Straits patrol ship launched

Vessel to safeguard maritime interests, enforce laws, aid in searches, rescues

Construction of what will become the largest patrol ship in the Taiwan Straits is basically finished, the Fujian Provincial Maritime Safety Administration said.

The Haixun 06 was launched on Monday at the Shuangliu Shipbuilding Base in Wuhan, Hubei province, the administration said in a news release.

In shipbuilding terminology, launch refers to a nearly finished ship being moved into the water. It is one of the most important stages in a ship's construction because once a ship is launched, it means that its main structures have been readied and all the major construction work has been completed.

The ship has been under construction by China State Shipbuilding Corp's Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry since May 2019.

Expected to be commissioned before the end of this year, Haixun 06 will become the largest patrol and rescue vessel in the Taiwan Straits and also the most advanced ship operated by the administration, the news release said.

In the next phase, engineers will start outfitting and fine-tuning the vessel's equipment and then conduct mooring tests and sea trials.

Designed by the China Ship Development and Design Center in Wuhan, also a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corp, Haixun 06 will be 128.6 meters long, 16 meters wide and displace 5,560 metric tons. Its maximum speed will be about 20 knots, or 37 kilometers per hour. The ship will be able to operate as long as 60 days without any resupply and travel more than 18,500 km in a single voyage.