Type 927 oceanographic surveillance ship explained

Type 927 acoustic surveillance ship is a type of vessel used by the People’s Liberation Army Navy. There are three known Type 927 ships, plus one predecessor Ruili No.10, which is slightly larger than Type 927 ships, and it was used to test onboard systems such as sonars for the three Type 927 ships.^[1] The first Type 927 ship was launched around June 2017 in Guangzhou.^[2] Type 927 has received NATO reporting name Dongjian class,^{[3] [4] [5]} 东监 in Chinese, meaning East Surveillance, because the West first observed it performing acoustic surveillance missions in East China Sea.

Characteristics

Type 927 vessels are twin-hulled, with a displacement of approximately 5,000 tonnes.^[6] The ships are 90 meters long and have a beam of 30 meters.^[7]

Construction

The first photos of a Type 927 under construction surfaced in 2017.^[8] Two Type 927s were constructed in Huangpu District, Guangzhou, and the third was constructed at the Wuchang Shuangliu shipyard in Wuhan.^[6]

Ships

As of end of 2021,there are a total of four ships, including the predecessor unit:

Type	NATO designation	Pennant No.	Name (English)	Name (Han 中文)	Commissioned	Displacement	Fleet	Status
Ruili No. 10 oceanographic surveillance ship	?	Rui-Li 10	Rui-Li 10	瑞利十号	2016		All fleets	Active
Type 927 oceanographic surveillance ship (AGOS)	?	780	Beta Ursae Majoris	天璇星	2018		South Sea Fleet	Active
		781	Gamma Ursae Majoris	天玑星	2019		South Sea Fleet	Active
		782	Eta Ursae Majoris	瑶光星	2019		South Sea Fleet	Active

Notes and References

1. Web site: 简氏称中国海军第二艘927型海洋水声监视船下水 弥补我国海军反潜短板. 2019-04-25. 观察者. Zh-hans. 2019-04-25. https://web.archive.org/web/20190425160038/https://www.guancha.cn/military-affairs/2018_03_22_451086.shtml.
2. Chinese Anti-Submarine Warfare: Aviation Platforms, Strategy, and Doctrine . Rick . Joe . . October 16, 2018.
3. Web site: PLANS recognition guide 2018. July 16, 2018.
4. Web site: PLANS recognition guide 2019. February 19, 2020.
5. Web site: PLANS recognition guide 2020. February 19, 2020.
6. News: Acoustic surveillance ship likely to have entered service with PLAN . Andrew . Tate . January 29, 2019 . Jane's Information Group.
7. News: China launches another acoustic surveillance ship . Andrew . Tate . . March 21, 2018.
8. Web site: Stashwick . Steven . Photos Reveal Possible New Chinese Sub-Tracking Surveillance Ship . thediplomat.com . The Diplomat . 9 September 2019.