China
1st navy fleet heads back to China
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China's first naval fleet in the Gulf of Aden is on its way home. After two successful joint convoy missions with the country's second flotilla, the two warships Wuhan and Haikou were relieved of duty and set sail on Saturday. (CCTV.com) |
In dealing with unfamiliar seas and wild pirates, the fleet employed a set of effective methods.
The warships accompanied the merchant ships on their journeys, rescued several from pirates, and used helicopter patrols to drive pirates away. Among the rescued were ships from China, Greece and Italy.
This is the first time China's navy has operated such a mission without stopping at port.
It's set records for continuous hours at sea and distance travelled by China's naval vessels, as well as a record number of flying hours by naval helicopters.
Yao Junbiao, Commander of 1st Naval Fleet in Gulf of Aden, said, "This is the first cross-ocean drill conducted by Chinese naval vessels, helicopters and special units. The troops involved have learned from this mission, and they're now more capable of operating military tasks."
The two destroyers are due to arrive in Sanya, in southern China's Hainan province, in about ten days. The supply ship Weishanhu has remained in the Gulf of Aden with the second fleet.
Editor:Zhang Pengfei