Chinese and U.S. navies to hold joint military exercise in Gulf of Aden

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Chinese and U.S. navies to hold joint military exercise in Gulf of Aden

(China Military Online) 08:41, August 26, 2013

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GULF OF ADEN, August 23 (ChinaMil) -- The 14th escort taskforce under the Navy of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLAN) will hold a joint maritime anti-pirate exercise with the guided missile destroyer "Mason" of the United States Navy, which is also conducting a mission in the waters of the Gulf of Aden, from August 24 to 25, 2013, local time.

The joint exercise is the second joint maritime military exercise to be held by the Chinese and U.S. navies in the Gulf of Aden since the Chinese naval escort taskforces carried out escort missions in the Gulf of Aden and the waters off the Somali coast, and it is the consensus reached by the two sides when Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the U.S. Armed Forces, visited China in April 2013.

The Chinese troops to participate in the exercise include the guided missile destroyer "Harbin", the comprehensive supply ship "Weishan Lake", one helicopter, two combat boats and one special operation detachment, and the U.S. troops consist of the guided missile destroyer "Mason", one helicopter and one special operation detachment.

The exercise will focus on ten items including personnel transfer, taskforce movement, light arms firing, main guns firing at targets on the sea, helicopters landing on each other's ships, joint temporary inspection and arrest, helicopters tracking and surveilling targets on the sea at night and joint rescue of hijacked merchant ship by force.

The two-day-long exercise will be of great significance for deepening exchanges and cooperation between the two navies, showing the establishment of the new China-U.S. military relationship featuring "equality, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation", promoting bilateral exchanges and cooperation in maintaining security and stability of high seas, and improving PLAN's capability for carrying out diversified military missions jointly with foreign armed forces in high seas.

（Editor：YanMeng、Yao Chun）