China will send a new naval escort fleet to the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia in mid-August, the Ministry of National Defense said on Tuesday. The deployment will be China’s 49th naval escort fleet in the region. China has maintained a regular naval escort presence in the Gulf of Aden and Somali waters since 2008. China’s 49th escort fleetThe three ships will take over from the 48th escort fleet as part of China’s continuing naval escort operations in the region. China’s naval escort mission since 2008China began its regular naval escort mission in the Gulf of Aden and Somali waters in 2008.