VESSEL REVIEW | Haishi 01 – Emergency response command vessel for Yangtze River

The China Maritime Safety Administration (CMSA) has officially placed a new vessel in operation on the Yangtze River.

Built by Hunan Xiang Shipbuilding Industry in compliance with China Classification Society rules, Haishi 01 (“Maritime 01”) will be operated primarily as a maritime emergency response command vessel, partly to fill capability gaps in the middle and upper portions of the Yangtze River that have no large emergency response command vessels permanently assigned therein. The vessel has also been designated as the flagship of the CMSA branch office that is responsible for the ever-busy river.

The newbuild has an LOA of 65 metres, a beam of 11.8 metres, a depth of 4.7 metres, a speed of just over 18 knots, and a range of approximately 1,300 kilometres. Because of Its dimensions, it is the largest emergency response command vessel currently in operation on the Yangtze River. Safe operation is still possible even as the vessel is subject to Beaufort force eight wind conditions. Also, it can remain on standby away from port for up to 24 hours, ensuring its ability to immediately respond to emergencies along the river at any time of day.

The vessel is fully equipped to respond to a broad range of emergencies. The onboard equipment includes advanced sensors such as photoelectric tracking and thermal imaging systems as well as facilities for housing, deploying, and recovering smaller search and rescue (SAR) craft such as boats and unmanned craft.

The vessel’s communications suite includes satellite communications equipment, VHF radios, a 4G/5G network, an advanced ship-to-shore link, and a video conference setup. The unified communications system features anti-jamming capability and integrates VHF radio, video phone, video conferencing, video surveillance, and intercom functions in a single system to ensure more streamlined operations.

Haishi 01 will also be employed for law enforcement, environmental protection, and maritime traffic control duties to ensure the continuous flow of shipping through the Yangtze.

Click here for more news stories, feature articles, and vessel reviews as part of this month’s focus on emergency services vessels.