Icebreakers play a vital role in many scenarios. The Navy's icebreakers 721 and 723 have been gradually incorporated into the Coast Guard. So, what role do these two icebreakers play for the Chinese Coast Guard?Today, let's take a look.
It is well known that in 2012 the dispute between China and Japan over the Diaoyu Islands intensified. China's maritime law enforcement agencies face a number of challenges in the dispute. As of 2012, China has yet to establish a standardized and professional maritime law enforcement agency, with multiple departments working in silos and lacking unified command. At the same time, compared with the Japan Coast Guard, there is a clear gap between China's maritime law enforcement vessels in terms of number, tonnage and level of modernization.
In the face of this crisis, China dispatched four maritime surveillance vessels, including the "Haijian 51", to form a formation and forcefully enter the waters near the Diaoyu Islands to carry out patrol missions. In order to better unify maritime law enforcement forces and build a strong maritime law enforcement team, in July 2013, China established the Coast Guard, ending the previous situation of multiple management. However, in the early days of the Coast Guard, the vessels were in poor condition and there was a serious shortage of medium and large vessels. In order to solve this problem, the Chinese Navy began to hand over various types of ships to the coast guard, and at the same time, law enforcement vessels that originally belonged to the maritime surveillance and fishery administration departments were also transferred to the coast guard.
In the process, the handover of two naval icebreakers has significantly enhanced the role and capability of the coast guard. The two icebreakers were originally retired ships of the Navy, and the winter in northern China is extremely cold, and parts of the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea are prone to freezing, which affects the training of maritime and sea boats. To meet this challenge, in the late 60s, China designed the first generation icebreaker Type 071, which entered service with the Navy in the early 70s under the port number Sea Ice 722. Immediately afterwards, an improved version of the Type 071 was also in service in the early 70s, with the port number Sea Ice 721.
With the rapid development of the economy and the growth of maritime demand, in the 80s, China developed a 5,000-ton Type 210 icebreaker, with the port number Haibing 723. These icebreakers have a special structure, strong icebreaking and collision resistance, and can not only perform icebreaking tasks, but also cope with various maritime challenges.
Since the 90s, in addition to performing icebreaking tasks, these icebreakers have also undertaken a variety of tasks such as maritime reconnaissance and disaster relief. In 2012, after the Haibing 723 was decommissioned, it was handed over to the Coast Surveillance Department, and then incorporated into the Coast Guard. In the same year, the Haibing 721 ship was handed over to the coast guard and became the coast guard tow 13 ship.
In 2014, the Haijing Tractor-13 played an important role in the task of defending the drilling platform in the South China Sea. Although technical limitations and an aging hull led to its eventual decommissioning, the Haijing 1411 (formerly Haibing 723) is still in service with the Haijing force and is currently the only icebreaker.
It is important to note that the CCG is currently equipped with only one icebreaker, not because of a lack of construction capacity, but because there is no immediate need for the CCG. In recent years, China has successively built the 14,000-ton Xuelong 2 icebreaker and the 5,600-ton Polar icebreaker. If necessary, China is quite capable of quickly designing and building new icebreakers.
As of 2022, the China Coast Guard has two 12,000-ton coast guard vessels and more than 70 coast guard vessels of more than 3,000 tons. Together with various other types of coast guard vessels, there are more than 150 coast guard ships of more than 1,000 tons, which is the first in the world. Among them, there are 6 Type 818 Coast Guard vessels and 9 Type 718B Coast Guard vessels.
In comparison, Japan has 69 coast guard vessels of more than 1,000 tons (including 12 of them of more than 3,000 tons), and South Korea has 35 coast guard vessels of more than 1,000 tons. As for the Philippines, even if you count all the large and small coast guard ships, the total number is only about 30.
There are many more stories to be shared about the construction and development of the China Coast Guard, and we will continue to discuss them in depth today. In the context of the national maritime strategy and the protection of maritime rights and interests, the importance of the coast guard force has become increasingly prominent. With the increase of economic globalization and maritime activities, maritime security and the protection of maritime rights and interests have become an important part of the world. Therefore, a strong, modern coast guard is essential to ensure the country's maritime interests.
The strength of the China Coast Guard is not only reflected in the number of ships, but also in the quality and comprehensive capabilities of its ships. In recent years, the design and construction of China Coast Guard ships has clearly developed in the direction of large-scale and modernization. These ships are equipped with advanced navigation systems, communication systems, and advanced systems, which have greatly enhanced the combat effectiveness and maritime law enforcement capabilities of the coast guard forces.
The building of the coast guard is not only a matter of military and law enforcement, but also a manifestation of the national strategy. With the continuous expansion of China's maritime rights and interests, the coast guard force has become increasingly important in the national strategy. They are not only responsible for day-to-day maritime law enforcement, but also need to deal with complex maritime security challenges, including combating maritime crime, maritime search and rescue, and maintaining the safety of sea lanes.
In addition, international cooperation and exchanges between the coast guard forces are becoming more and more frequent. By participating in international maritime law enforcement cooperation, marine environmental protection, maritime search and rescue and other activities, the China Coast Guard has not only enhanced its own capabilities, but also contributed to the maintenance of maritime peace and stability. These international cooperation and exchange activities have not only enhanced mutual trust and cooperation between China and other countries, but also enhanced the image and influence of the China Coast Guard in the international community.
In short, the construction and development of the China Coast Guard is a long-term and complex process. It requires scientific planning, continuous investment and continuous innovation. With the enhancement of China's comprehensive national strength and the advancement of its maritime strategy, the China Coast Guard will be stronger, more professional and more efficient in the future, and will be able to better protect the country's maritime rights and interests and maritime security.