China's new manned submersible has passed state safety tests and was officially commissioned on November 30, 2017.



China's new manned submersible [File photo: VCG]

The manned submersible, named Shenhai Yongshi, or "deep sea warrior," can reach a depth of 4,500 meters and is equipped with a state-of-the-art control system. It is expected to provide service for ocean scientific research for the next 30 years.

The control system, the brain of the submersible, includes automatic driving, emergency braking, water leakage prevention, and self-navigation.

According to Zhao Bing, who has tested the submersible, the control system enables the submersible to locate an item with a diameter of less than 50 cm some 3,500 meters underwater, effectively like 'finding a needle in an underwater haystack.''

In October, the submersible was loaded on board the ship Tansuo-1 to carry out its first deep-sea tests off the coast of Sanya in southern China's Hainan Province.

The submersible passed the state safety test in the middle of November.

The development of the submersible has been led by the No. 702 Institute of the China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation, taking eight years and involving more than 90 Chinese organizations and companies.

China's manned submersible Jiaolong is currently in service. It set a record by diving 7,062 meters deep in the Mariana Trench in June 2012.



