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PLAN taskforce stops by the Cape
By Dean Wingrin
Following an escort mission in the Gulf of Aden and port visits in North Africa, the 27th Chinese naval escort taskforce arrived in Table Bay on Monday morning for a brief logistics stop.
The 27th Chinese naval escort taskforce, consisting of the guided-missile destroyer Haikou (Hull 171), the guided-missile frigate Yueyang (Hull 575) and the replenishment ship Qinghaihu (Hull 885), set sail from Sanya, a port city in the island province of Hainan in south China on August 1, 2017 for the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia, taking over the merchant ship escort mission from the 26th Chinese naval escort taskforce on August 23.
Since arriving at the Gulf of Aden, the 27th escort taskforce successfully provided escort for 53 Chinese and international vessels in 35 batches and warned away 42 suspected pirate vessels during their four month mission.
Handing over their mission to the newly arrived 28th Chinese naval escort taskforce on December 26, the 27th escort taskforce transited via the Mediterranean Sea to pay visits to three friendly countries. This included a four-day visit to Algeria (Port of Algiers) and five-day visits to each of Tunisia (Port of La Goulette) and Morocco (Casablanca).
The taskforce is due to depart Cape Town on Wednesday February 21, 2018 to return to China via the Indian Ocean. As the stop at the southern tip of Africa is purely for logistical reasons, such as taking on additional fuel and food, no formal interaction will be held with the South African Navy (SA Navy) besides the traditional visit by the commanding officers of the naval taskforce to senior officers of the SA Navy.
Since China sent its first naval escort taskforce to the Gulf of Aden in 2008, the 27 escort taskforces have provided escort for more than 6,400 Chinese and foreign merchant vessels in 1,109 batches.
Haikou (Hull 171)
Yueyang (Hull 575)
Haikou (Hull 171) and Yueyang (Hull 575)
Haikou (Hull 171) and Yueyang (Hull 575)
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