China Selects Sonardyne Acoustics for Six New Research Vessels

Sonardyne Asia has informed that its Ranger 2 underwater acoustic positioning technology has been selected for six new Chinese scientific research vessels.

The new order, announced during the OI China exhibition and conference in Shanghai, follows last month’s news that the Polar Research Institute of China has also purchased Ranger 2 for its new 122 meter polar exploration vessel.

Delivered to Sonardyne’s in-country agent, China ORE, the Ranger 2 USBL (Ultra-Short BaseLine) systems will allow the position of scientific equipment deployed from each ship including; ROVs, towed equipment and seafloor landers, to be precisely tracked in any water depth.

The new vessels are being built in response to China’s 13th five-year social and economic development plan and will be operated by institutes across China. When they enter service, each will undertake a range of science including; oceanography, marine ecology and geophysics, Sonardyne noted.

Qi Zhengyu, director of China ORE said, “These new ships will enable our scientists to carry out vital research into urgent issues including monitoring the impact of polar ice melt on climate change. Sonardyne’s Ranger 2 is a key enabler for this work as it has the flexibility to meet the sustained observation needs of science users working in coastal and deep ocean waters.”

Geraint West, global business manager, oceanographic with Sonardyne said that the company was very much looking forward to supporting China ORE through the delivery, installation and commissioning of the order. He said, “This latest order serves to underline Ranger 2’s standing as the USBL system of choice for Chinese research vessels.”