On April 15th, China's first large-scale navigation aid vessel with ice-breaking capabilities, the "Maritime Patrol 156", was launched at the Shuangliu Shipbuilding Base of China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation's Wuchuan Group. After being commissioned, the vessel will mainly be used for the installation, removal, replacement and maintenance of navigation aid facilities in northern frozen ports and waterways. It will fill the gap of no ice-breaking capabilities in China's navigation aid vessels and effectively enhance the navigation support capabilities in the northern sea areas.
The "Maritime Patrol Vessel 156" was launched in April 2019 and is expected to be commissioned to the Beihai Navigation Safety Center of the Ministry of Transport in September this year. The vessel is 74.9 meters in length, 14.3 meters in width, 6.2 meters in depth, with a displacement of approximately 2,400 tons. It is equipped with a fully electric drive and a twin-rotating rudder propeller propulsion system. It can break ice 0.5 meters thick at a speed of 5 knots and 0.6 meters thick at a speed of 3.5 knots. It has excellent maneuverability and buoy marking capabilities in sea ice conditions.

This vessel is also the first large-scale buoy tender in China to be built in accordance with the intelligent engine room and intelligent energy efficiency requirements of the China Classification Society (CCS). It is equipped with intelligent decision support and maintenance functions, providing early warnings before equipment malfunctions, intelligently recommending the most economical navigation mode, reducing fuel consumption of the vessel, saving operating costs, and lowering carbon emissions.

It is known that every year, varying degrees of sea ice disasters occur in the Bohai Sea and the northern part of the Yellow Sea in China, which have caused serious impacts on port production and operation, maritime transportation, coastal engineering and marine aquaculture. Under adverse weather conditions such as strong winds, cold waves and ice freezing, the normal functioning of maritime navigation aids is particularly important for ensuring the smoothness of port channels and the safe navigation of ships.

To support the implementation of major national strategies such as the transportation power and maritime power, and to promote the construction of the national integrated three-dimensional transportation network, during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the Maritime Safety Administration of the Ministry of Transport will focus on building a "multi-dimensional perception, all-domain access, efficient coordination, and intelligent response" integrated water transportation safety guarantee system covering land, sea, air and space, and enhance the perception and control capabilities of China's jurisdictional waters and important international shipping routes. The construction and commissioning of large-scale maritime vessels such as "Maritime Patrol 156" are important components of this effort.