by78
General
I think they can launch the hull without the CIWS, which is not uncommon. Many sensors and systems are added later during the fitting out period (launch --> fitting out --> trials --> entry into service).
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071 LPD thread
- Thread starter sumdud
- Start date
I think they can launch the hull without the CIWS, which is not uncommon. Many sensors and systems are added later during the fitting out period (launch --> fitting out --> trials --> entry into service).
joshuatree
Captain
Would be nice if they replaced the AK-630 with may be 730 and FL-3000N.
asif iqbal
Lieutenant General
Very nice I would expect launch is imminent
Let's hope we get pictures from the other angle and establish if modules are around for a 5th unit which would not suprise me but certainty would be awesome
Only thing that puzzles me is that we have not seen any more Type 726 LCAC and now there is 4 x Type 071 LPD almost in trhe water
For them they would need 12 active LCAC and many more in resevere to make sure they are ready to and train for action
However to date we have seen only 3 x Type 726 so basically a 1/4 of what they need
Let's hope we get pictures from the other angle and establish if modules are around for a 5th unit which would not suprise me but certainty would be awesome
Only thing that puzzles me is that we have not seen any more Type 726 LCAC and now there is 4 x Type 071 LPD almost in trhe water
For them they would need 12 active LCAC and many more in resevere to make sure they are ready to and train for action
However to date we have seen only 3 x Type 726 so basically a 1/4 of what they need
I read that the modules for the 5th unit are already there, and that they intend now a total of six units altogether.
And yes...one would expect to see more PLAN LCAC vessels for these babies.
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asif iqbal
Lieutenant General
You mean 5th?
It surprises me that they can build these without LCAC , ever since the first LCAC almost 5 years ago we have seen little progress in this area kind of defeating the whole purpose of a amphibious assault ship
Utilising the ships capability is a must and if they are trying to cut cost then it's a route which is going to end up with not a happy ending
You either do it with the full bangs and whistles of a Las Vegas jackpot or don't do it at all
I hope PLAN seriously ups it game gets the helos in order and the LCAC to load onto the Type 071 LPD and ACTUALLY uses and trains with them no running around empty LCAC from well decks no single LCAC in well deck etc etc
I am not so sure.
Perhaps by default that will be the case now...but they had ample opportunity to significantly lessen the well deck between unit 3 and unit 4, and it appears that big well deck is still the same.
I believe at some point, when their design and their schedule calls for it, we will see more LCACs.
They have a capability with the large well deck and the large hanger to do both...and I think that is what they intend.
They have sacrificed overall space for larger forces on the ship for the capability to be able to put a correspondingly larger initial force in the water and in the air. The PLAN has done this with a will, making it clear IMHO, that for their purposes and doctrine, the ability to deploy a large initial wave, is more important to them than to be able to send more multiple, smaller waves from the vessels.
At some point I expect they will develop and deploy the equipment to take advantage of what they have built.
asif iqbal
Lieutenant General
Well that would be specific mission requirements
If the mission calls for launching over the horizon they will have to use LCAC from 60km and helos from further away
If they have secured a beech head and have infantry landed already then from 20km they could launch the vehicles but at the end of the day they require the full spectrum of capability's
PLAN either only ever use one LCAC and if they use more they are always running empty!? Why to save fuel?? Surely not
We do however see two Z8 helos on the deck which I think is ok for missions they are doing
But how do you exercise a full load LCAC when you don't even have 4 x LCAC?? Surely the dynamics of the situation change with 4 x LCAC in the well deck have they experienced it? And 5 years is a very long time for this type of gap
I can't think of too many situations where a 60km "OTH" amphibious assault would be needed by the PLAN, tbh, even in a Taiwan scenario. Certainly not within the next decade or so.
A 60km distance from shore isn't really that far at all, and for all the hype of calling it "over the horizon," it is still uncomfortably close to a foe with any kind of modern, functioning shore based AShM apparatus. Not to mention the LCAC design at present is quite limited in its payload, and that the PLAN are also investing in the far superior Zubr that are also capable of Taiwan operations or even those within the first island chain... all that makes the need for an OTH amphibious assault capability revolving around LPD deployable LCACs seem low in priority.
So in other words, I suspect the reason the PLAN hasn't tried to pursue many LCACs is because they don't feel the capability is relevant to their needs, or at least not when there are other more relevant and pressing needs.
To elaborate, I think a big limitation at present is that the PLAN doesn't have anywhere near the number of ships where it makes mass producing LCACs a viable proposition. The USN has over 70 LCACs, with 8 Whibdey Island LSDs (each able to carry 4 LCACs), 9 San Antonio LPDs (2 LCACs each), and 8 Wasp LHDs (3 LCACs each) along with a few other LSD and LHA classes. That adds up to a massive fleet of distributed LCAC number, and a very high surge/first wave volume. And of course, to conduct an amphibious assault you also need sea control, meaning a capable regular navy.
For the PLAN, I imagine it would make little sense to invest in a large number of LCACs when they only have a limited number of LCAC carrying vessels, and when they are probably unable to reliably assert sea control in their areas of interest. But what does that say about the 071 class and its massive well deck? It just says to me that they decided to future proof their LPD class, with the intention that that eventually, within 071's service life, they would have the ability to conduct sea control, and have enough distributed LCAC carrying vessels, where mass producing LCACs would be a sensible decision.
But until that day arrives, it makes more sense to use 071s either in the ultra far from shore, high intensity role as an air assault/helicopter carrying LPD against a well defended environment, or a very close to shore, very low intensity role as an AAV carrier where it drops off a large number of AAVs in a relatively pacified environment.
A 60km distance from shore isn't really that far at all, and for all the hype of calling it "over the horizon," it is still uncomfortably close to a foe with any kind of modern, functioning shore based AShM apparatus. Not to mention the LCAC design at present is quite limited in its payload, and that the PLAN are also investing in the far superior Zubr that are also capable of Taiwan operations or even those within the first island chain... all that makes the need for an OTH amphibious assault capability revolving around LPD deployable LCACs seem low in priority.
So in other words, I suspect the reason the PLAN hasn't tried to pursue many LCACs is because they don't feel the capability is relevant to their needs, or at least not when there are other more relevant and pressing needs.
To elaborate, I think a big limitation at present is that the PLAN doesn't have anywhere near the number of ships where it makes mass producing LCACs a viable proposition. The USN has over 70 LCACs, with 8 Whibdey Island LSDs (each able to carry 4 LCACs), 9 San Antonio LPDs (2 LCACs each), and 8 Wasp LHDs (3 LCACs each) along with a few other LSD and LHA classes. That adds up to a massive fleet of distributed LCAC number, and a very high surge/first wave volume. And of course, to conduct an amphibious assault you also need sea control, meaning a capable regular navy.
For the PLAN, I imagine it would make little sense to invest in a large number of LCACs when they only have a limited number of LCAC carrying vessels, and when they are probably unable to reliably assert sea control in their areas of interest. But what does that say about the 071 class and its massive well deck? It just says to me that they decided to future proof their LPD class, with the intention that that eventually, within 071's service life, they would have the ability to conduct sea control, and have enough distributed LCAC carrying vessels, where mass producing LCACs would be a sensible decision.
But until that day arrives, it makes more sense to use 071s either in the ultra far from shore, high intensity role as an air assault/helicopter carrying LPD against a well defended environment, or a very close to shore, very low intensity role as an AAV carrier where it drops off a large number of AAVs in a relatively pacified environment.
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