The 48th Chinese naval escort task force recently conducted multi-subject training exercises in the Gulf of Aden, to effectively enhance its mission-execution capability in the pirate-infested sea area.
The anti-piracy exercise began with the commander's order to fire the main gun.
"We conducted drills based on actual combat scenarios, closely aligning with the requirements of the escort mission. We focused on the characteristics of the mission area and potential threats, rigorously tested the rapid response, flexible deployment, and firepower strike capabilities of the vessel," said Song Xujian, crew member of the guided-missile frigate Daqing (Hull 576).
"Carrying out escort missions is not only an important practice for the Chinese Navy to fulfill its international obligations and maintain world peace, but also a valuable platform for us to train and enhance our capabilities in the vast ocean. We fully utilize the complex sea and air conditions in the navigation areas, achieving an integration of far-sea escort and oceanic training, which effectively enhances the vessels' capabilities to carry out escort missions," Xia Tian, said a crew member of the 48th navy fleet.
48th Chinese naval escort taskforce conducts training in Gulf of Aden
48th Chinese naval escort taskforce conducts training in Gulf of Aden
U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday that he's not ready to make a deal to end the military campaign against Iran "because the terms aren't good enough yet."
"Iran wants to make a deal, and I don't want to make it because the terms aren't good enough yet," he said of ending the war against Iran in an interview with NBC News, adding that any terms will have to be "very solid."
Trump, though declining to tell what his terms would be, said that a commitment from Iran to completely abandon any nuclear ambitions would be part of those terms for a ceasefire.
His remarks came two weeks after the United States and Israel started massive attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, which are disrupting global shipping, sending oil prices soaring and shaking the global economy.
Trump said that the strikes have greatly weakened Iran's military capabilities, noting that the U.S. military has destroyed most of Iran's missiles, drones and relevant production facilities, and that the relevant capabilities will be completely destroyed within two days.
Trump also confirmed that U.S. forces had carried out heavy strikes on Kharg Island, Iran's principal oil export terminal, while deliberately sparing its oil facilities to avoid reconstruction, which would take years.
Kharg Island lies in the Persian Gulf about 25 km off Iran's coast and accounts for about 90 percent of Iran's crude exports.
The U.S. forces "successfully struck more than 90 Iranian military targets on Kharg Island" on Friday night, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Saturday in a post on X. The strike destroyed naval mine storage facilities, missile storage bunkers, and multiple other military sites, the post said.
As the U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict entered its 15th day Saturday, senior Iranian official Mohsen Rezaei outlined Tehran's conditions for ending the conflict, demanding full compensation for damage and a complete U.S. military withdrawal from the Gulf.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Saturday that "the global and regional struggle against Iran is escalating" and that Israel is entering the final decisive phase, vowing it "will last as long as necessary."
Since Israel and the United States launched the large-scale military operations against Iran two weeks ago, the Israeli military has carried out more than 7,600 air strikes on Iranian territory.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Saturday it had conducted the 51st round of Operation True Promise-4 with the launch of missiles towards the Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.
Trump says Iran's terms "not good enough" for ceasefire deal, Tehran outlines conditions for ending conflict
