Diving detachment of PLA Navy stationed at US Hickam Air Force Base

The members of a diving detachment of the Navy of the Chinese People's Liberation Army participating in the "Rim of the Pacific 2014" (RIMPAC) exercise salute the national flag of the People's Republic of China (PRC) before being stationed at the multinational divers' campsite located at the Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii of the US on July 1, 2014. (Xinhua/Tan Haishi)

The diving detachment of the PLAN participating in the RIMPAC exercise was welcomed by Commander Anderson, commanding officer of the diving detachment of the US Navy and person in charge of the diving subject of the RIMPAC exercise soon after it was stationed at the Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii of the US on July 1, 2014, local time.

In the following period of over one month, the diving detachment of the PLAN and the diving detachments of the US Navy and the Royal Australian Navy will form the "171 Taskforce" to jointly conduct the drills on diving subjects in the RIMPAC exercise.

The diving detachment of the PLAN participating in the RIMPAC exercise consists of nine divers from a protection-and-rescue ship group under the East China Sea Fleet of the PLAN.

"This is a platform for the divers of the PLAN to cooperate and exchange with their international counterparts," said Zhang Chen, leader of the diving detachment of the PLAN participating in the RIMPAC exercise. As there are differences among different navies in command words, operation process, reference standard and even the operation and use of some diving equipment, the diving detachment of the PLAN will follow the international practice in training, learning, exchanging and competing with the divers from other countries during the RIMPAC exercise, so as to accumulate experience for participating in more international joint maritime search, rescue, detection, salvage and so on in the future, Zhang Chen added.