Recently, the 18,000-ton cable laying ship "Tianyi Navigator," built by Lianyungang Wuzhou Shipbuilding Heavy Industry Co., Ltd. for China Submarine Cable Construction Co., Ltd. with a full set of medium-voltage AC electric propulsion systems provided by the 711 Research Institute of China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited, was delivered and commissioned. The ship can carry 8,000 tons of submarine communication optical cables, ranking first in the world in cable capacity. Its commissioning marks a major breakthrough in China's marine communication technology and independent construction of large cable laying vessels, serving as a key milestone in advancing the national marine communication network into deep and distant seas.

This ship is China's first domestically built deep-sea construction vessel featuring digital and intelligent characteristics. It has an overall length of 115.8 meters, a beam of 24 meters, a depth of 12 meters, and a full-load displacement of 18,000 tons. It adopts an integrated electric propulsion system, equipped with a DP 2 dynamic positioning system, digital wind speed sensors, position sensors, and other devices, enabling real-time perception of subtle changes in currents and waves, with the capability to perform high-precision cable burial operations under sea state 5. It is equipped with a self-developed world-first burial plow capable of operating at a water depth of 1,000 meters and a burial depth of 5.5 meters, as well as a 5,000-meter-class underwater robot. The stern is configured with China's first self-developed active heave compensation 80-ton crane, allowing for the laying, construction, and maintenance of various marine engineering systems in global waters. The ship has complete independent intellectual property rights, and the full set of medium-voltage AC electric propulsion systems on board, including medium and low-voltage power distribution systems, main/side thrusters, and the DP 2 dynamic positioning system, are all provided by the 711 Research Institute.

Currently, the booming AI industry is driving submarine communication cables to become high-speed transmission trunk lines connecting global computing hubs. With its global submarine cable laying capability, the "Tianyi Navigator" will become a core piece of equipment for building transoceanic and deep-sea high-speed data channels, undertaking the key mission of constructing and maintaining new computing infrastructure. According to reports, after delivery and operation, the ship will proactively undertake major missions such as independent innovation in national marine networks, engineering construction, and national defense and network security assurance, actively participate in the construction of international submarine cable systems, and contribute new solutions to building a secure, autonomous, and controllable marine network.