A Chinese anti-piracy warship will probably visit the Indian port of Kochi this year. That is going to be the first such port visit in 12 years as Indian news portal “India Today” reports.
“There has been a noticeable uptake in our relations with China in recent months,” reports India Today citing senior defence sources.
The major port city of Kochi is located on the west coast of India, by the Arabian Sea.
China has already deployed the following ships in the Gulf of Aden, which may narrow the choice in respect to the possible candidate for the visit:
Type 052 destroyer Qingdao, which is one of the first modern multi-role guided missile destroyers built by China. There are currently two units in active service with the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) with no plans of further construction of additional units.
Type 054A frigate Yantai (NATO codename Jiangkai II ), which is a Chinese multi-role warship that entered service with the People’s Liberation Army Navy in 2007. It is a development of the Type 054 frigate, using the same hull but with improved sensors and weapons.
The Type 054A was first revealed while under construction at the Guangzhou-based Huangpu Shipyard in 2005.
And the third possible candidate ship could be Weishanhu, which is a supply ship of the Chinese Navy.
[mappress] Naval Today Staff, April 9, 2013