China sends maritime patrol 21 to Southeast Asia Sea

Jan 17, 2013- China’s Maritime Patrol 21 ship has set off on its first trip and is headed to the waters around Sansha ( including the Paracel and Spratly islands in Southeast Asia Sea/ South China Sea). The patrol boat set sail from Haikou, the capital of Hainan province. On Wednesday morning, it arrived in the Xisha Islands, and conducted an initial inspection of ship operations and the marine environment.

Maritime Patrol 21 is on its maiden voyage. It will pass by Yongxing Island, East Island, the Langhua reef and Chenhang Island in the South China Sea, before eventually returning to port in Sanya. It will cover a total of about 600 nautical miles.

16 joint law enforcement personnel from three maritime departments are aboard the ship. Despite bad sea conditions, the crew is pushing ahead with its travel plans.

Zhang Jie, Spokesman of Hainan Maritime Bureau, said, "The main task of this trip is to test the boat’s navigation and beacon systems, as well as check on other Chinese fishing boats operating in these waters. All these factors will affect our boat’s safety."

A ceremony is held to celebrate the enlisting of patrol vessel Haixun 21 into the
Hainan Maritime Safety Administration in Haikou, capital of south China's Hainan
Province, Dec. 27, 2012.

During the trip, the Hainan Maritime Bureau also tested the ship’s marine radio communication system.

Maritime Patrol 21 is China’s first kiloton class ship. It can be equipped with a carrier-based helicopter, giving it the ability to conduct sea and air surveillance as well as search and rescue missions under various weather conditions.

Zhang Jie, Spokesman of Hainan Maritime Bureau

Haixun 21 is 93.2 meters long with a maximum sailing distance of 4,000 nautical miles(7,408 kilometers) without refueling. Its maximum sailing speed is 22 knots
(40.74 kilometers per hour). The helipad, located at the stern, is about
21 meters long and 11 meters wide. (Xinhua/Zhao Yingquan)

CNTV