PLA Navy Completes Record Deployment

The 36th escort taskforce of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy has returned to Qingdao in east China’s Shandong Province after a record deployment of 184 days covering more than 110,000 nautical miles.

The 36th escort taskforce is comprised of the guided-missile destroyer Guiyang (Hull 119), missile frigate Zaozhuang (Hull 542), replenishment vessel Dongpinghu (Hull 960) along with two ship-borne helicopters on board the warships and dozens of special operations soldiers.

The taskforce participated in the multinational naval exercise “Peace-21” and a joint China-Singapore naval drill and completed escort missions in the Gulf of Aden.

Setting sail from Qingdao in September 2020, the taskforce completed 38 escort missions with 52 Chinese and international ships.

The PLA Navy’s 37th taskforce is now deployed in the Gulf of Aden and comprises of the guided-missile destroyer Changsha, missile frigate Yulin and supply ship Honghu with 700 officers, soldiers and dozens of special operation troops. This is the maiden deployment of the destroyer Changsha on an escort mission.

Escort missions in the Gulf of Aden and the waters off Somalia by the PLA Navy began in December 2008.