Deep-sea rescue vessel starts operation

China put into use its independently designed deep-sea multifunctional rescue vessel, the Nanhaijiu 103 on Tuesday. It was designed by the Shanghai Merchant Ship Design and Research Institute of the China Shipbuilding Group and built by the China Merchants Heavy Industry Co., Ltd.

The all-weather-capable vessel is capable of performing roles including search and rescue, offshore towing, salvage, firefighting, dive support, oil spill response monitoring, and command and control of seaborne and airborne emergency response assets.

The vessel can carry large and medium-sized rescue helicopters and operate in adverse sea and weather conditions. It will implement 24-hour standby duty in key sea areas in the South China Sea with other search and rescue facilities.