Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

The 26th contingent of Cheonghae Unit has embarked on its mission far from home, to protect the safety of Korean and overseas vessels in the Gulf of Aden.

On February 12th, the Navy had a send-off ceremony for the 26th contingent of the Cheonghae Unit, which was organized by Um, Hyun-seong, Chief of Naval Operations, at the Busan naval base. Approximately a thousand people, including major naval commanders and staff and families of the dispatched soldiers, attended the ceremony and prayed for the safe return of the ship.

The 26th contingent of Cheonghae Unit, commanded by Captain Do, Jin-woo, consists of 300 soldiers including the 4400-ton Munmu the Great destroyer (DDH-Ⅱ) sailors, inspection and detection forces (UDT/SEAL), an air service employing a Lynx helicopter, and security support forces that include marine corps and medical corps.

This is the 6th mission for Munmu the Great destroyer, after the 1st contingent of Cheonghae Unit which deployed the destroyer for the first time in Republic of Korea, followed by the 8th, 12th, 16th, and 22nd contingents of Cheonghae Unit.

The 26th contingent of Cheonghae Unit will support safe sailing, including ship escorting and anti-piracy, and will join the Combined Forces Maritime Component Command's maritime security operation and the EU's anti-piracy operation during its mission until mid-August. 

By Byeong-No, Yun <trylover@dema.mil.kr >

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