High-tech mother ship to fortify deep-sea ambitions

Chinese engineers say the world's most advanced mother ship for manned submersibles will go into operation soon, marking the latest step in the country's efforts to become a major power in deep-sea exploration.

The Deep Sea 1 will enter service in the first half of 2019 and along with China's manned submersible Jiaolong will make a global deep-sea scientific voyage, the first of its kind by China, starting in 2020, according to China Ocean Mineral Resources Research and Development Association, operator of the ship.

The new vessel will become the country's first dedicated mother ship for submersibles and will service the nation's major deep-sea submersibles, including the manned Jiaolong and the robotic Hailong series, the association said in a statement.