China's Largest Patrol Vessel Put into Service

Patrol vessel Haixun 01 is berthed at a port in Shanghai, east China, April 16, 2013. Haixun 01, officially delivered and put into service Tuesday and managed by the Shanghai Maritime Bureau, is China's largest and most advanced patrol vessel. The 5,418-tonnage Haixun01 is 128.6 meters in length and has a maximum sailing distance of 10,000 nautical miles (18,520 km) without refueling. It will carry out missions regarding maritime inspection, safety monitoring, rescue and oil spill detection and handling. [Photo: Xinhua/Chen Fei]

China's largest and most advanced maritime patrol vessel, the "Haixun 01", has been put into service in Shanghai.

The ship can hold upward of 200 people.

It's equipped with a triage center to deal with people injured at sea.

It's also armed with two water cannons that can spray a water column up to 150-meters.

Xu Guoyi is the director general of Shanghai Maritime Administration.

"The water cannons are mainly used for fire-fighting. But according to international conventions, when public service vessels are interfered or under emergency cases, water cannons are needed to drive away ships that illegally enter the territorial waters of China."

The vessel is also equiped to handle surveys and salvage operations.

The launch of the vessel comes as China faces mounting challenges to its "territorial waters" in the East and South China Seas from neighboring countries.

A rescue helicopter of patrol vessel Haixun 01 flies over the Huangpu River in Shanghai, east China, April 16, 2013. Haixun 01, officially delivered and put into service Tuesday and managed by the Shanghai Maritime Bureau, is China's largest and most advanced patrol vessel. The 5,418-tonnage Haixun01 is 128.6 meters in length and has a maximum sailing distance of 10,000 nautical miles (18,520 km) without refueling. It will carry out missions regarding maritime inspection, safety monitoring, rescue and oil spill detection and handling. [Photo: Xinhua/Chen Fei]

A rescue helicopter of patrol vessel Haixun 01 (not in photo) flies over the Huangpu River in Shanghai, east China, April 16, 2013. Haixun 01, officially delivered and put into service Tuesday and managed by the Shanghai Maritime Bureau, is China's largest and most advanced patrol vessel. The 5,418-tonnage Haixun01 is 128.6 meters in length and has a maximum sailing distance of 10,000 nautical miles (18,520 km) without refueling. It will carry out missions regarding maritime inspection, safety monitoring, rescue and oil spill detection and handling. [Photo: Xinhua/Chen Fei]

Patrol vessel Haixun 01 makes sail from a port in Shanghai, east China, April 16, 2013. Haixun 01, officially delivered and put into service Tuesday and managed by the Shanghai Maritime Bureau, is China's largest and most advanced patrol vessel. The 5,418-tonnage Haixun01 is 128.6 meters in length and has a maximum sailing distance of 10,000 nautical miles (18,520 km) without refueling. It will carry out missions regarding maritime inspection, safety monitoring, rescue and oil spill detection and handling. [Photo: Xinhua/Chen Fei]

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