071 LPD thread

[escobar]

re: PLAN Type 071 LPD & its Landing Craft

Thanks for posting those pictures, escobar! I love photos of the South China Sea islands and outposts of every country...

Two transport helicopters of the GZMR made ​​several stops in the reefs during a training...

[video=youtube;dUwh6DHJb7M]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUwh6DHJb7M#t=91s[/video]

 

[escobar]

re: PLAN Type 071 LPD & its Landing Craft

[video=youtube;YTpSzmg11cQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=YTpSzmg11cQ#t=0s[/video]

[video=youtube;RvEp3yASCA0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvEp3yASCA0#t=0s[/video]

 

[Jeff Head]

re: PLAN Type 071 LPD & its Landing Craft

Thought I would just get this post here on the Type 071 thread too.

A discussion came up about the possibility of embarking attack helos on a Type 071 and some felt that the PLAN would have to wait for an LHD or LHA to do that.

But I pointed out that the Type 071 has a larger flight deck and a larger hangar than the San Antonio Class, and the US San Antonio Class embarks AH-1W Cobra Attack helos regularly. You see two in the first photo,three in the second, and I have seen as many as four.

​

...and as a special, just for SD, here's one of the new AH-1Z Vipers all done up in its folded configuration. A sight not often seen to date. The Viper is the new, four bladed, more powerful version of the Cobra which carries as much ordinance as an Apache, with larger winglets for the weapons pylons.

So, the Type 071s are certainly capable of doing so...they just have to navalize the Z-10 or something like it and get it out on deck.

 

[Geographer]

re: PLAN Type 071 LPD & its Landing Craft

Thanks again escobar! That video of the helicopters is from the Paracel Islands. Which island is this, pictured below? It appears to only have a lighthouse, low building, and dredged channel.

 

[Jeff Head]

re: PLAN Type 071 LPD & its Landing Craft

Thanks again escobar! That video of the helicopters is from the Paracel Islands. Which island is this, pictured below? It appears to only have a lighthouse, low building, and dredged channel.

I am not sure what reef that lighthouse and low structure are built on.

I do know that those have to be lonely, and very long deployments for soldiers who are duty stationed to these outposts. Also potentially very hazardous because of the disputes and potential for conflict...and they are so far from relief forces most of the time.

It must be a really exciting event for those personnel stationed there for a large task force like this to show up and spend any extended amount of time doing exercises in the vicinity.

​

 

[asif iqbal]

re: PLAN Type 071 LPD & its Landing Craft

Thought I would just get this post here on the Type 071 thread too.

A discussion came up about the possibility of embarking attack helos on a Type 071 and some felt that the PLAN would have to wait for an LHD or LHA to do that.

But I pointed out that the Type 071 has a larger flight deck and a larger hangar than the San Antonio Class, and the US San Antonio Class embarks AH-1W Cobra Attack helos regularly. You see two in the first photo,three in the second, and I have seen as many as four.

​

...and as a special, just for SD, here's one of the new AH-1Z Vipers all done up in its folded configuration. A sight not often seen to date. The Viper is the new, four bladed, more powerful version of the Cobra which carries as much ordinance as an Apache, with larger winglets for the weapons pylons.

So, the Type 071s are certainly capable of doing so...they just have to navalize the Z-10 or something like it and get it out on deck.

Great post Jeff, PLAN simply does not use its resources to their full potential, they are capable of much more

With the deck and size of hanger of the LPD and having a naval version of the Z10 would greatly enhance the capability of the PLAN, I mean all they need to do is add flotation device and anti corrosion coatings etc

 

[joshuatree]

re: PLAN Type 071 LPD & its Landing Craft

This photo shows just how quickly the depth of waters vary, that 071 isn't that far away from the outpost.

Thanks for posting those pictures, escobar! I love photos of the South China Sea islands and outposts of every country. Photos of the Chinese outposts are few and far between because the Chinese media gives them so little attention. Vietnam, on the other hand, milks its SCS islands for every ounce of publicity and nationalism that it can get.

Mischief Reef's original fishermen's shelters have fallen into complete disuse and disrepair. I wonder if any fishermen actually used them in the past, or if they were simply a internationally-acceptable Chinese toe-hold on the atoll. The main fort has new solar panels and a wind turbine, though I doubt they are enough to supply all of the outpost's electrical demand.

I think they were the original shelters for both fishermen and the initial contingent of soldiers. It would be an economical move to raze those dilapidated shelters and reuse the bases to build a frame on top to add even more solar panels. Still think it's not a bad idea to look into deploying buoy tidal power generators considering deep water isn't that far off. Put all that together and there should be sufficient self-generated power capacity.

 

[plawolf]

re: PLAN Type 071 LPD & its Landing Craft

Great post Jeff, PLAN simply does not use its resources to their full potential, they are capable of much more

With the deck and size of hanger of the LPD and having a naval version of the Z10 would greatly enhance the capability of the PLAN, I mean all they need to do is add flotation device and anti corrosion coatings etc

Well I think its just because amphibious assault is a low priority requirement for the PLAN. They are pursuing it and developing that capability methodically just in case, but there is no real operational imperative to make them feel like they need to be able to pack their 071s to the gills with combat capable amphibious forces any time soon. They can do it, but doing so costs a lot of money, and the PLAN never likes wasting money.

I mean, even if they had naval WZ10s deployed on the 071s today, where would they be deployed?

If push comes to shove, they can embark army WZ10s on 071s tomorrow and those WZ10s would be fully combat capable since they would be spending most of their time over or very close to land when called upon, so its not all that different from their normal trained roles. So its not like not having naval WZ10s will hold them back in any meaningful way if they need to embark WZ10s during an emergency.

The priority right now is to equip the army aviation units with WZ10s ASAP. Once those requirements have largely been met, lower priority forces like the marines might start getting theirs, and its then you will see WZ10s become a common feature on LPD, LHDs and carriers.

 

[Scratch]

re: PLAN Type 071 LPD & its Landing Craft

If push comes to shove, they can embark army WZ10s on 071s tomorrow and those WZ10s would be fully combat capable since they would be spending most of their time over or very close to land when called upon, so its not all that different from their normal trained roles. So its not like not having naval WZ10s will hold them back in any meaningful way if they need to embark WZ10s during an emergency.

Something that, btw, has already been shown viable by the british & french operating Apache & Tiger helicopters off of HMS Ocean & FNS Tonnerre respectively during the Libya campaign. And I think the french pulled that again off Mali.
As long as you limit those deployments to shorter periods and low sea state conditions were these's not much sea water washing over the assets, those army attack helos seem to be able to work pretty well off large amphib decks.
Folding rotors and possibly even tail booms would be nice, but are not really necessary for smaller scale conflicts, were space on board isn't really scarce.

 

[A.Man]

re: PLAN Type 071 LPD & its Landing Craft

First Time In Action-Plus Very Fine Workmanship