The type 852 tug is the Chinese version of the formerly Soviet Roslavl tug that has been developed for the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN).
For example, space used for milk storage has been converted for vegetable storage, and Russian-style ovens and stoves are replaced with Chinese types.
An air conditioning system has been added for operation in warmer climates.
These ships still remain active as of the early 2010s, despite their age.
Ships in the type 852 series in PLAN service are labeled with a combination of two Chinese characters followed by a three-digit number.