TO THE RESCUE: A file photo of the destroyer Wuhan

The Chinese Navy has dispatched a small fleet of three ships on an escort mission to defend against rampant piracy in the Gulf of Aden and waters off the Somali coast. The fleet left on December 26, 2008, from south China's coastal city of Sanya, Hainan Province.

ANTIPIRACY TRAINING: Navy special force soldiers undergo training onboard the destroyer Haikou on December 25, 2008, in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province

The fleet includes a flagship, the destroyer DDG-169 Wuhan, as well as the destroyer DDG-171 Haikou and a supply ship, Weishanhu. About 800 Navy soldiers and officers are involved in the mission. The fleet aims to safeguard Chinese ships and crews, including those from Taiwan, as well as ships carrying humanitarian relief materials for international organizations such as the United Nations World Food Programme. It will also exchange information with other countries' escort ships and aid foreign vessels in danger.

FINAL PREPARATIONS: Helicopter crew attend a ground service training on December 26, 2008, in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province
NIGHT LANDING: A helicopter conducts a landing exercise at night on December 28, 2008, during the Chinese naval fleet's voyage to the Gulf of Aden