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Further Reading

Type 071 Yuzhao LPD - Design

In the nomenclature of the United States Navy, Landing Ship, Dock (LSD) and Amphibious Transport, Dock (LPD) have a well deck and a ballast system which allows boats to be dry docked within the ship's hull. Externally similar in appearance, the LPD carries both landing craft and aircraft, while the LSD carries only landing craft but no aircraft. Thus, reports that "this would be China's first LSD type of ship" reflect a mis-understanding of amphibious warship nomenclature.

The term "dock" is somewhat confusing, since it might be imagined that these ships are intended to land at a dock, or transport to a dock. A dock is a water-side site at which ships tie up in order to discharge and take in cargoes conveniently and expeditiously. It is typically a basin constructed for this purpose, surrounded by quay walls. But a graving dock (or dry dock) is a dock which can be sealed off by gates, and the water removed. This allows work to be done on the parts of a ship's that are normally under water. The term "graving" was more often used to denote the cleaning of a ship's bottom. The docks in the Landing Ship, Dock (LSD) and Amphibious Transport, Dock (LPD) are internal to the ship, and allows boats to be dry docked for transport, loading and maintenance.

LPD stands for Landing Platform Dock although the ship is usually referred to as an Amphibious Transport Dock (LPD). Amphibious transport docks have a well deck in the after part of the ship. The ship will ballast her stern to either completely flood the well deck for launching and recovering conventional landing craft or only partially for Expeditionary Fighting Vehicles. These will egress or enter when the stern gate is opened. The ship then de-ballasts and operates with a dry well. The well deck is not flooded for LCAC, air cushion landing craft operations. Well deck operations may be conducted pierside, at anchor, or at sea while moving through the water.

The Type 071 transport will operate helicopters, large LCACs and various self defense armament. The ship is equipped with 76 mm gun and 4 x 30 mm CIWS for self-defense. The ship will carry hovercraft and helicopters to allow assaults from greater distance and against more difficult shore terrain. The large air cushion LCACs would be able to carry tanks at high speeds at over-the-horizon range.

When launched, the Type 071 LPD was the largest indigenously designed combat ship of the PLAN to date, with an estimated full displacement of 17,000~20,000 tons. Another commentator suggests that this much larger amphibious ship, displaces "between 18,000 and 25,000 tons", noting that this "ship looks almost identical to the U.S. San Antonio-class Landing Platform Dock (LPD)". The cargo capacity of the Type 071 is thought to be at least equal to that of US Navy's Austin class LPD. If this estimation was correct, the Type 071 LPD can carry a marine corps battalion, including 400~800 troops, 15~20 amphibious armored vehicles, and their associated logistic supplies.

The large helicopter flight deck at the stern is enough to support the operation of two medium-size helicopters such as Z-8/AS-321 Super Frelon. The same helicopter has also been operating from the PLA Navy's Type 072-II Yuting class tank landing ship, carrying 30 armed troops over the beach to the landing zone behind enemy lines. It is reported that a full-scale mockup of a co-axial design helicopter was spotted on the ship's flight deck while it was under construction, suggesting that a Russian design such as Kamov Ka-29 was also considered.

The docking system is located at the stern of the ship. A floodable bay can embark air-cushioned landing craft, conventional landing craft, and amphibious vehicles. Flooding of the docking area is achieved by ballasting the stern of the ship, allowing the landing craft to float. Preliminary models of the class displayed at trade shows suggested that the Type 071 was designed to embark 4 landing craft air cushion vehicles (LCAC).

Type 071 Yuzhao LPD - Propulsion

The Type 071 amphibious transport dock, or landing platform dock (LPD) was built by Shanghai-based Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard for the PLA Navy (PLAN). The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute reports that in 2005 France signed an agreement to export to China 10 PC-2.5 diesel engines. A total of 6 PC-2.6 version engines had been delivered in the 2007-2008 period, for use on 2 Type-071 Yuzhao-class AALS and 1 Danyao-class Fishery Law Enforcement Command supply ship, all produced in China. The 16-cylinder Colt-Pielstick PC2.5 STC engine is intended for use on ships requiring high propulsion power combined with a lightweight installation.

On 06 October 2006. MAN Diesel SE, Augsburg has taken over from MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH the remaining 33.4% share of the French Diesel engine manufacturer S.E.M.T. Pielstick S.A., headquartered in Villepinte near Paris. The acquisition and the transfer of the shares became effective as of 1st January 2006 retrospectively. The histories of MAN and S.E.M.T. Pielstick are closely linked. The latter’s German founder, Gustav E. Pielstick, began working at the former M.A.N. in 1911 and stayed with the company for nearly 35 years. At the end of World War II he joined Société d’ Etudes des Machines Thermiques as technical manager.

For MAN Diesel & Turbo, China is a very important market. Virtually the whole of the company’s product portfolio is of interest to Chinese customers. Alongside Brazil, China is one of MAN Diesel & Turbo’s most sales and growth-intensive markets: the company earned 12 per cent of its revenue here in 2010. Around 20 Chinese licensees build large-bore diesel engines based on drawings from MAN Diesel & Turbo. In 2007 MAN TURBO AG of Oberhausen began building a production and service shop in the Wujin High-Tech Industrial Zone in the Chinese city of Changzhou, approximately 200 km west of Shanghai. The investment earmarked for the company’s first manufacturing plant outside Europe was 15 million euros. At a ceremony held on 18 May 2011, MAN Diesel & Turbo, manufacturer of large-bore diesel engines and turbomachinery, opened the second section of the construction work at its plant in Changzhou, China. At this plant turbomachinery and turbochargers for large-bore diesel engines will in future be produced under a single roof for the Chinese market. Until now, China’s production of the turbochargers had been based in Shanghai.

The MAN Diesel & Turbo Sequential Turbo Charging (STC) system operates with high efficiency turbochargers. Depending on the amount of charge air required, a second turbo charger can be switched on or off. In this way the engine is operated at its optimum operating point over the whole applicable load range. The result is an extended envelope at low engine speeds, which gives a power reserve for ship acceleration, ship turning, sprints or towing. Furthermore, a low thermal signature, decreased smoke emission, low vibrations and reduced fuel consumption in part load operation characterise the STC-system and make it the ideal solution for propulsion in naval and offshore patrol vessels.

The PC-2.5 engine was selected by the U.S. Navy to power the LPD-17 San Antonio Class vessels. In 1996 the US ordered a total of 36 PC-2.5 Diesel engines for 9 San Antonio ships, with delivery in 2006-2009. The American LPD-17 San Antonio class ships are powered by four Colt Pielstick sequentially turbocharged PC 2.5 diesel engines, producing 41,600 horsepower combined. Four engines are installed per ship, two per reduction gear, with each shaft driving controllable pitch propellers. Each engine is rated at 7755 kW at 520 rpm.