Submarine chaser 'Hai'an' decommissioned

The retirement ceremony for the Chinese submarine chaser "Hai'an" (hull number 650) was held at a naval port in Zhoushan, east China's Zhejiang province, on the morning of July 16, 2014, marking that the "Hai'an" ship, which has been in service for 33 years, is now officially decommissioned.

The "Hai'an" ship is the last one of its class in a maritime garrison under the East China Sea Fleet of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) to retire. As new-type frigates successively commissioned to the maritime garrison, the equipment of the garrison is upgrading.

Manufactured by the Chongqing Shipyard, the "Hai'an" ship was delivered to the PLA Navy in December 1981, and was named "Hai'an" in 1986.

The "Hai'an" ship is 58.77 meters long and 7.20 meters wide, and has a draught of 2.2 meters, full-load displacement of 395 tons, maximum design speed of 30.5 knots and maximum endurance of 7 days and nights.

It is learnt that the retired "Hai'an" ship will be used as a target ship.