Wuchang Shipbuilding Industrial Group launched Shen Hai Yi Hao ("Deep Sea Number 1"), a new mothership for manned submersibles, in a ceremony on Saturday, December 8.
The vessel will serve as a mothership for the Chinese-built submersible Jiaolong which can dive to depths of up to 7,000 metres, giving it the greatest depth range of any manned research vehicle ever built.
Shen Hai Yi Hao has an LOA of 90.2 metres, a width of 16.8 metres, a depth of 8.3 metres, a design draught of 5.5 metres, and an endurance of 60 days.