Chinese escort fleet joins hunt for missing MH370

The 17th Chinese escort naval fleet heading for the Gulf of Aden and the waters off Somalia conduct search operation on April 1, 2014. (Xinhua/Ding Yubao)

A Chinese escort naval fleet heading for anti-piracy duty off Somalia reached waters south of Australia's Christmas Island Tuesday to join the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. [Special coverage]

The China Maritime Search and Rescue Center and the Chinese navy ordered the fleet to join the Chinese vessel Haixun 31 already in the 100,000-square km search area.

The fleet, consisting of Changchun, Changzhou and Chaohu warships, has helicopters that can be deployed in the search.

The fleet left Zhoushan, in east China's Zhejiang Province, on March 24, and will carry on to the Gulf of Aden and the waters off Somalia after completing the MH370 search mission.