[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] The Cheonghae Unit Dispatched to Hormuz Strait Is...

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] The Cheonghae Unit's Choi Young-class ship (4,400 tons) has been rapidly dispatched to the waters near the Strait of Hormuz, drawing increased attention to the Cheonghae Unit's 33rd rotation.

According to the military on the 5th, the 33rd rotation took over from the Cheonghae Unit's 32nd rotation Dae Jo-yeong-class ship in mid-October last year and will carry out its mission until April this year. The Cheonghae Unit 33rd rotation consists of about 300 personnel, including the crew of the Choi Young-class ship, a boarding and inspection team composed of special warfare (UDT) soldiers, and an aviation unit operating maritime operation helicopters (LYNX). Among them, about 50 personnel, accounting for 19%, have prior experience being dispatched with the Cheonghae Unit. The unit commander is Colonel Kang Myung-gil.

During the deployment period, the 33rd rotation has participated in ship escort operations in the Gulf of Aden, safe navigation support, protection activities for deep-sea fishing vessels, the "Maritime Security Operation" led by the Combined Maritime Forces' Counter-Piracy Task Force (CTF-151), and the "Operation Atalanta" led by the European Union (EU) Naval Force Somalia Command.

The Choi Young-class ship has been deployed six times, starting with the Cheonghae Unit's 6th rotation in 2010, followed by the 14th, 20th, 23rd, 28th rotations, and now the 33rd rotation. Notably, during the 6th rotation mission, it carried out the "Gulf of Aden Dawn Operation" on January 21, 2011, rescuing all 21 crew members of the Samho Jewelry ship who were hijacked by pirates, and the "Hanjin Tianjin Crew Rescue Operation" on April 21 of the same year, showcasing the excellence of the Republic of Korea Navy to the world.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.