China unveils monster explorer ship with 17,261-mile-range, ice breaking power
Christopher McFadden
Mon, December 30, 2024
China's first-ever, domestically developed deep-sea multi-functional exploration ship has officially entered service. Called the Tansuo-3 (Exploration-3), the ship has now been commissioned in Sanya City in south China's tropical island province of Hainan.
She joins China's existing fleet of other icebreaker ships, including the Xuelong, Xuelong 2, and Jidi, belonging to the Ministry of Natural Resources.
The announcement came on Sunday (Dec 29), and the ship will begin conducting deep-sea research missions in the first half of 2025. This news now significantly expands China's manned submersible exploration capabilities.
The ship will now be operated by its new owner, the Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering. According to state news sources, she was jointly designed by researchers from the Sanya Institute, China State Shipbuilding Corp's Guangzhou Shipyard International Co., and other research entities.
Tansuo-3 is now ready for service
"More than 100 domestic institutes, universities, and enterprises participated in the ship's research, development, and construction. Designers and engineers developed a lot of new technologies and equipment through the project, according to the Sanya Institute," the People's Republic of China State Council said in a press release.
Construction began on the Tansuo-3 in June of 2023 at the Guangzhou shipyard, and the main body was completed in April. She also completed an eight-day sea trial in late October and returned to her shipyard for final fit-out.
According to reports, the ship will carry a full-ocean-depth Human Occupied Vehicle (HOV) known as Shenhai Yongshi (Deep Sea Warrior) for regular scientific research operations. This will also enable the Tansuo-3 to conduct deep-sea trials and archaeological studies in the South China Sea and beyond.
The ship also has world-class scientific equipment, such as advanced deep-sea sonar and release systems for crewed and robotic submersibles. She also carries equipment to perform underwater excavations and recovery.
According to other reports, the ship is hoped to commence manned deep-sea submersible operations in abyssal oceans in the second half of 2025. The ship is also theoretically capable of deep-sea exploration in various environments, including polar regions, thanks to its for and aft icebreaker features.
Boosting China's deep-sea exploration capabilities
The Tansuo-3 measures 104 meters long and has a displacement of 10,000 tons. She was independently designed and built exclusively using Chinese contractors.
The vessel can reach a top speed of 16 knots (30 kilometers per hour) and has a designed range of 15,000 nautical miles (around 27,780 kilometers). She has a crew capacity of around 80.
The Tansuo-3 also features a 6-meter by 4.8-meter moon pool (opening at the base of the hull) to ensure scientific exploration operations on floating ice and under challenging maritime conditions.
"The new ship's deployment is expected to improve the country's deep-sea scientific exploration efforts, helping scientists better understand the deep-sea ecosystem, geological structures, and distribution of marine resources, according to researchers," the People's Republic of China State Council added.
Tansuo-3's commissioning marks a significant breakthrough in China's autonomy in developing key core technologies, featuring not only domestically developed equipment but also independently developed key control systems.
China's first-ever, domestically developed deep-sea multi-functional exploration ship has officially entered service. Called the Tansuo-3 (Exploration-3), the ship has now been commissioned in Sanya City in south China's tropical island province of Hainan.
She joins China's existing fleet of other icebreaker ships, including the Xuelong, Xuelong 2, and Jidi, belonging to the Ministry of Natural Resources.
The announcement came on Sunday (Dec 29), and the ship will begin conducting deep-sea research missions in the first half of 2025. This news now significantly expands China's manned submersible exploration capabilities.
The ship will now be operated by its new owner, the Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering. According to state news sources, she was jointly designed by researchers from the Sanya Institute, China State Shipbuilding Corp's Guangzhou Shipyard International Co., and other research entities.
Tansuo-3 is now ready for service
"More than 100 domestic institutes, universities, and enterprises participated in the ship's research, development, and construction. Designers and engineers developed a lot of new technologies and equipment through the project, according to the Sanya Institute," the People's Republic of China State Council said in a press release.
Construction began on the Tansuo-3 in June of 2023 at the Guangzhou shipyard, and the main body was completed in April. She also completed an eight-day sea trial in late October and returned to her shipyard for final fit-out.
According to reports, the ship will carry a full-ocean-depth Human Occupied Vehicle (HOV) known as Shenhai Yongshi (Deep Sea Warrior) for regular scientific research operations. This will also enable the Tansuo-3 to conduct deep-sea trials and archaeological studies in the South China Sea and beyond.
The ship also has world-class scientific equipment, such as advanced deep-sea sonar and release systems for crewed and robotic submersibles. She also carries equipment to perform underwater excavations and recovery.
According to other reports, the ship is hoped to commence manned deep-sea submersible operations in abyssal oceans in the second half of 2025. The ship is also theoretically capable of deep-sea exploration in various environments, including polar regions, thanks to its for and aft icebreaker features.
Boosting China's deep-sea exploration capabilities
The Tansuo-3 measures 104 meters long and has a displacement of 10,000 tons. She was independently designed and built exclusively using Chinese contractors.
The vessel can reach a top speed of 16 knots (30 kilometers per hour) and has a designed range of 15,000 nautical miles (around 27,780 kilometers). She has a crew capacity of around 80.
The Tansuo-3 also features a 6-meter by 4.8-meter moon pool (opening at the base of the hull) to ensure scientific exploration operations on floating ice and under challenging maritime conditions.
"The new ship's deployment is expected to improve the country's deep-sea scientific exploration efforts, helping scientists better understand the deep-sea ecosystem, geological structures, and distribution of marine resources, according to researchers," the People's Republic of China State Council added.
Tansuo-3's commissioning marks a significant breakthrough in China's autonomy in developing key core technologies, featuring not only domestically developed equipment but also independently developed key control systems.
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