The China Coast Guard (CCG) is growing in hull count, in displacement, and in ambition. With that growth comes an equally expanding logistics burden. More ships mean more fuel, more water, more food, more spare parts, and yes, even more replacement loudspeakers for those cutters that spend their days shouting at foreign fishing boats and decommissioned ex USN LST in the South China Sea.
It’s easy to focus on the big white hulls and the headline‑grabbing confrontations. But none of that matters if the ships can’t stay out there. And staying out there for weeks at a time which requires a capability most coast guards never bother with:
Replenishment at Sea (RAS).
The 5000‑ton Tankers: Quiet Workhorses
The CCG currently operates two 5000‑ton tankers, hulls 5502 and 5602, dedicated to supporting South China Sea patrols. Chinese blogs disagree on their origin — some claim they’re naval transfers, others insist they’re purpose‑built. Judging by their weathered hulls and the fact that both have been photographed in service for years, the only certainty is that they’ve been doing the job for a long time.
Their pennant numbers (5xxx) place them under the 5th Direct Subordinate Bureau (DSB) headquartered in Sanya, responsible for the “South Sea” sector, the most politically sensitive and operationally demanding region in the entire CCG structure right now
Source of this video (link)
For reference, the CCG’s six Direct Subordinate Bureaus break down as:
- 1st DSB – 1xxx (Shanghai)
- 2nd DSB – 2xxx (Ningbo)
- 3rd DSB – 3xxx (Guangzhou)
- 4th DSB – 4xxx (Wenchang)
- 5th DSB – 5xxx (Sanya)
- 6th DSB – 6xxx (Qingdao)
The 5th DSB is the one that matters most for sustained presence around the Spratlys, Paracels, and the broader “nine‑dash‑line” theater. And sustained presence requires sustained logistics.
Enter the Zhaotou-Class: The Coast Guard’s Mother Ship (see my March 25, 2025 below)
As a supplemental tanker support, the CCG has another trick: its massive Zhaotou‑class cutters — the 12,000‑ton “monster cutters.” One of these was recently observed conducting replenishment operations with two smaller Type 878 cutters (the “civilian Type 054A” hulls).
The Zhaotou-class isn’t just a big cutter — it’s a mother ship.
Its secondary role includes:
- Refueling smaller cutters
- Providing fresh water and provisions
- Offering limited repair capability
- Acting as a command node for multi‑ship patrol groups
- Extending the operational radius of vessels that normally wouldn’t survive long missions in the South China Sea
In effect, the Zhaotou-class can act as a mobile forward operating base, allowing the CCG to operate like a navy without formally being one.
Tuesday, March 25, 2025
China Coast Guard Replenishment At Sea
One of the two China Coast Guard "Monster" cutters -Zhaotou-class, weighting in 12,000 tons - reporting here practicing replenishment at sea with two smaller Type 878 cutters (aka Civilian Type054A) which confirming its secondary mother-ship role to other smaller Coast Guard cutters on long missions, say around China Sea Sea.
The two Type 878 are 2303 and 2307
Friday, September 13, 2024
Sino Russian Coast Guard "China-Russia Coast Guard 2024" Joint Exercise. Not against any third party, of course.
Cutters taking part of this exercise are China Coast Guard vessels CCG 2303 Meishan and CCG 2305 Xiushan. If they look familar to readers of this blog, because both cutters are civilian variant of the Type054A FFG.
China Coast Guard vessel formation departs for joint drills in Russia
Source
Xinhuanet
Editor
Lin Congyi
Time
2024-09-13 22:44:28
http://eng.chinamil.com.cn/CHINA_209163/TopStories_209189/16338318.html
BEIJING,
Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- A formation of China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels
departed on Friday morning for Russia to carry out joint drills and
patrol tasks between the two countries' coast guards, the CCG said
Friday.
The Chinese and Russian coast guards will hold joint
drills in maritime security threat crackdown and maritime rescue,
following which vessel formations of the two sides will jointly patrol
waters in the northern Pacific Ocean, according to the CCG.
The
CCG noted that the drills and patrol tasks are not aimed at any third
party and are unrelated to the current international and regional
situations.
The purpose is to consolidate and deepen the friendly
and practical cooperation between the maritime law enforcement forces
of the two countries, improve joint patrol organizational and
coordination mechanisms, and enhance their ability to jointly respond to
various maritime security threats, it added.
Monday, August 12, 2024
Guangzhou Huangpu Shipyard, Aug 12th.
In addition to the new Type054Amod FFG under construction, recent
images reveal that two Type 878 Cutters' (Chinese coast guard variant of
Type054) maintenance are also being performed there as well One
bustling yard for sure.
Wednesday, January 24, 2018
China Coast Guard Commission of the Day: 3rd Type 878 Cutter (Type 054A JIANGKAI Class FFG Civilian Variant), 46303
Photo credit goes to HSH's amian510
Saturday, October 29, 2016
Additional Coast Guard Type054 and Type056 cutters launched in Guangzhou.
Sunday, May 29, 2016
China's Coast Guard getting their own Type054 based hull
The Coast Guard is also sharing the same hull with Type056 so this is not unprecedented.
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
China coast guard's "10,000-ton" cutter under sea trials
Sunday, February 08, 2015
Photos of the day: China's second 10,000 ton Coast Guard cutter under constuction in Shanghai
From this aerial of Jiangnan Shipyard, the twin 10,000 Ton class cutters are clearly visible, together with 3 Type 052D, 2 Type 052 C DDGs and 2 LCACs.
Saturday, December 13, 2014
Photo of the day: China’s new 10,000 ton Coast Guard cutter 2901
China builds world's largest patrol ship: report
Analysts said the ship, with a higher continuous voyage capability than current Chinese ships, could better cope with conditions in the South China Sea and safeguard the country's maritime interests.
According to a Tuesday report by the Beijing Times, China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC) recently said on its official website that it signed contracts in 2013 to build two kinds of marine surveillance ships, one of them 10,000 tons.
However, the information was no longer available on the company's website on Tuesday.
CSIC's spokesman Liu Zhengguo Tuesday declined to confirm the news to the Global Times, saying it would take days to verify the information.
If confirmed, the vessel under construction would surpass Japan Coast Guard's two 6,500-ton vessels to be the world's largest patrol ship.
The China Coast Guard's (CCG) largest patrol ships in service have a tonnage of 4,000.
China Ocean News reported Tuesday that a 5,000-ton class patrol ship will be deployed to the waters around Sansha, China's newest city, set up to consolidate the country's claim over the South China Sea.
Li Daguang, a professor at the National Defense University of the People's Liberation Army, said that building large tonnage vessels has become a trend in shoring up China's maritime strength, as the fleet of the patrol ships used to be made up of outdated vessels as well as retired warships, which were refitted.
Liu Cigui, head of the State Oceanic Administration (SOA), last week told a national maritime work conference that 20 new patrol vessels are under construction.
It is not clear to which area the 10,000-ton vessel allegedly under construction would be commissioned.
Wang Xiaopeng, a maritime border expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times that as its continuous voyage capability is expected to be over 10,000 nautical miles, the ship will be able to carry out cross-sea patrols.
Yu Zhirong, a retired official from the maritime law enforcement authority in the East China Sea, told the Global Times the ship is more likely to be deployed in the South China Sea, given the absence of relay stations in the vast waters.
"With abundant supplies and fuel, it would be able to carry out enduring surveillance tasks," said Yu.
Wang shared similar sentiments, noting most of the illegal oil exploitation by foreign countries takes place in waters far away from China's coastal areas.
The expert estimated that the large vessel will be equipped with at least two planes and several boats. "Entering November, the disputed waters become choppy, therefore, only ships above 1,000 tons could sail to the high seas. Meanwhile, the boats attached to the large ship could enter the lagoons for patrol," he said.
Wang also noted that the 10,000-ton vessel could serve as both "shield and sword" in safeguarding China's maritime rights.
According to him, the large ship could more effectively drive away armed foreign fishing boats, which operate in waters claimed by China, and carry out close-up surveillance on offshore oil platforms set up by foreign countries.
Tensions have been running high between Beijing and Tokyo over the Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea, while China is also locked in disputes on the South China Sea with some Southeast Asian countries.
At last week's maritime work conference, Liu, the SOA head, named the major goals set for this year, including fostering the "combat capability" of the CCG, which was established last July.
He also vowed to strengthen the Chinese maritime law enforcement force's regular presence at sea and deepen the CCG and military's coordination in their maritime operations.
