East Sea Fleet
The East Sea Fleet (ESF; 东海舰队), concurrently the Eastern Theater Command Navy (东部战区海军), is one of the three fleets of the Chinese Communist Party's People's Liberation Army Navy. Responsible for the East China Sea, the fleet provides naval forces to the Eastern Theater Command.
| Eastern Theater Command Navy | |
|---|---|
The People's Liberation Army Navy's jack and ensign | |
| Active | 1949–present |
| Country | People's Republic of China |
| Allegiance | Chinese Communist Party |
| Branch | People's Liberation Army Navy |
| Type | Naval fleet |
| Part of | Eastern Theater Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Ningbo, China |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Vice Admiral Wei Gang |
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 the Type 052C destroyer Changchun.
The fleet was used in a support role during the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) 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 during the 1980s.