The 47th Chinese naval escort taskforce set off from a military port in Zhoushan, East China's Zhejiang Province on Dec 15, 2024. Photo: CCTV

 
The 47th Chinese naval escort taskforce set off from a military port in Zhoushan, East China's Zhejiang Province, at around 9 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 destroyer Baotou (Hull 133), guided-missile frigate Honghe (Hull 523) and comprehensive supply ship Gaoyouhu (Hull 904), carrying two ship-borne helicopters and over 700 mission members including dozens of special operations soldiers, China Military Online, a news website of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), reported on Sunday.

This is the fourth escort mission for comprehensive supply ship Gaoyouhu and the first for destroyer Baotou and frigate Honghe.

Guided-missile destroyer Baotou (Hull 133) is independently designed and built by China and has successfully completed over 10 major missions, including combat patrols and live-fire exercises, since its commissioning. This marks its first escort mission in the Gulf of Aden, according to a statement published by the PLA East Sea Fleet on Sunday.

Guided-missile frigate Honghe (Hull 523) is also independently designed and built by China.

Comprehensive supply ship Gaoyouhu (Hull 904), a new type of ocean-going supply ship independently developed and designed by China, has previously participated in three escort missions.

During the mission preparation period, the taskforce focused on core escort capabilities, carefully planning and deploying detailed plans based on the actual characteristics of the mission.

The taskforce emphasized targeted training, including rescuing hijacked merchant ships, counterterrorism, anti-piracy and the actual use of weapons. This effectively tested the feasibility of the plans and the reliability of the equipment, further enhancing the taskforce's mission readiness, according to the statement.