Where are the two ships on JF4 "China Antarctic Expedition" now?
On June 28, 2024, China Post will issue a set of JP284 "40th Anniversary of China's Polar Expedition" commemorative postcards. JP284 Postage Documentary Narrative In order to contribute to the cause of peaceful use of Antarctica, on November 20, 1984, China sent an Antarctic expedition team to the dock of the East China Sea Branch of the State Oceanic Administration in Shanghai, aboard the Chinese Antarctic research ship "Xiangyanghong 10" scientific research ship and the navy's "J121" salvage and rescue ship to the Antarctic expedition, and at 21:50 on December 29, 1984 (9:50 Beijing time on the 30th), For the first time, China has chosen the site for the establishment of a scientific research station, the Great Wall of China Station, on the Fields Peninsula in Antarctica.
On December 11 of the same year, in order to commemorate the first Antarctic expedition, China Post issued a commemorative postage envelope of JF4 "China Antarctic Expedition", a full set of 1.
The postage depicts the houses of the Great Wall Station in Antarctica, Adrey penguins, and Weddell seals.
The left side of the envelope is depicted with the Chinese South Antarctic research vessels "Xiangyanghong 10" and "J121", with icebergs and albatross birds in the background.
Forty years later, how are the two Antarctic research vessels doing today?
"Xiangyanghong 10" scientific research ship
The "Xiangyanghong 10" scientific research ship is the first 10,000-ton ocean-going scientific research ship designed and manufactured by the mainland. In November 1979, it was built by Shanghai Jiangnan Shipyard and delivered to the State Oceanic Administration.
In July 1999, the "Xiangyanghong 10" was officially delivered to the Maritime Tracking and Control Department of the China Satellite Launch Tracking and Control System Department. It is mainly responsible for maritime tracking, telemetry, communication and control of missiles, satellites and spacecraft. It has the advantages of high measurement and control accuracy, strong real-time performance, and all-weather work. In a short period of several years, China has brilliantly completed the tracking and control tasks of the continental manned spacecraft and the "Chang'e-1" moon orbiting satellite.
At 5:10 a.m. on August 5, 2007, when the "Yuanwang No. 4" was berthing at the Jiangyin base, it was collided by the "Ganghai No. 666" 10,000-ton coal cargo ship, and the collision point was in the bow oil tank of the No. 4 ship and caused a fire, which was extinguished four hours later, but the ship's monitoring instruments were seriously damaged, and there were no casualties. Subsequently, the ship was sent to Jiangyin Shipyard for repair. The State Council attaches great importance to this accident and demands that the relevant departments strictly investigate the cause.
The "Ganghai 666", which was fully responsible, was immediately controlled by two small gunboats of the military, and the captain and other key pilots were taken away for questioning. The State Security Bureau and its headquarters initially positioned the accident as a terrorist attack, but later found out that the "Ganghai 666" was a cargo ship of a shipping company in Tianjin, with a length of 170 meters and about 20,000 tons of coal on this voyage, which was transported to the Zhenjiang Jianbi Power Plant. When the pilot avoided the boat crossing the channel in the Jiangyin section, after the left rudder could not be returned due to the impact of the river current, the crew wanted to continue the left rudder and turn downward, but at this time, the stern of the "Ganghai No. 666" was not enough room for maneuver due to the action of the current, resulting in the "Ganghai No. 666" almost running head-on into the "Yuanwang No. 4" moored on the shore, and slightly colliding with the "Yuanwang No. 1".
Later, after testing, it was found that the main structure of "Yuanwang No. 4" was damaged due to fire and scrapped. In order to continue to exert the residual heat, it was soon modified to cooperate with the newly developed DF-21D for anti-aircraft carrier tests, and was towed to the Bohai Sea as a target ship.
The DF-21D is a medium-sized ballistic missile successfully developed by China in the 80s of the 20th century, with a range of nearly 3,000 kilometers, and the entire Atlantic Ocean is within its coverage. The most powerful thing is that its speed has reached 7900 knots, which is quite "terrifying", and compared to the 30-knots aircraft carrier, once it is locked by the Dongfeng 21D, it can only be captured.
According to media reports, China's hit on the "simulated aircraft carrier" this time was an experimental test "secretly". However, it was monitored by US satellites, which instantly woke up the US Pentagon. The United States did not believe that China's missiles could hit aircraft carriers, but when the size of the "Yuanwang 4" was only one-third of that of the US aircraft carrier, and China could accurately hit it at a distance of 2,000 kilometers, the United States instantly understood that China really had such weapons. Russian experts commented on this afterwards: The Americans, who have always been arrogant, have now been taught a lesson by China.
Soon the "Yuanwang No. 4" was towed to shallow water and stranded, and in 2011, a shipyard in Tianjin spent tens of millions of dollars to buy it back for dismantling.
The Xiangyanghong 10 was later used by a new vessel that began construction in June 2012 and was officially delivered in January 2014.
“J121”远洋打捞救生船
"J121" is a Type 925 (Dajiang class) ocean-going salvage and rescue ship, which started construction in November 1978, was launched on August 27, 1979, and delivered in May 1982. The Navy was named "Changxing Island", and once used the string number Beifu 121, which was changed to "861" in 2003 and served in the North Sea Fleet.
It was produced in the same batch as the East China Sea Fleet "No. 862" (Chongming Island) and the South China Sea Fleet "No. 863" (Yongxing Island), and it was the third ship.
The Type 925 ocean-going salvage and rescue ship was the first large-scale comprehensive ship owned by the Chinese Navy at that time, and the East China Sea Fleet once used it as its flagship. Its main missions are: surface salvage of intercontinental missiles and warhead wreckage and telemetry missions; surface salvage of spacecraft and rescue of astronauts; Completed the hydroacoustic survey of the ICBM landing point and carried out the sonar array for the survey ship target; Carry out three-level rescue and deep-water life-saving for wrecked submarines, and take into account the rescue of surface ships in distress.
The main data of the ship: the maximum displacement of 13,050 tons, the length of 156.2 meters, the maximum width of 0.6 meters, the depth of the ship is 11.50 meters, and the design draft is 6.8 meters. The main engine is 9000 horsepower low-speed diesel engine, 2 sets, 630 kilowatt diesel generator set 5 sets. The maximum speed is 20 knots, the endurance is 18,000 nautical miles, the self-sustaining power is 90 days and nights, and the establishment is 298 people. The ship is equipped with a life-saving bell, a pressure chamber and an operating room for rescue. 2 Z-8 helicopters or Super Wasp large helicopters.