The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy hospital ship, Auspicious Ark, conducted a helicopter search and rescue exercise in the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday as part of the "Mission Harmony-2026", its first overseas humanitarian medical mission.
Mission Harmony-2026, the 12th iteration of Mission Harmony since 2010, is scheduled to last over 200 days, during which the ship will visit several African and South Asian countries to provide free medical services to local populations.
Wednesday's training focused on helicopter search and rescue, with operations conducted primarily below 100 meters, a low altitude that made the task especially challenging.
"Our mission demands not just rapid deployment and target location, but also the swift, safe evacuation of the wounded. Throughout our time aboard the ship, we maintain constant combat readiness to ensure we can respond immediately," said Guo Shuai, a crew member.
After the training, the hospital ship's aircraft maintenance work began. With the helicopters exposed to relentless heat, salt, and humidity at sea, maintenance crews need to desalt and rust-proof aircraft components and equipment, ensuring the helicopters remain in peak operational condition around the clock.
"When arriving in a new operational area, we need to run a test start to check engine performance and make adjustments as needed. In the next two hours, besides the post-flight inspection, we also wash the aircraft and engines to make sure our helicopter is always ready for emergency medical missions," said Cao Zehua, another crew member on the ship.
Since setting sail on July 22, the team has conducted a series of training drills, including counter-terrorism and anti-piracy exercises, helicopter flight checks, maritime medical rescue, and reconnaissance and evidence gathering.
Chinese navy hospital ship conducts helicopter search, rescue exercise in Gulf of Aden
