Tan Suo San Hao during construction at the Guangzhou Shipyard International. (Source: China State Shipbuilding Corporation)
China has delivered its first scientific research vessel designed for global deep-sea exploration, marking a significant advancement in the nation’s polar and deep-sea capabilities.
The Tan Suo San Hao (Exploration No. 3), built by Guangzhou Shipyard International Co., Ltd., represents a major milestone in China’s maritime ambitions. The 104-meter vessel boasts impressive specifications, including a 10,000-tonne displacement, 15,000 nautical mile endurance, and innovative two-direction ice-breaking capabilities.
“The vessel will enable China’s manned deep-diving capability to reach the full ocean area around the globe,” according to official statements.
The Tan Suo San Hao project, jointly funded by the Hainan provincial government and scientific institutions, demonstrates China’s growing technological prowess in maritime exploration. The development comes as China plans an ambitious manned expedition to the Arctic Ocean floor, potentially making it only the second nation after Russia to achieve this feat.
The rapid construction of the vessel, completed in less than 10 months from steel-cutting to launch, showcases China’s accelerating shipbuilding capabilities.
The delivery of the Tan Suo San Hao follows an active year in Arctic operations, with China dispatching three icebreakers to the region and conducting its first joint Arctic patrol with Russia.
Despite being geographically distant from the Arctic, China has intensified its northern presence, self-identifying as a “near-Arctic state” – a claim contested by Western Arctic nations. The country’s commercial interests in the region have also expanded, with record levels of crude oil deliveries and container shipping reported this year.
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