PALUBA

China building navy’s biggest amphibious assault vessel, sources say

Ships will strengthen navy as Beijing makes more assertive claims to disputed waters in South China Sea and increases sea patrols amid strained ties with Taiwan
PUBLISHED : Wednesday, 29 March, 2017, 5:03pm
UPDATED : Thursday, 30 March, 2017, 11:17am

China has started building a new generation of large amphibious assault vessels that will strengthen the navy as it plays a more dominant role in projecting the nation’s power overseas, military sources said.

The 075 Landing Helicopter Dock is now under construction by a Shanghai-based shipbuilding company, the sources said.

The amphibious vessel is far larger than similar ships previously constructed for the PLA Navy.

The 075 can serve as a form of aircraft carrier and military experts said it would give China’s navy the ability to launch various types of helicopters to attack naval vessels, enemy ground forces or submarines in the East or South China Sea.

The introduction of the vessel comes as China is placing increasing importance on its navy as it makes more assertive claims to much of the South China Sea.

The PLA has also increased the number of naval patrols near Taiwan, amid strained ties with the independence-leaning government of the island, which Beijing considers a breakaway province that has split from the rest of the nation.

China’s navy commander, Vice-Admiral Shen Jinlong, visited the Hudong Zhonghua Shipbuilding Company on Sunday, which specialises in building Landing Helicopter Docks, the company said on its website.


One source close to the navy said Shen’s inspection trip confirmed construction work was underway on the new class of vessel.

“Construction of the Type 075 ships will take two more years,” the source said. “The first vessel may be launched as early as 2019 and put into full service in 2020.”

As overseas ambitions expand, China plans 400 per cent increase to marine corps numbers, sources say

Beijing is also due to launch its first home-built aircraft carrier, the Type 001A, on April 23, according to Chinese media reports and military sources, as part of its strengthened naval forces.

April 23 marks the 68th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Liberation Army Navy and President Xi Jinping may attend the launch ceremony, one of the sources added.

Beijing-based naval expert Li Jie said: “This year is a big year for the navy as the supreme Central Military Commission has announced it’s going to expand. That’s why the launch time was set for the navy’s birthday.”

The South China Morning Post reported earlier this month, citing military sources, that the navy planned to increase the size of its marine corps from about 20,000 to 100,000 personnel to help protect its increasing interests overseas.

The launch of the 001A carrier and the construction of the Type 075 amphibious assault vessel provide further evidence that marine corps troops and the navy will play an increasingly important part in PLA operations.

China to step up patrols to create ‘first class’ navy

The Macau-based military observer Antony Wong Dong said building the bigger Type 075 vessels, which are similar in size to the largest American Wasp-class amphibious ships, would help the navy match the US in the use of helicopters in its fleet.

“China has so many giant warships, including four Type 071 amphibious vessels and two aircraft carriers, but its vertical landing capability is still limited due to a lack of the largest helicopter dock vessels,” Wong said. “ The launch of Type 075 will let the navy become the world’s No 2 powerful navy after the US.”

The Type 075 is able to deploy and house up to 30 armed helicopters. Six helicopters will be able to take off from the flight deck at the same time.

The vessels will also be able to deploy landing craft and troops, plus house command and control operations.

Its developer is a subsidiary of the China State Shipbuilding Corporation which has produced at least four, smaller 20,000 tonne Type 071 amphibious transport docks.

The PLA navy dispatched one of the smaller amphibious ships to Fiery Cross Reef and other man-made islands in disputed areas of the South China Sea for the first time last year.

The construction of the new vessel is also likely to put more military pressure on Taiwan.

Its government says Beijing has increased the military “intimidation” of the island since President Tsai Ing-wen of the independence leaning Democratic Progressive Party won elections in January 2016.

Navy must take lead in national defence, retired PLA general says

The US Department of Defence said in a report to Congress last year that the PLA was building a strong amphibious assault force and that this posed a threat to Taiwan.

These included amphibious landing ships, armoured brigades and marine corps, the report said.

Another source said that after visit his visit to see the Type 075 under construction, Vice-Admiral Shen also inspected progress on the new Type 002 aircraft carrier.

The Type 002 will be China’s third carrier, which has been under construction at the Jiangnan Changxingdao shipyard in Shanghai since March 2015.

It is expected to be launched in about 2021.

Npr... 220mx35m=25.000t standard. 22 čv brzine, potapajuća dok komora, 4 LCVP hoverkrafta, desetak helića kapacitet hangara i bataljon MP. Vozila, bolnički kapaciteti. Ovo je "prstom u marmeljad", ali otprilike... to je to, +, -.

Po dimenzijama parira americkim desandtim brodovim tipa WASP i Amerika.

Dosta su veci od japanskih Hyūga-klase i Izumo-klase koji imaju deplasman od 20.000 tona (slicno kao i francuski Mistrali).

Ne odustaju Kinezi od Super Frelona. :)

Pa kad valja. Velik, pouzdan, sa tri motora.

Dali se to samo meni prićinjava ili u tom videu pokazuju Mistrala-bilo realno bilo u animaciji. Jer ovo nije brod sa slika.

Apr 22, 2020
Chinese Navy Launches New Assault Carrier
H I Sutton

China’s naval capabilities continue to grow at an incredible rate. New classes of warship are being constructed at an impressive rate, vastly modernizing the World’s largest Navy. Today the Chinese Navy has floated a new assault carrier in Shanghai, just yards from its sister ship which caught fire less than 2 weeks ago. The new carrier is the second of the Type-075 class, large amphibious warfare ships. Equivalent to the U.S. Navy’s America class ships, these 40,000 ton ships support troop landings. They will carry an array of helicopters and also hovercraft.

The launch took place at around 2 pm local time, April 22. Open Source intelligence (OSINT) had indicated the launch was imminent. Two weeks ago Forbes reported on its expected launch using analysis of satellite imagery and photos posted on Chinese social media. The launch may have been delayed when the other carrier, already in the water, caught fire on April 11. But it was unlikely that any delay would be significant as there is already a backlog of work for the floating dock where it has been assembled. There is a guided missile frigate already waiting, in sections, on the quayside.

Defense analysts have been able to track progress on the carrier via candid photographs and overhead satellite imagery. An analysis of crane movements in satellite images showed the level of work in the yard. It appears uninhibited by the coronavirus pandemic.

A few days ago leading indicators of the launch were reinforced when the customary lines of flags adorned the masts. From previous Chinese Navy ceremony preparations, this normally takes place around two days prior to launch. Quickly, via various OSINT sources, the launch date was tied down to April 22. And the time was narrowed down to between 1pm and 2pm. So defense watchers were waiting, monitoring Chinese Social Media.

Right on cue, the enthusiastic residents of Shanghai posted photographs as the ginormous vessel slowly emerge from the flooded dry dock. The event closed traffic on the busy river.

This new ship has been assembled and floated just months after the first was launched in September last year. Several more Type-075s are expected to be built, creating the best equipped amphibious navy after the U.S. Navy. While China has a weaker tradition than European navies such as the United Kingdom, Netherlands, France and Italy, it has an unrivaled production capacity. Regional players such as Australia and South Korea have also been bolstering their assault carrier fleets. Bucking the trend however, India has been reported to be considering cancelling some of its own amphibious warship deals.

China’s First Type 075 Landing Helicopter Dock Started Sea Trials

At last! Photos and videos by Chinese ships potters show that China's first amphibious assault ship, a Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) known as Type 075 has finally started sea trials. The vessel set sails today at around 1:30PM local time departing its dock at the Hudong Zhonghua Shipyard in Shanghai.

Xavier Vavasseur  05 Aug 2020

We previously reported the start of sea trials, somewhat prematurely. What is likely an escort vessel of the Type 075, Hai Xun, can be followed via Marine Traffic. For the record, the amphibious vessel suffered a fire incident on April 11 2020. Although the fire was quickly put out and damage appeared minimal, smoke stains are still visible in the aft port-side near to the ramp.

The Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard in Shanghai where the first-in-class Type 075 ship has been built has already launched a second ship. And analysis of commercial satellite imagery suggests that module for a third may be on its way. At the moment the yard is building the Type 054A frigate for the Pakistan Navy and, it appears, a Type 071E LPD for Thailand.

About China’s Type 075 LHD

The Chinese Navy officially started development work on the Type 075 in 2011. The project called for a helicopter carrier displacing more than 30,000 tonnes. Its aim is likely to increase the “vertical” amphibious assault capability with the very mountainous East Coast of Taiwan in mind.

As for its specifications, rumors speak of “36,000 tons of displacement”, “capacity of 28 helicopters”, “diesel engine with the 9,000 kW 16PC2-6B” and “four CIWS including two HQ-10 and two H/PJ-11”. While the Type 075 appears to slightly smaller than the U.S. Navy’s LHA, it is larger compared to French or Spanish/Australian LHD equivalents. It is actually pretty close in size to Italy’s future Trieste LHD.

The first Type 075 was constructed in record time (this has become the norm nowadays, for Chinese shipbuilding: extremely fast construction pace that no one can match). A second vessel of the class is about to be launched while a larger version is rumored to be planned. When fully operational, the new Type 075 LHD will bolster the PLAN’s amphibious capabilities, which today rely on the Type 071 LPD design.

It’s just two digits but the number on the hull of the first of China’s largest amphibious landing helicopter docks points to a high value.The first Type 075 Yushen-class Hainan ship was given the pennant number “31” when the PLA Navy commissioned it on April 23, the navy’s 72nd anniversary. Smaller amphibious transport docks already in service have three-digit pennant numbers starting with “9”. Defence experts said the two digits put the LHD on a par with the country’s flagship aircraft carriers, signalling the important role the docks are expected to play in China’s blue-water navy ambitions.

China's latest Type 075 vessel the Hainan in 60 seconds

The Type 075 amphibious assault vessel, named the Hainan, officially entered the PLA Navy on April 23, 2020. As the first amphibious assault ship independently developed by China, the Hainan can carry amphibious hovercrafts, tank and armored vehicles, its deck layout is similar to that of China's Liaoning and Shandong aircraft carriers, the deck can accommodate several different types of carrier-based helicopters taking off and landing at the same time. The vessel is also armed with weapon systems such as missiles and ship guns.The Hainan has greatly strengthened PLAN's amphibious combat capabilities.