The launching ceremony for the Chinese research vessel Shiyan-1, was held on 12 September at a shipyard of Huludao, northeast China's Liaoning Province. High-level officials from the China Academy of Science (CAS), and Bohai Shipbuilding Heavy Industry Co. Ltd., the builder of Shiyan-1, were present to witness the birth of China's most advanced marine surveyor. CAS Vice President YIN Hejun cut the launching rope. According to Prof. TIAN Jing, director-general of the CAS Bureau for Hi-tech Research and Development, the new vessel is China's first large-scale SWATH (small waterplane area twin hull) with more than 2,000-ton displacement. The 60m-long and 26m-wide vessel is equipped with an AC frequency-conversion drive system and a dynamic positioning system. It is noted for global vibration and noise reduction and automation for the vessel. Because of its outstanding properties such as seaworthiness and quietness, according to experts, Shiyan-1 could be used to carry out a comprehensive and multi-disciplinary marine investigations in such fields as hydro-acoustics, marine physics, geo-biology, marine and geological environment. With three CAS institutes (namely Institute of Acoustics, the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, and Institute of Automation) as its overseers, the ship was designed by the No. 702 Institute under the China Heavy-duty Ship-building Incorporation. It will be delivered to CAS by the end of this year after trial trips.
