Dupo-class tug explained

The Dupo class is a class of little known large harbor tugs (YTB) built in the People's Republic of China (PRC) for the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN).^{[1] [2] [3] [4]} The exact domestic Chinese type designation remain unknown, and this class is identified by its NATO reporting name Dupo class,^{[1] [2] [3] [4]} or 渡泊 in Chinese, meaning Crossing & Mooring.

Specification:^{[1] [2] [3] [4]}

• Length: 37m (121feet)

The Dupo class in PLAN service is designated by a combination of two Chinese characters followed by three-digit number. The second Chinese character is Tuo (拖), meaning Tug in Chinese. The first Chinese character denotes which fleet the ship is service with, with East (Dong, 东) for East Sea Fleet, North (Bei, 北) for North Sea Fleet, and South (Nan, 南) for South Sea Fleet. However, the pennant numbers may have changed due to the change of Chinese naval ships naming convention. As 2022, nearly a dozen ships have been identified:^{[1] [2] [3] [4]}

Type	NATO designation	Pennant No.	Name (English)	Name (Han 中文)	Commissioned	Displacement	Fleet	Status
Dupo-class large harbor tug (YTB)	Dupo class	Nan-Tuo 192	South Tug 192	南拖 192	?	? t	South Sea Fleet	Active
		Various (10+)	Various	Various	?	? t	?	In service & under construction

Notes and References

1. Web site: PLANS recognition guide 2018. July 16, 2018.
2. Web site: PLANS recognition guide 2019. February 19, 2020.
3. Web site: PLANS recognition guide 2020. February 19, 2020.
4. Web site: PLANS recognition guide 2015. August 7, 2015.