On 20 November 2010, the "Lewis and Clark" responded to a distress call by the Chinese-flagged cargo ship M/V "Tai An Kou" which was under attack by Somalian pirates in a dhow and two skiffs. The crew on the Chinese vessel had secured themselves in a safe room by the time the "Lewis and Clark" arrived on the scene. Upon sighting the US naval vessel, the pirates opened fire on her and the "Lewis and Clark" returned fire in a brief engagement that drove the pirates off without causing any casualties. The destroyer then also arrived on the scene 10 hours later and launched a helicopter to provide additional assistance until the PLAN frigate "Xuzhou" arrived.