SOURCE: TIMES NOW
The presence of a Chinese guided-missile destroyer in the Indian Ocean, ostensibly to fight pirates off the coast of Africa, has raised eyebrows.
The People’s Liberation Army (Navy) has regularly sent warships on anti-piracy missions, but currently, they have the Taiyuan, a Luyang III Class destroyer, the Jingzhou, a Jiangkai II class frigate along with the Chao Hu, a Fuchi class tanker.
This is only the second visit by a Luyang III Class destroyer for anti-piracy missions. The Taiyuan was commissioned only in 2018 and is a frontline naval ship. A 7,500-tonne warship with the capability that the Taiyuan has is certainly overkill against Somali pirates.
More than fighting pirates, the patrol gives the complement the necessary experience. The first Luyang III destroyer was the Xining some time ago. But the absence of submarines, at this critical time, with the armies facing each other, is somewhat reassuring, sources said.
