China´s second naval task force starts mission

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Source: CCTV.com | 04-20-2009 09:16

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China's second naval task force has begun its mission to guard against pirates off the Somali Coast. The first fleet is now on its way home, after successfully escorting more than 200 merchant ships in the dangerous waters of the Gulf of Aden.

During the second mission, the destroyer "Shenzhen" of the second flotilla took over command.

The destroyer "Wuhan" from the first batch of ships signaled the arrival of the new task force.

Crew lined up for a simple welcome ceremony.

The two naval fleets carried out two joint escort missions this week. During the second mission, the destroyer "Shenzhen" of the second flotilla took over command.

After the first fleet left, the new task force was put to the test on Friday. It detected several suspected pirate vessels approaching nine ships under the fleet's protection.

The missile destroyer "Shenzhen" immediately went into action activating the highest anti-piracy alert. It advised the vessels to change course and increase speed.

All of the ships arrived safely at their destinations on Sunday morning.