China and Pakistan conduct fourth bilateral naval exercise

The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) and the Pakistan Navy are conducting their fourth bilateral naval exercise. As per Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), a PLAN task force comprised of the Handan (a Type 054A frigate) and the Changxingdao (a Type 925 auxiliary ship) docked at Karachi on Wednesday.

The PLAN task force is under the command of Senior Captain Chi Qingtao. The exercise will “cover [a] wide spectrum of maritime and naval operations by ships, helicopters, maritime patrol aircraft, [and] special forces” (Associated Press of Pakistan).