Type 071 Yuzhao class Amphibious Transport Dock (LPD)
By the beginning of 2002, China had over two dozen amphibious landing ships and could transport a brigade of marines at one time, but could not carry enough supplies. China continued to build Landing Ship, Tank designs, although this type of ship had been largely abandoned by other countries. At that time there was reportedly credible evidence of Chinese ambitions to construct a 12,300-ton displacement amphibious transport dock (LPD). This ship could be capable of carrying up to four landing craft air cushion (LCAC) and several helicopters. In this way, China's Navy will have acquired improved capabilities at transporting tanks and soldiers.
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 deballasts 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 amphibious transport dock, or landing platform dock (LPD) was built by Shanghai-based Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard for the PLA Navy (PLAN). Chronologies for the first unit exhibit some peculiarities. By one account, the lead ship, pennant 998 Kunlun Shan [Kunlunshan], was reportedly laid down in Shanghai in June 2006. In September 2006 the Chinese Shanghai-based Hudong Shipyard confirmed that a new amphibious warfare ship, Type 071 (Yuzhao) was under construction. It is generally agreed that this first unit was launched on 21 or 22 December 2006, but this would suggest that the hull was on stocks for not more than six months, which is a rather short period of time. This ship was reported to ahve conducted sea trials in September 2007, and to have been commissioned by the PLAN South Sea Fleet on 30 November 2007 [other accounts report December of 2007]. Presumably, the Chinese intend to construct more of that class, although there has been no official word on the subject.
The Yuzhou class LPD represents a major step forward in the Chinese plan for a blue water navy, significantly improving the PLA Navy’s sea-lift and power projection capabilities. The PLAN had long been projected to operate large amphibious ships similar to the LSD/LPD concept. Such a ship will enable PLA/Marine forces to operate far from home waters, and enhance the PLAN's ability to rapidly mobilize troops in any amphibious assault. 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 commnetator 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 displaed at trade shows suggested that the Type 071 was designed to embark 4 landing craft air cushion vehicles (LCAC).
The Type 071 LPD offers much increased sea lifting capacity and operational flexibility not possessed by the conventional tank landing ships (LST) in the current PLA Navy service. Some have speculated that in a possible offensive operation to seize Taiwan, the Type 071 could be used to launch an amphibious assault from the Pacific side of the island, where the island’s defence is relatively weak. But the Pacific side of the Island is generally mountainous, and not promising country for an amphibious assault.
The Type 071’s role is not limited only to the Taiwan scenario. It seems more likely to be useful in the South China Sea, as a means of intervening in the Spratley Islands. This interpretation is reinforced by the homeport of the first ship, which is based at the South Sea Fleet's headquarters at Zhanjiang Naval Base in Guangdong Province. The 1st and 2nd Marine Brigades are stationed at this facility. With its strong self-contain capability the LPD could operate far from friendly shores, projecting amphibious assets over distance of several thousand nautical miles. The ample space onboard also allows additional communications equipments to be added for the ship to act as a fleet command and control centre in an amphibious operation.
In addition to traditional amphibious assault role, the Type 071 LPD could also be deployed for a whole range of non-military missions, for example, providing a sea-based platform for helicopters to send humanitarian aids to a disaster area and evacuate casualties and refugees from the area; or evacuating citizens from conflict zones.
China's China State Shipbuilding and Trading Corp (CTSC) consortium has offered to build a modified version of the 071 LPD for the Malaysian Navy. The Malaysian Navy has a requirement for a 13,000 ton LPD. The Chinese-built 071 LPD is said to cost only about one-third of a comparable US-built San Antonio-class LPD. However, as of mid-2008 Malaysia had made no decision on the purchase.
