Type 082 Class (Wosao Class) Chinese Mine Countermeasure Vessel

The Type 082 mine countermeasure vessel (NATO designation: Wosao-class) is the successor to the Type 058 and Type 7102 mine countermeasure vessels. Although both Type 058 and Type 7102 met their requirements, the backwardness of Chinese industrial and manufacturing capabilities limited both classes from being mass-produced, resulting in only 20 Type 058 minesweeper and a single Type 7102 minesweeper being built. Decision was made to have a new class of minesweeper based on the technical experience gained from both classes, along with lessons learned from the deployment of Type 312 minesweeper in North Vietnam, and this is the origin of 082 minesweeper. This project was first issued in 1976 during the 3rd Conference on Mine Countermeasure Equipment, but due to the political turmoil in China, namely, the Cultural Revolution, construction did not begun until 1984. The type was jointly designed by the 708th and 710th institutes, and Jiangxin (江新) Shipbuilding Factory in Jiangxi was the contractor, with the first unit entering service in 1987. The general designer was Mr. Ma Jinghua (馬錦華), the same general designer of Wolei class minelayer. This class was consequently upgraded by doubling the number of engines and shafts, and most units were built by the Wusong Shipyard at Shanghai. This minesweeper carries Type 317 magnetic sweeping gear, Type 318 mechanical sweeping gear, Type 318 acoustic sweeping gear, and Type 319 infrasonic sweeping gear, and it can also be used as a minelayer with capability to carry 6 mines. The boat is powered by 4 M50 diesel, and more than half a dozen have entered Chinese service. The Pennant number of these units changed to 800's series in 2004 from the original 4400's.