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Haixun 21 Maritime Safety Administration patrol ship

Haixun 21 was put into use in 2002. It is 93.2 meters long with a maximum sailing distance of 4,000 nautical miles (7,408 kilometers) without refueling. Its maximum sailing speed is 22 knots (40.74 kilometers per hour). The helipad, located at the stern, is about 21 meters long and 11 meters wide. Haixun-21 was China's first patrol vessel with displacement exceeding 1,000 tons and capable of carrying helicopeters. The 1,500-ton-displacement vessel, which was built in 2001 and then served in East China Sea, has participated more than 100 missions since it was transferred to the South China Sea in 2012.

China on 27 December 2012 sent this oceangoing patrol vessel equipped with a helipad to the South China Sea, the first of its kind to be put into service there. The vessel, Haixun 21, was under the administration of the Hainan Maritime Safety Administration. It would monitor maritime traffic safety, investigate maritime accidents, detect pollution, carry out search and rescue work and fulfill international conventions, said Huang He, deputy head of the maritime bureau of the Ministry of Transport. "In the past, Hainan provincial maritime law enforcement entities could only cover coastal waters and never reached the high seas. The newly enlisted Haixun 21 ends the history of no large oceangoing patrol vessels in South China Sea," said Ruan Ruiwen, head of the Hainan Maritime Safety Administration.

China's marine patrol ship "Haixun 21" set sail 17 January 2013 from Haikou on its first voyage and is headed to the waters around Sansha city. It arrived in the Xisha Islands, and conducted an initial inspection of ship operations and the marine environment. "Haixun 21" is on its maiden voyage. It will pass by Yongxing Island, East Island, the Langhua reef and Chenhang Island in the South China Sea, before eventually returning to the port in Sanya. The voyage will cover a total of about 600 nautical miles. 16 joint law enforcement personnel from three maritime departments are aboard the ship. Despite bad sea conditions, the crew is pushing ahead with its travel plans. Zhang Jie, Spokesman of Hainan Maritime Bureau, said, "The main task of this voyage is to test the vessel’s navigation and beacon systems, as well as check on other Chinese fishing boats operating in these waters. All these factors will affect the vessel’s safety."

China's patrol vessel Haixun 21 departs from the Yongxing Island of Sansha City, south China's Hainan Province, July 22, 2013. The patrol vessel set out for a five-day patrol mission on the waters of Xisha Islands in South China Sea. It will monitor maritime traffic safety, investigate maritime accidents, detect pollution, and carry out search and rescue work. Haixun-21 and Haixun-1103 set out for a 3-day patrol mission on the waters of Xisha Islands in South China Sea on 21 April 2015.