Naval Service

A Look At People’s Liberation Army Amphibious Sealift Assets

• A Brief History
• Current Orbat & Assets
• In the Pipeline
• Type 50, Type 55, Type 67 series Type 68 & Type 271
• Type 72 Series
• Type 73 I/II/III & Type 74
• Type 73 IV, Type 79 & Yubei Class
• Qiongsha Class, Defense Mobilization Ship & Type 722 LCVP

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A Look At People’s Liberation Army Amphibious Sealift Assets

by Xinhui

Note and Specs on Landing Craft and Ships:

Type 50

The first Chinese Landing Craft, Utility (LCU) or Dai Far in Chinese was built in Jiangnan Shipyard in 1953 based on captured Japanese navy boats. The first two examples of 50-ton landing transport Junks had a wooden hull but were later converted with a steel hull during the construction of the third example and renamed as LCU. While it was designated as a landing craft, this first LCM was mainly used for river transport. The production run was well into the hundreds.

No longer in service

Type 55 (NATO Name: Yuchai)

The first PLAN designed Mechanized Landing Craft (LCM) was the Type 55 by the 2nd Ship Design Institute. The Type 55 was largely based on the Soviet T-4 class but on a smaller scale and with a designation code of 363. It was capable of transporting 60 troops or 50 tons of cargo. The first prototype was first built in Jiangnan Shipyard in 1962; the further production of 10 examples were built at Qingdao Shipyard before production was overtaken by the 13-ton larger improved 363A model. Guangzhou Shipyard produced a total of 52 examples and Dalian produced another 67 examples. The Type 55 could be identified by the kedge anchor on centerline at stern.

11 examples of 363A mod were exported to Vietnam. It was the basis for the more successful Type 67.

Type 67 I/II/III (NATO Name: Yunnan)

Type 067 is another 50-ton class landing craft of the 1960s. It was designed by the PLAN’s 708 Research Institute with the goal of being the first PLAN landing ship to carry both tanks and infantry. It had two production models, Type 067 and Type 067II.

From 1964 to 1971 Zhonghua, Hong Zhou, Qinghuang and other minor shipyards built the first 130 examples of Type 067; four were converted as repair ships later.

The Type 067II was built in December 1967 in Zhonghua shipyard as the Type 067II. It was armed with a 19-round 130mm Multiple Rocket Launcher (MRL). 51 examples were built by Zhanghua, with an additional 21 by Guangzhou shipyard through 1971 when the production was replaced by the Type 067III which increased the Armor Personal Carrier (APC) load from 1 to 2. When the last Type 067G model was completed in 1989, a total of more than 300 examples of all Type 067s were built.

Type 68 (NATO Name: Yuchin)

An updated Type 67 with a primary focus on personnel transport. The Type 68 was built with a short tank deck and reduced displacement from 150 to 85 fully loaded. 50 examples were built by 1972. As a result of the successful type 67/68 design, 708 Research Institute became the premier resource center for PLAN landing ships and the Type 67 design became the workhorse of the Chinese military throughout much of the Cold War for short range cargo and logistic services.

Type 271:

The Type 271 LCM is the PLA’s transport workhorse and has seen almost no naval service, thus it is not listed in Jane’s Fighting Ships. The first 16 examples of this 100-ton class LCM were built in Qingdao Shipyard starting in 1975. The Type 271III model was geared toward non-personnel, oil, water and cargo transport needs. Type 271IIIA was the serial production model for troop transport with weight increased to 150 tons. Hundreds of Type 271 have been built according to many Chinese sources, currently there exists a high estimate of 100-plus examples still in service with the army.

26) Janes Fighting Ships, 2005-6 edition.

27) Janes Fighting ships, 1992-3 edition

28) Ibid

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