Military of China, force comment.
Military of China, force comment.

commander of the formation Zhang pomelo (second from right) and the political commissar Chen Yan (right) Egyptian ships and Egyptian military officers on board exchange. Cao Haihua photo
escort fleet into the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal. Xinhua News Agency issued
escort fleet in the Gulf of Aden, Somali waters expelled several suspicious target. Xinhua News Agency issued
escort soldiers and sailors learn the Italian ball game. Nanfang Daily correspondent has taken a strong fleet to visit

across Asia, Africa and Europe continents

Zhang pomelo escort fleet commander, political commissar said Chen Yan, an interview: This will be China’s first world cruise Navy After the visit to one of the largest countries

want more foreign military convoy merchant

Major General Zhang pomelo: Chinese navy has become an international escort brands

the escort China’s navy fleet has created several first: With the world’s first line-style escort; is the number of nursing history of the first merchant; following the Chinese navy’s first voyage around the world, the number of countries visited by the Navy first … …

“not only by our escort vessels are encouraged to apply to join the ranks, and a growing number of foreign merchant ships also hope to get my naval escort.” escort the fifth commander of the formation, South China Sea Fleet deputy chief of staff, Major General Zhang pomelo acceptance Nanfang Daily Reporters interview that “China has become an international naval escort operations in a well-known brand.”

first time Marines escort

South Daily: compared with the previous four groups, the experience of the fifth fleet which escorted the unique side, which encountered a new challenge?

Zhang pomelo: Fifth fleet is the first organization Marines participated in convoy operations, some important equipment such as helicopters, but also through adaptive modifications, more in line with escort tasks. Compared with the previous four batches, the fifth convoy operations have the following characteristics:

First the situation is more complex, showing a group of pirate activity, violent, full-time-based, WAN-based, hidden of characteristics; second task is more arduous, increasing the number of applications for escort ships, four months we had 588 ships to escort vessels, creating a new record in the history of escort; third is more politically sensitive, more than a year successful implementation of domestic and international naval escort for the evaluation of all my high expectations for the follow-up action rising escort, escort every move by the formation of the attention from home and abroad.

Nanfang Daily: Do you think the Chinese navy set sail for the Gulf of Aden the most important is the meaning?

Zhang pomelo: organization ships the Gulf of Aden, off the Somali coast perform escort missions, is the first time to use military force overseas to maintain the national strategic interests, for the first time tissue maritime combat forces overseas to fulfill its international humanitarian obligations , for the first time in the sea to protect important transportation line security, creating a strategic use of naval peacetime precedent, greatly expanded the Navy’s strategic space for people to ocean-going navy, to achieve a strategic transformation provides a rare historical opportunity.

Nanfang Daily: Do you think the escort formation in which progress has been made?

Zhang pomelo: I think, through the implementation of ocean escort mission, we organize and direct, daily management, logistics and equipment support, etc. have made some experience. Escort, we also actively explore the ocean organized military training methods and ways, in English, physical fitness and professional skills have greatly improved.

piracy has developed into a full-time time

Nanfang Daily: You said just now, during the fifth fleet escort escort, find way more crime pirates violent?

Zhang pomelo: Yes. Now switch to pirate ships, has been directly hijacked vessels have been attacked other ships at sea as a mother ship. The relative concentration of troops in the country to escort the area, the pirates to take boats from the 1-2 guard is responsible for or feint, escort warships scattered attention, grouping with other boats, multiple ways to attack the siege of target vessels. Pirate violence tend to upgrade frequently to targets intensive shooting, firing rockets, killing 20 crew members were injured, and has the Netherlands, the United States Navy ships, warships and carrier-based helicopter flight direct fire.

pirates attack the goal more and more diverse. In the past, Somali pirates attacked targets in order to speed slow, low-freeboard-based merchant. Recently found that Somali pirates in order to achieve the purpose of robbery against ships, targets changed greatly. The first attack small boats and fishing boats. Just take advantage of, pirates in Gulf of Aden, Somali waters east of the activities of small boats and fishing boats to carry out attacks, hijacking is successful pirate mother ship is mainly used. Second attack on senior cadres side, high-speed vessels. Recently occurred in more than ro-ro ships, container ships being suspicious vessels approaching, track and attack, that the pirates have the ability to board the senior cadres of the side of the vessel. Third attack high-value vessels. Pirates hijacked the target began to move to large tankers and bulk carriers of coal in order to extort more ransom.

there is, the pirates of the modus operandi is more subtle. Somali pirate ship to escape inspection, to improve the success rate of attacks, more subtle means of committing the crime. First, by using trip wire wrapped around the propeller and the merchant fails to stop for repairs, provide a favorable opportunity for the crime of piracy. Second, when the sailing ladder covered with tarpaulins, will face warships rummage weapons, ladders and other tools of crime hanging on the water to avoid detection. Third, the use of illegal fishing boats or the cover, disguised as fishing boats or cargo mixed in which makes it difficult to use traditional means to identify and determine the identity of the pirates. Fourth, the risk that the vessel failure or request assistance, paternity machine close to the merchant to implement attacks.

Overall, we have just to Banda Aceh Ding Wanhai domain, when sea conditions were relatively good, so the performance of rampant piracy activities, to post, sea conditions worse, their activities a lot less.

and foreign armed forces to achieve maximum information and intelligence sharing

Nanfang Daily: In view of this situation, what our military has been training daily?

Zhang pomelo: Facing an increasingly grim situation, in order to enhance formation “defense, deterrence, playing the” ability to focus, to take means to organize targeted training efforts to enhance the capacity of escort. Objects in the training, highlighting the fleet command post personnel, and anti-piracy ships escort deployment; in the training content, give prominence to the sea rescue, anti-pirates and other emergency command training, focus on improving the ad hoc disposal capability. At the same time, Ge Jian prominence to ship (Vice) long, the value of more official bilingual (English) training, target identification at sea of ??small, complex case handling and damage control rescue ship training; helicopter group do a good job handling special situations, the helicopter emergency landing training; commandos enhanced search and assault ships, marine sniper, to check on suspicious ships and other marine rummage targeted tactical training.

Nanfang Daily: battle has taken measures to protect merchant ships to escort?

Zhang pomelo: we have taken the three steps: First, continue to take strict accordance with escort escort fatwas, regional escort, escort onboard security organized method of operations; second is to strengthen countries, organizations exchanges and cooperation to maximize the information and intelligence sharing, without prejudice to the premise with convoy operations, and actively cooperate with the parties to the action; Third, according to the law of piracy, timely adjustment of the convoy routes, flexibility, guaranteed to be care protect the safe arrival of the ship solution area.

the escort, we also explored the way in batches with style escort. Sooner or later according to the time of arrival of vessels, speed will converge to a collection of merchant ships into three groups, respectively, by three ships to bear the task of an independent escort, first to go first, to the late evening walk, three times to escort the vessel to safety .

promote exchanges and cooperation to the normal development

Major General Chen Yan: escort to increase military exchanges with foreign armed forces

the escort of the biggest highlights is the increase in the exchange with foreign armies. Chinese navy is a more open attitude toward the world. Formation of political commissar Chen Yan told Nanfang Daily interview, said that this was the first voyage around the world following the People’s Navy, the Chinese naval vessels have visited one of the largest countries, but also the first time to visit some countries.

Nanfang Daily: We found that, with the formation of different previous convoy, the convoy formation to carry out a number of exchange activities with foreign armies.

Chen Yan: Yes, the fifth escort fleet during its mission, has 151 with the formation of multi-national maritime force, the EU fleet 465, 508 formation of NATO and Japan, Korea, Russia and other countries to escort ships launched intelligence and information exchange. With the 151 fleet, Japan and South Korea to escort ships to achieve a commander visits, both ways on the escort, escort methods carried out exchanges of analysis of the current Gulf of Aden, Somali pirate activities, and to further strengthen exchanges and cooperation exchange views.

168-ship fleet has also organized and South Korea, “Kang Gam-chan,” the destroyer conducted joint military exercises, including drills mainly the communication between the two countries and to escort ships to join, communication exercises, helicopter down each other, through joint exercises, the accumulation of both communication and command, sea-air experience, etc., will further strengthen bilateral naval escort vessels exchanges and cooperation, improve the ability to perform escort missions.

the trip for a long time impact

Nanfang Daily: The sea of ??foreign exchange on which the success of our escort to help?

Chen Yan: through cooperation and exchanges, we can promptly informed of the basic dynamics of the pirates, accurate information on the location of foreign military ships, sailing routes in the vicinity of the meteorological state and live, to organize and direct the work of great convenience. Through active foreign military exchanges, reaching each other, enhance friendship, increase mutual trust purposes. So far, the 168 fleet to escort the 588 ships, to ensure that the sheathing of ships and personnel, 100% of their fleet safety.

more critical is that this series of activities to enhance our relationship with escort fleet of foreign mutual understanding and trust between, and promote exchanges and cooperation in the escort of substantive action, normal development.

Nanfang Daily: The navy ships to visit Italy, under the arrangement, then you will visit Greece and other countries?

Chen Yan: Yes, the escort mission was over, we also perform during the formation of the return visit to the task, we visited Egypt, Italy. Then we will visit Greece, Myanmar, Singapore and other countries. This is the first voyage around the world after the People’s Navy, the Chinese naval vessels have visited one of the largest countries, but also long after the mission at sea without any preparation for the visit and the first time to visit some countries.

visit, the group will span Asia, Africa, Europe and across three continents, countries visited, activities and a long time, internal and external impact, the People’s Navy is an important military and diplomatic activities for the promotion of military friendly with the national army, to strengthen mutual exchanges and mutual trust, peace and civilized display the image of our army, convoy operations affect the expansion of great significance. During the visit, apart from foreign affairs and communication activities related to completion, there are plans to organize the men to go out sightseeing, mainly to understand the local human customs. In this regard, the soldiers of a good response.

rest by the Hong Kong supply, broaden horizons men

Nanfang Daily: escort during the formation also organized several stop, stop all activities undertaken during the ?

Chen Yan: During the escort, fleet replenishment ships rest once a month by Hong Kong, time is generally 5 days. We have docked the Salalah port in Oman, Djibouti, the port of Djibouti, Yemen port of Aden.

task of the officers and men for a long time at sea, to the physical, mental, including equipment have brought a greater impact, not only by the port can supply equipment to get break repair, logistics to get supplies, especially for men’s health appropriate adjustment and mental health. Although only a short five days, but each time by the rest in Hong Kong, the ship is designed for men who arranged a variety of sports activities, organized group of officers and soldiers to the local shopping and sightseeing. Through the rest by the port not only allows men to get a good physical and mental relaxation, but also broaden their horizons.

correspondent Zhao Yang Huangyang Nanfang Daily China

special correspondent Cao Haihua from the bottom of Italy Taranto

Coordinator: Lang Guohua segment Gongwei

related topics: Chinese naval escort to Somalia waters