East Sea Fleet


The Eastern Theater Command Navy, or East Sea Fleet, is one of the three fleets of the People's Liberation Army Navy, operating in the East China Sea under the Eastern Theater Command. It was the first naval force formed by the People's Liberation Army, on 23 April 1949 and was initially based at Shanghai. Renamed in 1955, it has since been assigned to be part of the People's Liberation Army Navy and its headquarters have been moved to Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, but the fleet continues to patrol the East China Sea. Its flagship is 150 Changchun.
The fleet was used in a support role during the People's Liberation Army's invasion of the Kuomintang-held island of Yijiangshan on 14 January 1955. It has engaged in numerous other battles against the Republic of China Armed Forces. It has also operated in support of the South Sea Fleet against the People's Army of Vietnam, particularly in the 1980s.
The fleet has been augmented by two Sovremenny-class missile destroyers, with a further 2 delivered by the end of 2006. Four Kilo class attack submarines have also joined the fleet.

Major naval bases of the fleet

Rescue and salvage ship:
Destroyers
Frigates
Corvettes
Diesel-electric submarines
Landing ships
Replenishment ships