Special operations forces rappel from a helicopter onto the Type 071 amphibious landing ship Wuzhishan (Hull 987). Photo: PLA Navy WeChat account

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy's 49th escort taskforce recently conducted an anti-piracy drill in waters off Somalia, and a Type 071 amphibious landing ship, not originally listed in the taskforce's announced composition, was seen taking part in the exercise. 

A military affairs expert said the vessel may have been en route to the PLA support base in Djibouti for a transport or port compatibility training mission. The ongoing multi-vessel far-sea deployment, he added, serves as a comprehensive test and training opportunity for the PLA Navy's blue-water operational capabilities.

The drill featured a coordinated sea-air assault to rescue a hijacked vessel. The exercise tested the taskforce's capabilities in information acquisition, rapid maneuver, reconnaissance and three-dimensional assault, the PLA Navy's official WeChat account announced on Monday.

Upon receiving orders, the taskforce immediately activated counter-terrorism and anti-piracy protocols. Vessels maneuvered at high speed toward the target area and quickly prepared for the operation. Meanwhile, helicopters were dispatched to conduct warning flyovers over the "hijacked" merchant ship. Upon reaching the operational area, special operations forces launched a coordinated sea-air assault on the vessel, according to the post.

From the air, special forces personnel rappelled quickly from hovering shipborne helicopters onto the target ship, securing firing positions and taking control of the deck. From the sea, four assault speedboats carrying special forces teams approached the vessel from both sides at high speed, with personnel rapidly boarding the ship, according to the PLA Navy.

Through coordinated cover and close collaboration among assault teams, the mission, including on-site control, search and capture, and personnel rescue, was successfully completed, testing and enhancing the taskforce's capabilities in conducting diverse missions and emergency response, said the post.

Notably, images from the exercise showed special forces personnel rappelling from helicopters onto the Type 071 amphibious landing ship Wuzhishan (Hull 987), a vessel not previously included in the announced composition of the 49th escort taskforce.

As the Xinhua News Agency previously reported, the 49th escort taskforce is composed of naval forces from the PLA Southern Theater Command, including the guided-missile destroyer Kunming, the guided-missile frigate Yueyang and the large far-sea comprehensive supply ship Luomahu, with two shipborne helicopters and dozens of special operations personnel aboard. All three vessels were independently designed and built by China, with the Kunming undertaking an escort mission for the first time.

Wang Yunfei, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times on Tuesday that the appearance of the Type 071 landing ship in Somalian waters could be related to its transit to the PLA support base in Djibouti for a transport or ­familiarization training mission. 

On July 11, 2017, ships carrying Chinese military personnel departed Zhanjiang in Southern China's Guangdong Province to set up a support base in Djibouti, according to a Xinhua report. 

The base has ensured China's performance of missions, such as escorting, peace-keeping and humanitarian aid in Africa and west Asia. The base is also conducive to overseas tasks such as military cooperation, joint exercises, evacuating and protecting overseas Chinese and emergency rescue, as well as jointly maintaining security of international strategic seaways, Xinhua said.

The drill shows the 49th escort taskforce is now fully capable of conducting end-to-end rescue operations for hijacked merchant ships. The Type 071's presence adds greater flexibility and confidence in complex scenarios, Wang said, indicating that escort missions may be expanding beyond ship protection to broader regional security roles.

Given the ongoing armed conflicts in the region, in the event of a humanitarian crisis, the Type 071, with its large tonnage and carrying capacity, could be used for refugee evacuation, casualty rescue and personnel transport, Wang said. Equipped with helicopters and 726A air-cushioned landing craft, it can carry significantly more special operations personnel than destroyers and frigates, offering natural advantages in the execution of a diverse range of missions.

The 48th escort taskforce may still operate in the area and has not yet returned. Together, the two taskforces comprise two Type 052D destroyers, two Type 054A frigates and several supply ships. With the addition of the Type 071, the formation is unusually large by historical standards. This reflects the PLA Navy's significantly enhanced far-sea operational capabilities, as large- and medium-sized vessels increasingly venture into blue-water operations, Wang added.

The PLA Navy's 49th escort taskforce set sail from a military port in Sanya, South China's Hainan Province on August 12, heading for the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia to relieve the 48th escort taskforce and continue escort missions, according to Xinhua.

In line with relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, China has maintained a regular naval escort presence in the Gulf of Aden and Somalian waters since 2008 to safeguard the security of international shipping routes, escorting over 7,000 Chinese and foreign vessels, and rescuing, protecting or assisting ships in distress.

The naval ships also participated in evacuations of Chinese citizens and foreign nationals from some war-torn countries.