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Shichang (Multirole Aviation Ship)

The PLA Navy training ship Shichang resembles a scaled-down version of the Royal Navy's RFA Argus aviation training ship. According to the 10 June 1998 issue of Jane's Defence Weekly, Shichang features a superstructure forward and large space aft for either 2 Harbin Zhi-9A helicopters. The aft flight deck, spanning two-thirds of ship's length, enables simultaneous operations of multiple helicopters. This facilitates training for shipboard helicopter operations, as well as amphibious assult training.

The aft deck can also house containers for equipment required for various training missions, allowing rapid reconfiguration. The overall layout is similar to that of the Arapaho concept tested by the Royal Navy on RFA Reliant in the 1980s.

With a displacement of 10,000t and a speed of 17 knots, it is one of the larger and faster ships in the PLAN inventory. This provides a training platform for large ship handling andr flight deck operations.

The Shichang is widely regarded as the prelude to the construction of a helicopter carrier or amphibious assult vessel, and provides a basis for perfecting fixed-wing aircraft carrier operational concepts.

In May 1998 the Australian Minister for Defence, Mr Ian McLachlan, welcomed the first goodwill visit to Australia by three naval ships from the People's Liberation Army - Navy (PLA-N). For the four day visit to Sydney, the three guided missile destroyers PERTH, HOBART and BRISBANE and their crews, have been appointed as 'host ships' to the lead Chinese ship QINGDAO, the training ship SHICHANG and the oiler NANCANG respectively.

The source of the name Shichang is obscure.

The ship is probably named after Deng Shichang (1855-1894). The Yellow Sea Naval Battle during the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1894 (launched by Japanese imperialism to annex Korea and invade China) happened on the sea 10 sea miles off the coast of Chengshantou. The patriotic general of Beiyang Navy of the Qing Dynasty, Deng Shichang, died in this battle on 17 September 1894. One corrupt Chinese official had used ammunition funds for personal use. As a result, shells ran out for the some of the warships during battle such that one navy commander, Deng Shichang, resorted to ramming the enemy's ship. Deng, captain of the 2,300-ton cruiser Chih Yuan, and his crew's fate was sealed when their vessel was hit by a torpedo during the Battle of the Yellow Sea, the first full-scale confrontation between two national fleets of ironclads in modern times. The then emperor, Guang Xu, wrote a lament for him, and the tomb with the inscription are still in Shihuangdi Temple.

Rather less likely is Xú Shìchang (Pinyin) (Chinese: - Hsü Shih-ch'ang (Wade-Giles) (1855-1939) was a prominent figure of the Beiyang Army warlords and President of the Republic of China (Beijing government) from 10 October 1918 to 02 June 1922. Coming from the Qing government, he was at one time the Viceroy of Manchuria.