BEIJING – China has employed its largest maritime patrol vessel yet as it fortifies its “law enforcement” capabilities in the disputed South China Sea, state media reported on Wednesday.
The Haixun 09 is 165 meters long and has a maximum displacement of 13,000 tons – significantly larger than any similar vessel deployed by other claimants. It is also the first homegrown10,000-ton class maritime patrol vessel of China, Radio Free Asia said in its report.
The official Xinhua news agency reported that the ship, Haixun 09, was commissioned on Oct. 23 in Guangzhou, Guangdong province “to boost maritime patrolling and law enforcement.”
China's first homegrown 10,000-ton maritime patrol vessel, Haixun 09, has a displacement of 10,700 tons, total length of 165 meters and speed of 25 knots, It can travel more than 10,000 nautical miles at an economical speed of 16 knots and make trips of more than 90 days. pic.twitter.com/RTJk8CPcBq
— 彩云香江 (@louischeung_hk) October 23, 2021
The vessel carries a helicopter landing pad and a data center equipped with satellite communication systems, including China’s Beidou Navigation Satellite System, according to Chinese media.
The China Maritime Safety Administration’s (MSA) Guangzhou unit will handle the operations of the ship.
In September, China launched the 5,560-ton Haixun 03, the largest patrol vessel under the Hainan Maritime Safety Administration, which also patrols part of the South China Sea.
