The Yuan Wang-class ( ''Yuǎn wàng'') are a line of

Chinese Chinese may refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people identified with China, through nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **Han Chinese, East Asian ethnic group native to China. **'' Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic ...

tracking ship A tracking ship, also called a missile range instrumentation ship or range ship, is a ship equipped with antennas and electronics to support the launching and tracking of missiles and rockets. Since many missile ranges launch over ocean areas for ...

s used for surveillance and communication of

launch vehicle A launch vehicle is typically a rocket-powered vehicle designed to carry a payload (a crewed spacecraft or satellites) from Earth's surface or lower atmosphere to outer space. The most common form is the ballistic missile-shaped multistage ...

rocket A rocket (from , and so named for its shape) is a vehicle that uses jet propulsion to accelerate without using any surrounding air. A rocket engine produces thrust by reaction to exhaust expelled at high speed. Rocket engines work entirely ...

s and

intercontinental ballistic missile An intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is a ballistic missile with a range (aeronautics), range greater than , primarily designed for nuclear weapons delivery (delivering one or more Thermonuclear weapon, thermonuclear warheads). Conven ...

s by the

People's Liberation Army Strategic Support Force The People's Liberation Army Strategic Support Force was a service branch of the People's Liberation Army that existed from December 2015 to April 2024. With an aim to improve the army's ability to fight what China terms "informationized confli ...

. This class is not of a single ship design, but instead is a group of different designs under the same series that share the same name. The ships are all assigned to the China Maritime Satellite Telemetry and Control Department in Jianyin,

Jiangsu province Jiangsu is a coastal province in East China. It is one of the leading provinces in finance, education, technology, and tourism, with its capital in Nanjing. Jiangsu is the third smallest, but the fifth most populous, with a population of 84. ...

. Detailed specifications for every ship have not been released by the PLASSF. ''Yuan Wang 1'' and ''Yuan Wang 2'' are thought to have a displacement tonnage of around 21,000 tons when fully loaded, with a crew of about 470 and a length of about . Their propulsion is from one Sulzer

diesel Diesel may refer to: * Diesel engine, an internal combustion engine where ignition is caused by compression * Diesel fuel, a liquid fuel used in diesel engines * Diesel locomotive, a railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine ...

engine, with a top speed of 20 knots (37 km/h). The class was first proposed by

Premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of govern ...

Zhou Enlai Zhou Enlai ( zh, s=周恩来, p=Zhōu Ēnlái, w=Chou1 Ên1-lai2; 5 March 1898 – 8 January 1976) was a Chinese statesman, diplomat, and revolutionary who served as the first Premier of the People's Republic of China from September 1954 unti ...

in 1965, and was approved by

Mao Zedong Mao Zedong pronounced ; traditionally Romanization of Chinese, romanised as Mao Tse-tung. (26December 18939September 1976) was a Chinese politician, revolutionary, and political theorist who founded the People's Republic of China (PRC) in ...

in 1968. The first two ships of the class, ''Yuan Wang 1'' and ''Yuan Wang 2'', were built at the

Jiangnan Shipyard Jiangnan Shipyard ( zh, c=江南造船厂, p=Jiāngnán Zàochuán Chǎng) is a historic shipyard in Shanghai, China. The shipyard has been state-owned since its founding in 1865 and is now operated as Jiangnan Shipyard (Group) Co. Ltd. Befo ...

Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...

and put to sea on 31 August 1977 and 1 September 1978 respectively. The general designer of this class is . For the first time, this gave the PRC the ability to track launches and satellites that were not over their territory. The first survey mission of the two ships was during May 1980. After being used for tracking of the launches of indigenously developed communications satellites, ''Yuan Wang 1'' and ''Yuan Wang 2'' underwent overhauls in 1986, so they could be used for supporting international satellite launches by the PRC. Two further ships of the class have been built. The first was ''Yuan Wang 3'', which was commissioned on 20 October 1995. The ''Yuan Wang 4'' tracking ship was constructed by

China State Shipbuilding Corporation The China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) is a state-owned shipbuilding conglomerate of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Background CSSC is one of the top 10 defence groups in the PRC. It consists of various shipyards, equip ...

and delivered to the

China Satellite Launch and Tracking Control General China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the second-most populous country after India, representing 17.4% of the world population. China spans the e ...

on 18 July 1999. It had been converted from the previously used ''

Xiang Yang Hong Xiang Yang Hong () are a class of China, Chinese oceanographic survey and research ships. These were among China's first ocean survey vessels. Fleet list * Xiang Yang Hong 01 * Xiang Yang Hong 03 — built 2016 * Chinese research ship Xiangyang ...

10'' scientific survey ship. Another two Yuan Wang-class vessels were launched in Shanghai in early 2007. Pictures of ''Yuan Wang 6'' were published, and both ''Yuan Wang 5'' and the newly commissioned ship were on duty for the

Shenzhou 7 Shenzhou 7 () was the third human spaceflight mission of the Chinese space program. The mission, which included the first Chinese extra-vehicular activity (EVA) carried out by crew members Zhai Zhigang and Liu Boming, marked the commencement o ...

mission. During the

Shenzhou spacecraft Shenzhou (, ; see ) is a Chinese spacecraft developed for the nation's crewed space program. Its design was based on Russia's Soyuz, but larger and modernized. Like Soyuz, Shenzhou is a single-use vehicle composed of three modules; a descent ...

flights, the four ships were positioned as follows: *''Yuan Wang 1'' in the

Yellow Sea The Yellow Sea, also known as the North Sea, is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula, and can be considered the northwestern part of the East China Sea. Names It is one of four ...

*''Yuan Wang 2'' about 1500 km (about 900 statute miles) southwest of

French Polynesia French Polynesia ( ; ; ) is an overseas collectivity of France and its sole #Governance, overseas country. It comprises 121 geographically dispersed islands and atolls stretching over more than in the Pacific Ocean, South Pacific Ocean. The t ...

*''Yuan Wang 3'' off the

Namibia Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country on the west coast of Southern Africa. Its borders include the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south; in the no ...

n coast *''Yuan Wang 4'' off the coast of

Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...

in the

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or approximately 20% of the water area of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia (continent), ...

Fleet list

* Yuan Wang 1 - 1977 * Yuan Wang 2 - 1978 * Yuan Wang 3 - 1995 * Yuan Wang 4 - 1999 * Yuan Wang 5 - 2007 * Yuan Wang 6 - 2007 * Yuan Wang 7 - 2016 * Yuan Wang 8 (Liao Wang 1) - 2024 * Yuan Wang 21 -

Long March 5 Long March 5 (LM-5; zh, s=长征五号 , p=Chángzhēng wǔ hào) or Changzheng 5 (CZ-5), also known by its nickname "''Pang-Wu''" (胖五, "''Fat-Five''"), is a Chinese heavy-lift launch vehicle developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicl ...

transport ship * Yuan Wang 22 -

transport ship

Type 718

is the very first design of Yuanwang series, and it consists of two ships, Yuan Wang 1 and Yuan Wang 2, both of which have since retired in the early 2010s. Type 718 can attain speeds of 20 kn.

Yuan Wang 3

Yuan Wang 3 is the second generation tracking ship of Yuan Wang series, and it can attain speeds up to 20 kt, with a range of 18,000 nautical miles and a cruising speed of 18 kt.

Yuan Wang 4

Yuan Wang 4 was converted from Type 643

research vessel A research vessel (RV or R/V) is a ship or boat designed, modified, or equipped to carry out research at sea. Research vessels carry out a number of roles. Some of these roles can be combined into a single vessel but others require a dedicated ...

Xiangyanghong 10 (向阳红10), which was originally designed in February 1971, with construction begun in July 1975, and entered service in October 1979. Conversion was completed in August 1998, and the ship is capable of carrying a

Changhe Z-8 Changhe, officially Jiangxi Changhe Automobile Co Ltd, was a Chinese automobile manufacturer based in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province, China.Jiangyin Jiangyin (, Jiangyin dialect: ) is a county-level city on the southern bank of the Yangtze River. It is administered by the Wuxi, Jiangsu province. Jiangyin is an important transport hub on the Yangtze River and one of the most developed counties ...

port at 5:10 AM on 5 August 2007, Yuan Wang 4 was hit by a coal carrier Harbor Sea 666 (Gang Hai 666, 港海 666), which caused a massive fire started at the point of collision at 4th fuel tank. The fire was put out after four hours without any casualties, but the equipment on board was severely damaged beyond repair. As a result, Yuan Wang 4 was subsequently converted to a

target ship A target ship is a vessel — typically an obsolete or captured warship — used as a seaborne target for naval gunnery practice or for weapons testing. Targets may be used with the intention of testing effectiveness of specific types of ammunit ...

for

DF-21 The Dongfeng 21 (DF-21; NATO reporting name CSS-5 - Dong-Feng () is a two-stage, solid-fuel, single-warhead medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) developed by China's Changfeng Mechanics and Electronics Technology Academy. A part of the Dongfe ...

ballistic

anti-ship missile An anti-ship missile (AShM or ASM) is a guided missile that is designed for use against ships and large boats. Most anti-ship missiles are of the sea-skimming variety, and many use a combination of inertial guidance and active radar homing. ...

to simulate an aircraft carrier target as it entered Jiangyin Shipyard on 15 April 2010 for repair, and eventually destroyed in the latter half of 2010.

Yuan Wang 5

Yuan Wang 5 is the third generation tracking ship of Yuan Wang series, and entered service on 29 September 2007. Loaded with electronic tracking gear, the Yuan Wang 5 has been called a "spy ship". Built by Jiangnan Shipyard, Yuan Wang 5 has a displacement of 25,000 tones, and is designed to withstand winds up to

Beaufort scale The Beaufort scale ( ) is an empirical measure that relates wind speed to observed conditions at sea or on land. Its full name is the Beaufort wind force scale. It was devised in 1805 by Francis Beaufort a hydrographer in the Royal Navy. It ...

12, and perform duties in sea state 6. It has a carrying capacity of 11,000 tons DWT and its draught is reported to be 8.2 meters. Its

length overall Length overall (LOA, o/a, o.a. or oa) is the maximum length of a vessel's hull measured parallel to the waterline. This length is important while docking the ship. It is the most commonly used way of expressing the size of a ship, and is also ...

(LOA) is 222 meters and its width is 25.2 meters. Its home port is

Jiangyin Jiangyin (, Jiangyin dialect: ) is a county-level city on the southern bank of the Yangtze River. It is administered by the Wuxi, Jiangsu province. Jiangyin is an important transport hub on the Yangtze River and one of the most developed counties ...

on the

Yangtze The Yangtze or Yangzi ( or ) is the longest river in Eurasia and the third-longest in the world. It rises at Jari Hill in the Tanggula Mountains of the Tibetan Plateau and flows including Dam Qu River the longest source of the Yangtze, i ...

. The general designer of both Yuan Wang 5 and 6 was Mr. Huang Wei (黄蔚), the general engineer of the 708th Institute of

China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation The China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC) was one of the two largest shipbuilding conglomerates in the People's Republic of China, the other was the China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC). In 2019, CSIC was merged into CSSC. ...

(CSIC).

Yuan Wang 6

Yuan Wang 6, like its sister ship Yuan Wang 5, is also a third generation tracking ship of Yuan Wang series. Designed by the 708th Research Institute, construction begun in April 2006, and the ship was launched on March 16, 2007. The ship entered service on April 12, 2008, and become fully operational in July 2008. Yuan Wang 6 utilizes fiber optic for its information system on board, and the electricity generated by the ship is enough to supply a city of 300,000. Specification: *Length (m): 222.2 *Width (m): 25.2 *Displacement (t): 24,966 *Accommodation: 400

Yuan Wang 7

Yuan Wang 7 was constructed by Jiangnan Shipbuilding, and is said to be able to operate for 100 days at sea. The China Satellite Maritime Tracking and Control Department has said the vessel will be used for maritime tracking of the Shenzhou 11 crewed space mission, and the

Tiangong 2 Tiangong-2 () was a Chinese space laboratory and part of the Project 921-2 space station program. Tiangong-2 was launched on 15 September 2016. It was deorbited as planned on 19 July 2019. Tiangong-2 was neither designed nor planned to be a ...

space laboratory, using three large dish antennae some 10–12 meters in diameter. It was commissioned on 19 July 2016.China commissions space tracking ship as new station readied
SpaceDaily.com, 19 July 2016 * Length (m): 220 * Width (m): tbc * Height (m): 40m * Displacement (t): 25,000

Yuan Wang 21

The Yuan Wang 21 is a cargo ship designed by the 708th Research Institute specially to transport rockets such as the

; construction began on 1 April 2012, and it was launched on 29 November 2012. Yuan Wang 21 entered service on 6 May 2013. Specification: *Length (m): 130 *Width (m): 19 *Draft (m): 5.8 *Displacement (t): 9080

Yuan Wang 22

Yuan Wang 22 is also a cargo ship designed specially to transport rockets such as

, and it is also built by Jiangnan Shipyard, the same builder of earlier Yuan Wang 21. Yuan Wang 22 might be a sister ship of Yuan Wang 21, but this cannot be confirmed yet, because detailed information / specification of Yuan Wang 22 has not been released by official Chinese governmental sources yet (as of 2014). Yuan Wang 22 was launched on 24 January 2013. Yuan Wang 22
/ref>

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yuan Wang Class Tracking Ship Auxiliary ships of the People's Republic of China Maritime vessels related to spaceflight

Fleet list

Type 718

Yuan Wang 3

Yuan Wang 4

Yuan Wang 5

Yuan Wang 6

Yuan Wang 7

Yuan Wang 21

Yuan Wang 22

See also

French Navy

Indian Navy

Soviet Navy / Russian Navy

United States Navy

References