Defense Updates: Chinese Amphibious Type 071 Class Landing Platform Dock

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Chinese Amphibious Type 071 Class Landing Platform Dock

The Type 071 Landing Platform Dock (LPD) was recently featured on Chinese state television, which offered the opportunity to have a closer look at these ships, which have been inducted into service in recent years.

The Chinese Navy currently has three Type 071 ships in service for amphibious warfare. The first was commissioned in 2007 and the next two were commissioned in 2011 and 2012.

Like other LPD, the Type 071 has a hanger and landing deck, a vehicle deck and well-deck. They can carry a mix and match of marines, vehicles, helicopters, including:

A hanger with room for up to 4 Z-8 transport helicopters, which are derived from the French Super Frelon helicopter. The landing deck supports 2 Z-8 taking off and landing simultaneously.
Amphibious assault vehicles such as the armored ZBD05 and ZTD05, which have the ability to fire on the move using their own propulsion.
Up to four Landing Craft Air-Cushioned (LCAC) in the well-deck, which can deliver vehicles or marines directly on to the beach at high speed. Up to three of the Type 05 family of amphibious assault vehicles can be carried.
Up to 800 marines and related equipment and supplies.

The Type 071 is armed with a dual-purpose 76 mm main gun and four 6-barrel 30 mm Close-In Weapon Systems (CIWS). The also carry two small landing craft on port and starboard.

The Type 071 are fairly large in comparison to to other ships of the class in other countries. Only the United States has larger ships in service. The specification of the Type 071 are:

A length of 210 m
A beam of 28 m
An empty displacement of 19000 t
A full displacement of up to 28000 t

Their propulsion is based on Combined Diesel and Diesel (CODAD).

China currently does not have any Landing Platform Helicopter(LPH). However, it has displayed models at defense exhibitions. It is likely that it will build its own LPH to complement the Type 071 LPD.