This is the farewell of the families of the escort personnel at the dock. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Wen Bin)
Xinhua News Agency, Sanya, August 12 (Li Bingxuan, Wang Huangfei) - The 49th escort task force of the Chinese Navy set sail from a military port in Sanya, Hainan, on the morning of the 12th, heading to the Gulf of Aden and the waters off Somalia to replace the 48th escort task force in carrying out escort missions.
At around 10:30 AM, amid the majestic sound of military music, the vessels of the task force untied their moorings one by one and slowly departed from the dock. On the deck, the escort personnel stood in high spirits, lined up neatly, waving goodbye to their motherland and loved ones.
The 49th escort task force is mainly composed of naval forces from the Southern Theater Command, including the guided-missile destroyer Kunming, the guided-missile frigate Yueyang, and the large ocean comprehensive supply ship Luomahu, carrying 2 onboard helicopters and dozens of special operations personnel. All three warships were independently designed and built by China, with the Kunming being on its first escort mission.
During the mission preparation phase, the task force command post closely monitored the risks and challenges that the escort operation might face, as well as actual threats, and conducted targeted training focused on practical weapon use, accompanying escort, and underway replenishment, in accordance with the requirements for all-element combat training.
On August 12, the 49th escort task force of the Chinese Navy set sail from a military port in Sanya, Hainan. This is the escort personnel lined up neatly on the deck. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Deng Jiajin)
On August 12, the 49th escort task force of the Chinese Navy set sail from a military port in Sanya, Hainan. This is the farewell of the families of the escort personnel at the dock. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by He Xiushua)
On August 12, the 49th Escort Fleet of the Chinese Navy departed from a military port in Sanya, Hainan, heading to the Gulf of Aden and Somali waters to replace the 48th escort fleet. The fleet includes the missile destroyer Kunming, missile frigate Yueyang, and large supply ship Luomahu, along with two helicopters and special forces personnel. This marks the first escort mission for the Kunming destroyer.
- The 49th escort fleet departed from a military port in Sanya, Hainan.
- The fleet consists of three ships and dozens of special forces personnel.
- This is the first escort mission for the Kunming destroyer.
- The fleet is replacing the 48th escort fleet in the Gulf of Aden and Somali waters.
- The fleet conducted targeted training for potential risks before deployment.