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A Look At People’s Liberation Army Amphibious Sealift Assets
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A Look At People’s Liberation Army Amphibious Sealift Assets
by Xinhui
Amphibious Ships:
Qiongsha class
A personnel attack transport class built in Guangzhou in the early 1980s that resembles a small passenger liner. It does not have a beaching ramp, but it is equipped with two Landing Craft, Assault (LCA) for troop and cargo unloading in support of an amphibious operation. Two of this class (Y833 and Y83) were converted to be hospital ships. All are in service with the South Sea Fleet
| Number in Service: | 4 |
| Pennant number: | Nanyun 830, Nanyun 831, Nanyun 832, Nanyun 835. Nanyun stands for South Sea Fleet Transport. |
| Speed (Knots) | Maximum 17, Economical 14 (estimated) |
| Displacement: | 2150 full load |
| Armament: | 4x Type 61 twin 25mm |
| Personnel Load: | 400 fully equipped troops |
| Cargo (tons) | 350 (estimated) |
Defense Mobilization Ship (Sichang):
One of the first PLAN multi-purpose vessels. Built in Shanghai in 1996, it has a large flight deck capable of being reconfigured for different missions, including helicopter carrier for two medium transport helicopters, freight ship with room for 300 containers, or transporter for Fast Attack Craft. It also servers as a training ship for 200 trainees and as a hospital ship when loaded with medical containers on its large flight deck. It is based in the South Sea Fleet.
| Number in Service: | 1 |
| Pennant number: | Shichang 82 |
| Speed (Knots) | 17 |
| Displacement: | 10,000 full load |
| Crew | 170 |
| Cargo (tons) | 300 containers |
| Helicopters: | 2 |
Hovercraft:
Type 722 LCVP:
Jingsha class, now a museum in Qingdao
The development of Type 722 started in 1983 by Hudong Shipyard based on the civilian Type 716 passenger hovercraft. A prototype completed all technical trials around Hainan island in 1988 and entered service soon after. Three Deutz air-cooled marine diesels operate at 950 kW power it. Only one Type 722 entered service, the production model is the Type 722 II.
There is some confusion about Type 722, as some have mistaken it for the Dagu/Jingsha-class Utility Craft Air Cushion (UCAC), which is no longer in service.
| Speed (Knots) | 50 Knot +. |
| Displacement: | 51, some source claim 80 tons |
| Hover: | 1.5 meters |
| Cargo (tons) | 15 |
| Personnel load | 20 fully armed troops. |
| Armament: | Twin 14.5 HMG. |
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