China launched a new maritime patrol vessel on Tuesday – the largest and most advanced to join its civilian fleet – as tensions rise between Beijing and its neighbours over the disputed South China Sea. The Haixun09 – meaning “sea patrol” – is big enough to accommodate several types of helicopters and will be able to handle rough seas and strong winds. The new vessel could be used to boost China’s “grey zone tactics” in contested waters, according to Ben Ho, an Associate Research Fellow with the military studies programme at RSIS. Such tactics involve coercive actions below a threshold that could typically prompt a conventional military response.