The Type 815, as well as its derivatives Type 815G and Type 815A, are Chinese electronic surveillance ships in service with the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). Type 815 spy ship has received NATO reporting name Dongdiao class (meaning East Investigation), while its successors Type 815G & 815A have received NATO reporting name Dongdiao II class.[1][2][3][4]
| History | |
|---|---|
 PRC | |
| Status | Active |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Dongdiao I / II class |
| Type | Spy ships (AGI) |
| Propulsion | Marine Diesel |
| Sensors and processing systems | Navigation radar |
| Electronic warfare & decoys | None |
| Armour | None |
| Aircraft carried | 1 |
| Aviation facilities | Helipad |
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Type 815
editType 815 was designed to be a follow-on for earlier Type 813, but the latter did not immediately retire after the former has been commissioned, and both types served together until Type 813 was finally retired from PLAN and transferred to Chinese Coast Guard and converted to PRCCGS # 3469 cutter. Type 815 was formerly named as Dong-Diao (东调, meaning "East Investigate") (Pennant #232), but subsequently, the name was changed to Polaris after new naming convention adopted by PLAN. After entering service in the latter half of 1999, the ship went through major upgrade several years later, with parabolic antennas replaced by three large radomes. In addition to collecting electronic intelligence, this class is also tasked to perform ballistic missile tracking. There is a hangar for a helicopter. Specification:[5]
- Length: 130 m (430 ft)
- Width: 16.4 m (54 ft)
- Draft: 6.5 m (21 ft)
- Displacement: 6,000 tonnes (5,900 LT)
- Speed: 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
- Crew: 250
- Propulsion: diesel engine
- Armament: 1 Type 76 twin 37 mm naval gun, 2 Type 61 twin 25 mm AA gun
| Pennant # | Name | Builder | Commissioned | Status | Fleet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AGI-851 | Beijixing (Polaris) | Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding | late 1999 | Active | East Sea Fleet |
Type 815G
editIn 2009 an improved version appeared, designated as Type 815G,[citation needed] and the most obvious external visual difference between Type 815G and earlier Type 815 is that the former has a different mast somewhat similar to a pagoda shape, and the sheer line is curved at a greater angle.[6]
| Pennant # | Name | Builder | Launched | Commissioned | Status | Fleet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AGI-853 | Tianwangxing (Uranus) | Hudong,Shanghai | 1 December 2009 | 1 December 2010 | Active | East Sea Fleet |
| AGI-854 | Tianlangxing (Sirius) | Hudong,Shanghai | 29 March 2014 | 15 February 2015 | Active | North Sea Fleet |
| AGI-855 | Tianshuxing (Dubhe) | Hudong,Shanghai | 28 July 2014 | 1 August 2015 | Active | South Sea Fleet |
| AGI-852 | Haiwangxing (Neptune) | Hudong,Shanghai | 22 January 2015 | 26 December 2015 | Active | South Sea Fleet |
Type 815A
editIn January 2017, an improved Type 815G entered service with Chinese navy. Designated as Type 815A,[7] this further improved Type 815 can be visually distinguished from earlier Type 815G in the radome above the pilothouse: the radome of Type 815A is a cylinder with flat top surface,[8] while the top of cylinder radome of earlier Type 815G has a semi-sphere.[9]
| Pennant # | Name | Builder | Launched | Commissioned | Status | Fleet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AGI-856 | Kaiyangxing (Mizar) | Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding | 8 June 2016 | 10 January 2017 | Active | North Sea Fleet |
| AGI-857 | Tianquanxing (Megrez) | Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding | 14 February 2017 | 2017 | Active | South Sea Fleet |
| AGI-858 | Yuhengxing (Alioth) | Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding | 8 September 2017 | 2018 | Active | East Sea Fleet |
| AGI-859 | Jinxing (Venus) | Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding | 3 February 2018 | 2018 | Active | North Sea Fleet |
Operations
editThe Type 815 is the most common spy ship deployed off the Taiwan Strait.[10] Beginning in 2017, at least one Type 815G ship has been used to monitor each of the biennial Talisman Saber military exercises in northern Australia; in 2021, two such vessels, the Tianwangxing (天王星, Uranus) and Haiwangxing (海王星, Neptune) were deployed.[11][12][13][14][15] In 2024, Tianquanxing (天權星, Megrez) was spotted off the coast of Pingtung ahead of Taiwan's missile tests.[16]
In May 2022 the Haiwangxing conducted surveillance operations from Australia’s waters in the Northwest, coming at one point within 50 nautical miles of the Harold E Holt naval communications station in what the Australian defence minister said was an “an act of aggression”[17][18]
References
edit- ^ "PLANS recognition guide 2015". August 7, 2015.
- ^ "PLANS recognition guide 2018". July 16, 2018.
- ^ "PLANS recognition guide 2019". February 19, 2020.
- ^ "PLANS recognition guide 2020". February 19, 2020.
- ^ Type 815
- ^ "Type 815G". Archived from the original on 2014-05-17. Retrieved 2014-05-15.
- ^ Type 815A
- ^ Type 815A spy ship radome
- ^ Type 815G spy ship radome
- ^ "Chinese spy ship and US destroyer seen near Taiwan". www.taipeitimes.com. Taipei Times. CNA. 15 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
- ^ Dillon, Louis (2019-07-08). "Spy Games: All eyes on Australia as Exercise Talisman Sabre launches". www.defenceconnect.com.au. Retrieved 2019-07-17.
- ^ Greene, Andrew (12 July 2019). "Chinese spy ship staying just outside Australia's territorial waters ahead of Talisman Sabre war games". ABC News. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
- ^ Greene, Andrew (14 July 2019). "Chinese spy ship reportedly arrives off Queensland coast to monitor war games with the United States". ABC News. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
- ^ Greene, Andrew (13 July 2021). "Chinese spy ship returns to waters off Queensland ahead of Defence's largest war-fighting exercise". ABC News. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
- ^ Greene, Andrew (17 July 2021). "Second Chinese spy ship approaches Australia to monitor military exercises after being 'on our radar for some time'". ABC News. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
- ^ Tsai, Tsung-hsien (July 19, 2024). "中國電子偵察艦往東南航行 疑與監測國軍飛彈試射有關". Liberty Times News. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
- ^ "Defence Minister Peter Dutton says a Chinese spy ship has been seen near secretive naval facility off Western Australia". ABC Australia.
- ^ "Australia says Chinese spy ship's presence off west coast 'concerning'". Reuters.
