[Peetwo]

I'm guessing what will happen is Fugro Equator will leave at the end of September once 120K side scan finished, and the Chinese vessel already equipped with Pheonix equipment date 5th Feb 2016 http://m.subseaworldnews.com/#newsitem-155353 this report was one day after "publish date" on the bottom line of here https://www.tenders.gov.au/?event=public...AB529271FF will finish the rest. This is just a general idea based on finding of this online information.

I think your probably right Joe and according to the latest in the Oz the Phoenix equipped Dong Hai Jiu 101 has to make up for lost time due wx and mishaps anyway... : 

Chinese ship sidelined by bad luck, foul weather in MH370 search



Dong Hai Jiu 101, China’s contribution to the search for flight MH370, sits off Fremantle after its latest mishap.

• Ean Higgins
  
• The Australian
  
• 12:00AM September 6, 2016
  @EanHiggins
  [img=0x0]http://pixel.tcog.cp1.news.com.au/track/component/author/0573acb566bb47c45e64e4c55a998aba/?esi=true&t_product=the-australian&t_template=s3/austemp-article_common/vertical/author/widget&td_bio=false[/img]
  

A Chinese government ship hailed by Transport Minister Darren Chester as China’s contribution to the hunt for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has done little actual searching since it was deployed in February, spending far more time in Fremantle.

The Dong Hai Jiu 101 has suffered mishaps including losing its sonar imaging “tow fish” and an injured crewman, but it has often stayed outside the search zone on “weather standby” while other vessels have gone ahead with search operations in the southern Indian Ocean.

The vessel has for the moment given up rejoining the effort until weather improves, while another vessel keeps searching.

The Australian government organisation directing the project, the Joint Agency Coordination Centre, recently said “projected weather conditions for the next several weeks preclude the effective deployment of search equipment from this vessel. Dong Hai Jiu 101 will remain at anchor off Fremantle until weather conditions improve.”

JACC chief co-ordinator Judith Zielke would not reveal how many days the Chinese vessel had spent conducting actual underwater search operations.

But an analysis of weekly operational bulletins issued by the JACC indicate that in the more than six months since it joined the search for the missing airliner, the Dong Hai Jiu 101 had its tow fish in the water looking for MH370 for only 17 to 30 days.

Ms Zielke denied the minimal practical contribution of the Dong Hai Jiu 101 is the major factor in the failure of the Australian-led effort to complete the search of the 120,000 sq km target area around June or July as had been expected earlier this year.

The task of searching the remaining less than 10,000 sq km of the designated area is now not expected to be completed until December. “Poor weather has been the primary cause of delays in the search,” Ms Zielke said.

The Dutch underwater survey consortium Fugro, which has the main contract for the $180 million project, has already sent one of its two ships to another assignment, leaving a single Fugro vessel scouring the sea floor with underwater sonar imaging equipment.

MH370 disappeared on a scheduled flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014, with 239 people on board. Automatic satellite tracking data indicated that after a zigzag course back over Malaysia to the Andaman Sea, it turned south and ended up in the southern Indian Ocean.

The Dong Hai Jiu 101’s involvement is part of China’s $20 million contribution to the underwater search, with Australia providing $60 million and Malaysia committed to fund the rest. The severe conditions have proved difficult for all vessels involved, but the Dong Hai Jiu 101 has often not searched when Fugro vessels were doing so.

Ms Zielke said: “The equipment on Dong Hai Jiu 101 is different to that used on the Fugro vessels. Decisions relating to the launch and recovery of the equipment are based on weather conditions as assessed by the mission crew. Ensuring the safety of crew and minimising the risk of damage to the equipment is paramount.”

The JACC weekly bulletin of March 2 said the Chinese vessel “arrived in the search area on February 25 and commenced search operations.” The March 9 bulletin said the Chinese vessel had “suspended underwater search operations due to poor weather conditions”. The March 16 bulletin reported a resumption, but on March 23, disaster struck.

“Dong Hai Jiu 101 is en route to Fremantle after an incident on the evening of 21 March in which the failure of a tow cable connector resulted in the loss of the SLH-ProSAS-60 tow fish,” the bulletin said.

Then came three weeks back in Fremantle where “Phoenix International’s Remora III remote operated vehicle (ROV) is being mobilised” for a bid to try to recover the tow fish, which was achieved. But then it was back to Fremantle so the tow fish could be “checked and tested”.

The trouble is with Dong's track record, would the ATSB be happy to throw all their eggs in one basket after September 30th?

Time will tell I guess...
MTF...P2