Type 071 amphibious transport dock

Not to be confused with Type 071 icebreaker.

Type 071 amphibious transport dock ship Changbai Shan
Class overview
BuildersHudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding[1]
Operators
Succeeded byType 075 landing helicopter dock
Built2006–present
In service2007–present
Completed9
Active
  • 8 (People's Liberation Army Navy)
  • 1 (Royal Thai Navy)
General characteristics
TypeAmphibious transport dock
Displacement25,000 tons full load.[2]
Length210 m (689 ft 0 in)[2]
Beam28 m (91 ft 10 in)[2]
Draft7 m (23 ft 0 in)[2]
Speed25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph)[2]
Range10,000 nmi (19,000 km) at 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)[2]
Boats & landing
craft carried
Capacity60 armoured fighting vehicles[3]
Troops800 troops[1]
Armament
Aircraft carried4 Harbin Z-8[1]

The Type 071 (NATO reporting name: Yuzhao) is a class of Chinese amphibious transport dock ships in service with the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). The Type 071 provides the PLAN with capabilities and flexibility not found in its previous landing ships.[4]

Design

The amphibious warfare ship features a vehicle deck, well-deck, landing deck and a hangar. It can carry a combination of marines, vehicles, landing craft and helicopters. The ship may embark 600 to 800 troops. The stern helicopter deck has two landing spots, each supporting a Harbin Z-8 (SA 321 Super Frelon variant) transport helicopter. The twin-door cantilever hangar can house up to four Z-8 helicopters. The well deck houses up to four Type 726 air-cushioned landing craft,[1] which can transfer vehicles or marines to the shore at high speed. The LCAC are launched by flooding of the docking area. The vessel can also carry landing craft on port / starboard davits. The vehicle deck can house amphibious assault vehicles including the ZBD05 amphibious IFV and the ZTD-05 amphibious light tank.[5] The stern ramp, two side doors and ramps allow rapid loading of the vehicles and equipment.

The ship is armed with one 76 mm gun and four 30 mm close-in weapon systems.[6] A Type 071 hull (986) was modified with a laser-based directed energy weapon added to the vessel's forward superstructure in 2024, reflecting the configuration of a similar weapon installed on the San Antonio-class ship USS Portland.[7]

The Type 071 may operate as the flagship of a task force.[6] The Type 071 may also conduct and support humanitarian, disaster relief, and counterpiracy missions, in addition to amphibious assaults.[5]

Export

The China State Shipbuilding and Trading Corp. consortium offered to build a modified Type 071 for the Royal Malaysian Navy. The Malaysians had a requirement for a 13,000-ton LPD; the Type 071 would cost a third of the similar US-built San Antonio-class LPD.[6]

The Royal Thai Navy ordered one export version, designated Type 071E, in 2019.[8] On April 17, 2023, the ship was delivered to the Royal Thai Navy and arrived to Thailand on April 25, 2023.[9]

Ships of the class

China

Pennant
Number 		Name Builder Laid
down 		Launched Commissioned Fleet Status
998[10] 昆仑山 / Kunlun Shan[10] Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding[1] 2006 [11] 21 December 2006 [11] 13 November 2007 [11][12] South Sea Fleet[13] Active [13]
999[10] 井冈山 / Jinggang Shan[10] Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding[1] 2009 [11] 16 November 2010 [11] 30 October 2011 [11][12] South Sea Fleet [13] Active [13]
989[10] 长白山 / Changbai Shan[10] Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding[1] 2010 [11] 26 September 2011 [11] 23 September 2012 [11][12] South Sea Fleet [13] Active [13]
988[10] 沂蒙山 / Yimeng Shan[10] Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding[1] 2014 [11] 22 January 2015 [11] 1 February 2016 [11][1] East Sea Fleet[13] Active [13]
980[10] 龙虎山 / Longshu Shan[10] Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding[1] 2016 [11] 15 June 2017 [11][1] 19 September 2018 [11] East Sea Fleet [13] Active [13]
987 [10] 五指山 / Wuzhi Shan [10] Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding [14] 2017 [11] 20 January 2018 [14] 12 January 2019 [11] South Sea Fleet [13] Active [13]
986 [10] Wanyang Shan [10] Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding[15] 2017 [11] 28 December 2018 [15] 2020 [11] East Sea Fleet [13] Active [13]
985 [10] 祁连山 / Qilian Shan [10] Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding [11] 2018 [11] 6 June 2019 [11][16] November 2020 [11][17] South Sea Fleet [13] Active [13]

Thailand

Pennant
Number 		Name Builder Launched Commissioned Fleet Status
792[18] HTMS Chang (III) Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding 18 April 2023 Active[19][20]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Tate, Andrew (16 June 2017). "China launches fifth LPD for PLAN". IHS Jane's 360. Archived from the original on 18 June 2017. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "沪东中华：为中国海军打造"靓丽名片"". cssc.net.cn. China State Shipbuilding Corporation. 28 August 2014. Archived from the original on 22 December 2017. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
  3. ^ The Military Balance 2023. International Institute for Strategic Studies. p. 240.
  4. ^ United States Office of the Secretary of Defense (2017). Annual Report To Congress: Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China 2017 (PDF) (Report). pp. 25–26. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
  5. ^ a b United States Navy Office of Naval Intelligence (2015). The PLA Navy: New Capabilities and Missions for the 21st Century (PDF) (Report). p. 17. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  6. ^ a b c "Type 071 Landing Platform Dock". globalsecurity.com. 11 June 2011. Retrieved 1 July 2011.
  7. ^ Luck, Alex (23 August 2024). "Chinese Navy Testing Laser Turret On Type 071 LPD". Naval News. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  8. ^ Rahmat, Ridzwan (11 September 2019). "Thailand signs for variant of Type 071 amphibious assault ship". Jane's 360. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  9. ^ "Thailand receives Chinese-made amphibious ship". 25 April 2023.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p United States Navy Office of Naval Intelligence (December 2022). "PLA Navy Identification Guide" (PDF). Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w Jane's Fighting Ships, 2023-24 Edition, ISBN 978-0-7106-3428 3, page 153
  12. ^ a b c O'Rourke, Ronald (21 May 2018). China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities—Background and Issues for Congress (PDF) (Report). Congressional Research Service. p. 44. RL33153. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Kennedy, Conor M.; Caldwell, Daniel (October 2022). The Type 075 LHD: Development, Missions, and Capabilities (Report). CMSI China Maritime Reports. Vol. 23. United States Naval War College China Maritime Studies Institute. p. 34.
  14. ^ a b Rahmat, Ridzwan (22 January 2018). "China launches sixth Type 071 LPD". Jane's 360. Archived from the original on 18 November 2018. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
  15. ^ a b Rahmat, Ridzwan (31 December 2018). "China launches seventh Type 071 LPD". Jane's 360. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
  16. ^ Vavasseur, Xavier (5 August 2019). "China: End of the Type 071 LPD Program, Start of the Type 075 LHD One ?". Naval News. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  17. ^ White, Ryan (6 May 2021). "China's Newly Commissioned Type 071 LPD "Qilianshan" Joins Fleet Exercise". Naval Post. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  18. ^ admin (9 January 2023). "Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding Launches Royal Thai Navy Landing Platform Dock Chang (LPD-792)". MilitaryLeak. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  19. ^ "Chinese Shipyard completes sea trials of Thailand's Type 071E LPD". 23 December 2022.
  20. ^ "Royal Thai Navy - Detail Main".