The Beituo 617 class tug is a little known class of naval
auxiliary
Auxiliary may refer to:
* A backup site or system
In language
* Auxiliary language (disambiguation)
* Auxiliary verb
In military and law enforcement
* Auxiliary police
* Auxiliaries, civilians or quasi-military personnel who provide support of ...
currently in service with the
People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN).
The name of this class is taken from that of the first unit commissioned, with the exact type still remaining unknown; a total of two of this class have been confirmed as being in active service as of the mid-2010s.
[ The Beituo 617 class is a single deck design with a two level superstructure, a platform is atop of the second level.][
The Beituo 617 class ships in PLAN service are designated by a combination of two Chinese characters followed by three-digit number. The second Chinese character is Tuo (ζ), meaning tug in Chinese, because these ships are classified as ]tugboat
A tugboat or tug is a marine vessel that manoeuvres other vessels by pushing or pulling them, with direct contact or a tow line. These boats typically tug ships in circumstances where they cannot or should not move under their own power, su ...
s. The first Chinese character denotes which fleet the ship is service with, with East (Dong, δΈ) for East Sea Fleet
The Eastern Theater Command Navy (), or East Sea Fleet (ESF; ), is one of the three fleets of the People's Liberation Army Navy, operating in the East China Sea under the Eastern Theater Command. It was the first naval force formed by the Peop ...
, North (Bei, ε) for North Sea Fleet, and South (Nan, ε) for South Sea Fleet
The Southern Theater Command Navy (), or the South Sea Fleet (SSF; ) is one of the three fleets of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy, operating in the South China Sea under the Southern Theater Command. It is headquartered in Zhanjiang, ...
. However, the pennant numbers may have changed due to the change of Chinese naval ships naming convention.
References
{{Ship classes of the Chinese Navy, state=uncollapsed
Auxiliary tugboat classes
Auxiliary ships of the People's Liberation Army Navy
Tugboats of the People's Liberation Army Navy