re: PLAN Type 071 LPD & its Landing Craft
From Janes defence
China unveils new details of LHD ahead of Turkish decision
Robert Foster
* *Abu Dhabi
The China Shipbuilding and Offshore International Co (CSOC) has disclosed new information on the first landing helicopter dock (LHD) design it is submitting for Turkey's LHD requirement.
CSOC has established a partnership with Turkey's DESAN shipyard for the competition, which could be decided this year. The design was first revealed in model form at the Defense & Security 2012 exhibition in Bangkok in early March 2012. Company officials provided IHS Jane's with more data at the recent IDEX show in Abu Dhabi.
Named the 20000T Landing Patrol Dock, the vessel is 211 m long, has a beam of 32.6 m, a height of 26.8 m and a displacement of between 20,000 and 22,000 tonnes. Powered by four diesel engines, it has a range of 7,000 miles at 16 kt with an endurance of 30 days. The ship is double-hulled to enhance survivability, and can accommodate up to 1,068 personnel and eight helicopters, with hangar space for four. The model indicates it will have a well deck.
Turkey's navy has sought an LHD since the 1990s but the country's Undersecretariat for Defence Industries (SSM) did not issue requests for tenders until February 2010, with three shipyards replying in May 2011. RMK Marine submitted an indigenous design, while the SEDEF shipyard collaborated with Spain's Navantia to propose a version of its Juan Carlos -class LHD.
The DESAN shipyard's offer was initially reported to have been based on either a South Korean or Chinese design. The selection decision was expected in early January 2013 after previously being delayed to give all bidders time to submit proposals; however, it has since been put on hold again and the decision is now unlikely to be made before March.
CSOC officials stressed that the LHD design was for export only and would not comment on possible LHD designs for the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). During a Chinese TV interview in November 2012, Admiral Yin Zhou stated China's future LHDs would be much larger, potentially approaching a displacement of 40,000 tonnes, similar in size to the US Navy's LHDs.
While China has yet to build a LHD, it has constructed three Type 071 ( Yuzhao -class) landing platform dock (LPD) amphibious assault ships, and offered a version of this design to Malaysia in 2006.
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