GUANGZHOU (China), Dec 26: Chinese warships — armed with special forces, guided missiles and helicopters — set sail on Friday for anti-piracy duty off Somalia, the first time the communist nation has sent ships on a mission that could involve fighting so far beyond its territorial waters.

The mission, comprising two destroyers and a supply ship, will also challenge China’s ability to cooperate with other naval forces patrolling the Gulf of Aden, one of the world’s busiest sea lanes.

Warships from India, Russia, Nato and the US are also cruising the Somali waters that have been plagued by pirate attacks in recent months.

The Chinese ships left early Friday afternoon from a base on the southern island province of Hainan, the official Xinhua News Agency and CCTV reported.

China announced it was joining the anti-piracy mission on Tuesday after the UN Security Council authorised nations to conduct land and air attacks on pirate bases.

Pirates have made an estimated $30 million hijacking ships for ransom this year, seizing more than 40 vessels off Somalia’s 3,000km coastline.

Deploying ships to the Gulf of Aden marks a significant step in the evolution of China’s navy, according to a report by Stratfor, an Austin, Texas-based intelligence company. The mission will be complicated, offering vital on-the-job training in refueling, resupply and repairs far from home as well as patrolling for pirates, Stratfor said.

“In the event of an accident or a run-in with pirates,” Stratfor said, “would a Chinese vessel carry out repairs at sea, head to a nearby port, perhaps in Pakistan, or return to China?”

Stratfor also noted the waters would be awash with naval ships from around the world, making it essential for China to maintain effective communication with the vessels.

The Chinese “will very likely monitor the way Nato and especially US warships communicate with each other and with their shipborne helicopters,” the report said.

China’s willingness to send ships so far from home is also the latest example of the growing power and confidence of the country’s navy. In recent years, the military has been loading up on warships, planes, missiles and other weapons.

China has said the mission’s purpose was to protect Chinese ships and crew that have come under attack from pirates. The vessels would also be willing to share intelligence and conduct humanitarian rescue operations with other countries involved in the anti-piracy efforts, Senior Col Huang Xueping, spokesman for the Ministry of National Defence, said.

The two Chinese destroyers — the Haikou and Wuhan —– will carry special forces, two helicopters and traditional weapons such as missiles and cannons. Huang didn’t say how long the mission would last, but a Communist Party newspaper has said the ships would be away about three months.—AP