They also have a similar propulsion plant, four Pielstick engines driving two shafts, maximum capacity 800 man. But the crew size of the Chinese vessel is said to be a third of the USN one. Who can explain that? Unreliable wiki?
)
But the crew size of the Chinese vessel is said to be a third of the USN one. Who can explain that?
Ship's Company: 360 Sailors (28 officers, 332 enlisted) and 3 Marines.
Embarked Landing Force: 699 (66 officers, 633 enlisted); surge capacity to 800
Why has a San Antonio "a very large force of men & women to take care of the well deck and storage of vehicles"?
Actually, in addition to the US San Antonio Class LPD, the UKs Albion Class LPD is also larger than the Yuzhao.
The San Anotnio is 25,000, the Albion is 21,000 and the Yuzhao is 19,0000.
Here's a list of most of the world's LPDs and their displacements (full load):
San Antonio - 25,000 US
Albion -------- 21,000 UK
Yuzhao ------- 19,000 CH
Austin -------- 17,000 US
Rotterdam ---- 16,800 Dutch
Jilashwa ------ 16,500 India
Gilacia -------- 14,000 Italy
Osumi -------- 14,000 Japan
Fourde -------- 12,000 France
Endurance ------ 8,500 Singapore
Makassar ------- 8,400 Indonesia
San Giorgio ----- 8,200 Italy
That will be the explanation. USN keeps its LPDs loaded and on station for months and need to maintain everything all the time, PLAN loads shortly before exercises or action and so doesn't need crew for that. Maintenance on shore.They just do. Those sailors maintain that well deck so when it is needed it is ready. When an LPD-17 class goes to sea it is doing some sort of training operations. It's just not cutting doughnuts in the ocean or putting on a show.
Marines are tending to their vehicles stored on the ship. The sailors make sure everything is safe and secured in the vehicle storage area.
The USN has a system called PMS. Planned Maintenance System which requires periodic checks of the various systems on board all ships. These checks can be daily, weekly or monthly. This is how the USN maintains all the equipment on board their ships. If not done properly when scheduled your gear will go to hell in a hand basket quickly.
Sailors spend a lot of time performing PMS.
With a crew of only 120 I wonder how the PLAN LPD is even cleaned properly..let alone maintained by the sailors aboard.
Also HNLMS Johan de Witt is 16,800 ton, HNLMS Rotterdam is 12,750 ton.I am looking in vain for the 27,500-ton JUAN CARLOS I/CANBERRA class or the 21,000-ton MISTRAL class.
The FOUDRE would dislike the misspelling of its name.
By the Italian GILACIA is probably meant the Spanish GALICIA, 13,000 tons, sister of the Dutch ROTTERDAM.
That will be the explanation. USN keeps its LPDs loaded and on station for months and need to maintain everything all the time, PLAN loads shortly before exercises or action and so doesn't need crew for that. Maintenance on shore.