China Coast Guard and Patrol vessels

asif iqbal said:

I guess the biggest Chinese coats guard ships is the 5,418-tonnage Haixun01? That's huge!

How many have they got, just one?

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At the moment I think they only have one... But apparently there are plans to build up to 4 more 5500 ton cutters, a number of 4000 and 3500 ton cutters and 2 12,000 ton cutters.

I'm not sure why they'd need a cutter that would be heavier than any current surface combatant currently in service... but it'll be a hell of a sight regardless if true.

Bltizo said:

At the moment I think they only have one... But apparently there are plans to build up to 4 more 5500 ton cutters, a number of 4000 and 3500 ton cutters and 2 12,000 ton cutters.

I'm not sure why they'd need a cutter that would be heavier than any current surface combatant currently in service... but it'll be a hell of a sight regardless if true.

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Wow did you say 12,000 tons or 1,200 tons! That would be the size of a small LPD

The largest Japanese ships is the Shikishima (PLH 31) at 7,000+ tons used to guard Plutonium shipments, I don't know if beyond that is within the scope Chinese navy, I mean really 12,000 tons would be a awesome ship, totally huge

Probably be better to have few more 5,000 ton cutters instead, which by the way is already big

asif iqbal said:

Wow did you say 12,000 tons or 1,200 tons! That would be the size of a small LPD

The largest Japanese ships is the Shikishima (PLH 31) at 7,000+ tons used to guard Plutonium shipments, I don't know if beyond that is within the scope Chinese navy, I mean really 12,000 tons would be a awesome ship, totally huge

Probably be better to have few more 5,000 ton cutters instead, which by the way is already big

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It sounds like it's legit, tphuang mentioned it on his blog and it's made the rounds on CDF
via hmmvw, a while back

CMS will receive 54 more larger cutters of more than 1000t, the new builts will include two 12000t built at JN (said to be confirmed), four 5000t, four 4000t, ten 3000t (Azipod), and six 3000t (conventional).

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I guess they can be very useful in guarding distant shipping lanes and the like, as well as using its sheer mass as an intimidation vessel in local disputes as well, as a "non-military" intimidation signal conveying, hey we're not sending in the navy yet, but if you keep this up, this 12,000 ton cutter will be the least of your problems.

Bltizo said:

I guess they can be very useful in guarding distant shipping lanes and the like, as well as using its sheer mass as an intimidation vessel in local disputes as well, as a "non-military" intimidation signal conveying, hey we're not sending in the navy yet, but if you keep this up, this 12,000 ton cutter will be the least of your problems.

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Some possible uses -

1) Extended "non-military" presence in the further reaches of China's maritime boundary as a ship of such tonnage would have much better endurance between replenishment.

2) Extended presence in areas of contention. It can definitely loiter for quite some time.

3) Not sure if China sources all its civilian nuclear reactor fuel domestically or imports any but if it's the latter, it can provide escort to the shipment. For instance, Australia has a very robust trade with China in raw material, export of uranium from Australia to China would require a CG vessel capable of the distance and endurance.

{CMS will receive 54 more larger cutters of more than 1000t, the new builts will include two 12000t built at JN (said to be confirmed), four 5000t, four 4000t, ten 3000t (Azipod), and six 3000t (conventional).}

On top of above addition, IMO 037s (around 70) are to be transfer to these agencies(CMS/FLEC/CG/MSA) right?

Correct me if I am wrong..

Plus, wondering how many cutters all these agencies are having at current.

Bltizo said:

At the moment I think they only have one... But apparently there are plans to build up to 4 more 5500 ton cutters, a number of 4000 and 3500 ton cutters and 2 12,000 ton cutters.

I'm not sure why they'd need a cutter that would be heavier than any current surface combatant currently in service... but it'll be a hell of a sight regardless if true.

Click to expand...

Wow, those will be big!

Two 12,000 ton vessels and four more 5,500 ton?

The largest US Coast Guard Cutters are the new Legend Class (the US has three in service and the fourth will be delivered next year, out of six funded and a total of eigfht planned) and they dislplace 4,500 tons


Now, imagine those five 5,500 ton cutters and two 12,000 ton cutters! Simply huge!

Are the very large ones intended to be large ice breakers? That would account for their size if they are meant to take on the polar ice fields or something like that.

I don't think China ever imported enriched uranium and the ore doesn't need protection. Japan uses its two very large cutters, if I understood that correctly, only to accompany a special vessel to transport burned up fuel elements to the Sellafield reprocessing plant in the UK and to bring back plutonium from earlier batches. Both can be used for a "dirty" bomb to spread radioactivity so protection is not unreasonable but I think calling it Coast Guard is. They use it in mixed oxide fuel elements and might use it in fast breeder reactors, two things they shouldn't do as long as the safety culture in their nuclear industry is abominable.

OT
The original cutter was a simplified and cheaper version of the large Dutch yachts used in the 17th and 18th century by Dutch organs of state, by large towns and by its two largest companies. One was given by Amsterdam to King Charles II shortly after he came to the throne. The Dutch vessels were flat bottomed to be able to navigate in the shallow waters of the Netherlands but the British built them on a keel. They then transferred the rig, replacing however the steep bowsprit by a running bowsprit, to a hull that had a similar shape to that of the yachts but was clinker built. Those vessels of about 200 tons were used mostly against smugglers. The French used three masted luggers for the same purpose.
The US used schooners for this work until the introduction of steam power but called them cutters and now we're using the term for vessels even larger than the largest ship of admiral Zheng.

Jeff Head said:

Wow, those will be big!

Two 12,000 ton vessels and four more 5,500 ton?

The largest US Coast Guard Cutters are the new Legend Class (the US has three in service and the fourth will be delivered next year, out of six funded and a total of eigfht planned) and they dislplace 4,500 tons

Now, imagine those five 5,500 ton cutters and two 12,000 ton cutters! Simply huge!

Are the very large ones intended to be large ice breakers? That would account for their size if they are meant to take on the polar ice fields or something like that.

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Jeff aren't the largest cutters in the USCG the two Polar Class ice beakers, each around 12,000 tons a pop? Used for ice breaking

Or did you mean new cutters only

Anyhow unless these two Chinese cutters are ice breakers I really struggle to see them being that massive, I mean 12,000 tons how are they going to be powered, nuclear? How much will they cost

But then after seeding those 5,500 ton cutters a larger one might not be out of the question, China has sent expedition to the Arctic has lots of trade so building some larger ice breakers under the coast gaurd might just be a possibility

If they are not for ice breaking then a 12,000 ton cutter will quite quickly solve any border issues! A massive deterrence

asif iqbal said:

Jeff aren't the largest cutters in the USCG the two Polar Class ice beakers, each around 12,000 tons a pop? Used for ice breaking

Or did you mean new cutters only

Anyhow unless these two Chinese cutters are ice breakers I really struggle to see them being that massive, I mean 12,000 tons how are they going to be powered, nuclear? How much will they cost

But then after seeding those 5,500 ton cutters a larger one might not be out of the question, China has sent expedition to the Arctic has lots of trade so building some larger ice breakers under the coast gaurd might just be a possibility

If they are not for ice breaking then a 12,000 ton cutter will quite quickly solve any border issues! A massive deterrence

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I mean new cutters that have been built in the last 35 years...hehehe.

Yes, that is why I made the exception of the Chinese making them Ice Breakers. I consider the Ice Breakers as something beyond a cutter. The actual full load displacement on the Polar Class Ice Breakers is closer to 14,000 tons. They have a three knot cruising speed through 6 ft thick (2 meters) of ice!

And they are not the largest in the US Inventory. They were built in 1976 and 1978, but the newer USCG Healy (WAGB-20) was delivered to the US Coast Guard in 1999, commissioned in 2000, and displaces 16,000 tons and is even more capable. Very nice ship, the Healy:


But, as I said, they are a huge (and I mean that literally) exception to the "Coast Guard Cutter," rule.

My guess is that those two big 12,000 tonners for the Chinese Coast Guard are in fact going to be ice breakers, but I do not know that.

I doubt those 12,000-ton ships will be ice breakers. They could be replenishment ships to enable the cutters to make longer duration patrols.

Anyway, new cutters are currently being built in large quantity. It looks like we won't be seeing any new 054A being made for a while.

Tags: China; China Marinetime Surveillance; Imgur; coast guard; cutters; shipyard;