ZHANJIANG, July 6 -- The 40th Chinese naval escort taskforce has wrapped up the escort mission in the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somali, and returned to a military port in Zhanjiang, China's Guangdong Province, on the morning of July 5. The Navy of the PLA Southern Theater Command held a welcoming ceremony for its return at the pier.
The escort taskforce, composed of the guided-missile destroyer Hohhot (Hull 161), guided-missile frigate Yueyang (Hull 575) and comprehensive supply ship Luomahu (Hull 907), has left for the escort mission on January 15, which lasted 172 days, with a cumulative voyage of nearly 90,000 nautical miles. During the mission period, the taskforce has completed escort tasks for 30 batches of both Chinese and foreign ships and provided medical assistance to one ship, having effectively safeguarded the security of international maritime trade lanes and regional peace and stability.
