Chinese landing helicopter dock Hainan

Summary

Hainan (31) is the lead ship of the Type 075 landing helicopter dock of the People's Liberation Army Navy. She was commissioned on 23 April 2021.

The Guangxi (32), sister ship of the Hainan (31), sailing in 2022.
History
China
Name
  • Hainan
  • (海南)
NamesakeHainan
BuilderHudong Shipyard, Shanghai
Laid down2018
Launched25 September 2019
Commissioned23 April 2021
IdentificationPennant number: 31
StatusActive
General characteristics
Class and typeType 075 landing helicopter dock
Displacement36,000 tonnes (full load)[1]
Length232 m (761 ft)[2]
Beam36.8 m (121 ft)[2]
Capacity1,100 crew
Troops1,200 troops
Armament
Aircraft carried30 attack helicopters per dock[3]
Aviation facilitiesHangar and flight deck

Development and design edit

The Type 075 is a large-scale amphibious assault ship of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy. This ship is the largest amphibious warship of the People's Liberation Army Navy. It has a hangar and can carry nearly 30 helicopters of various types. It has a through deck and can take off and land multiple helicopters at the same time. There is a dock, which can be used as a mother ship for amphibious vehicles, landing craft, and air-cushioned landing craft (LCAC), and can transport soldiers, infantry fighting vehicles, tanks, etc. for landing operations.

The Type 075 is China's all-through deck amphibious assault ship. The demonstration work was initiated in 2011. The comprehensive development project was established around 2013.

It was researched and designed by the 708 Research Institute of the China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation; previously almost all amphibious warships of the Chinese Navy were built by the design of the institute, including the Type 071 amphibious transport dock, the Type 072, Type 073, and Type 074 classes of landing ships, and the Type 726 LCAC. After the Type 075 started its program demonstration in 2011, several revisions were made during the period. During this period, the headquarters and the navy had different opinions: In 2016, the General Armed Forces Department recommended that the Type 075 adopt a non-through deck superstructure, but the Chinese Navy insisted on connecting it. Offset deck superstructure (same as all-through decks and offset islands of foreign amphibious assault ships), and finally adopted the navy's opinion and put it into practice.

Construction and career edit

Hainan was the first ship of the class and laid down in 2018 and launched on 25 September 2019 at the Hudong Shipyard in Shanghai.[5] She suffered a minor fire while fitting out on 11 April 2020. Reportedly, the fire was quickly extinguished[6] and caused minimal damage; construction was apparently not slowed.[7] On 23 April 2021, the ship was commissioned into the South Sea Fleet.[8]

References edit

  1. ^ Xavier Vavasseur (1 October 2022). "China's 3rd Type 075 LHD Anhui 安徽 Commissioned With PLAN". Naval News.
  2. ^ a b "黄浦江长江口10月8日试航船沪中24轮长232米宽36.8米黄浦江长江上海段下行-沪航警827/21". 中华人民共和国海事局. Archived from the original on 10 October 2021. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  3. ^ Chan, Minnie (29 March 2017). "China building navy's biggest amphibious assault vessel, sources say". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  4. ^ a b "China to Start Construction on 1st Type 075 LHD Amphibious Assault Ship for PLAN Soon". Navy Recognition. 26 October 2016. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  5. ^ "我国两栖攻击舰首舰下水-新华网" (in Chinese). Xinhua News Agency. 25 September 2019. Archived from the original on 25 September 2019. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  6. ^ Vavasseur, Xavier (12 April 2020). "China's 1st Type 075 LHD Caught On Fire During Fitting Out". Naval News. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  7. ^ Farley, Robert (11 August 2020). "China's First Type 075 Amphibious Assault Ship Begins Sea Trials". The Diplomat. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  8. ^ Vavasseur, Xavier (24 April 2021). "China Commissions a Type 055 DDG, a Type 075 LHD and a Type 094 SSBN in a Single Day". Naval News. Retrieved 25 April 2021.