Type 272 icebreaker is the improvement over earlier Type 210 icebreaker and it is larger than its predecessor.[4] The pennant number of the first unit of Type 272 consists of two Chinese character Hai-bing (海冰, meaning Sea Ice in Chinese), followed by a three digit number, and this pennant number is the same pennant number used by a first generation Chinese icebreaker Type 071 that retired in June 2013, five months before the start of the construction of the first unit of this first unit of Type 272 icebreaker in November 2013.[4] Type 272 has more advanced design features in comparison to earlier Chinese icebreakers, such as the incorporation of multifunction displays,[4] and it can withstand wind scale of 12 when sailing.[4] Type 272 is capable of carrying a large helicopter of Changhe Z-8 class,[5] and the second unit is built by PLAN Plant No. 4180, which is also commonly known as Southern Liaoning Shipyard (辽南造船厂).[5]
