071 LPD thread

[Lion]

re: PLAN Type 071 LPD & its Landing Craft

While having no plans to invade Russia, Japan or America, China does intend to invade the Middle East and Africa?

It's not called 'Invade'.. It's called ' Restore Peace' , like what the American's doing..

With more and more foreign investment make by China overseas. It's inevitable PLAN need to have a force projection to protect overseas asset.

 

[plawolf]

re: PLAN Type 071 LPD & its Landing Craft

This depends on whether the North or East Sea fleets will be given the same responsibilities. If all three fleets rotate the role of deployment abroad, then it makes sense all three fleets be grown with the same capabilities. If only the South Sea fleet gets this responsibility, perhaps there will be a time when a name change is appropriate as deployments to places like Africa isn't really the South Sea.

It is my belief that the PLAN is taking the first steps in establishing a new, 4th fleet for power projection and sea lane protection missions from the Indian Ocean to Africa, and that fleet is forming in Hainan at present, although there is a chance that ultimately, a new homeport will be set up in Pakistan.

The PLAN's 3 homefleets would thus focus on protection of China's critically important coastal regions as well as any Taiwan or Korean scenarios, while the 4th fleet will be responsible for policing China's shipping lanes and also undertake any expeditionary missions to extract or protect Chinese nationals and interests in Middle East and African countries as well as serve as a distraction to keep the Indians out of the South China Sea.

The more the Indians poke their nose into South China Sea affairs (for no other reason than to screw with China as far as Chinese strategists are concerned), the more likely that the Chinese will 'push back' by homeporting a powerful battlefleet on India's doorstep in Pakistan.

 

[plawolf]

re: PLAN Type 071 LPD & its Landing Craft

You forgot Taiwan...still remember back in the day everybody believed the advent of 071 LPD+LCAC will change the game rules in the "Taiwan scenario"?

Yes, but I never bought into all that hype.

The 071s would be ill suited to operate in the Taiwan Strait and would represent too many eggs in one basket in such a dangerous threat environment.

Similar, if not more so with suggestions of an amphibious assault from the East.

For Taiwan, the new LCACs would be just fine operating on their own, and for the first waves at least, the PLAN's fleets or smaller landing and troop ships would be much better as loosing one would represent a far small loss of lives and assets than the loss of a fully loaded 071.

 

[franco-russe]

re: PLAN Type 071 LPD & its Landing Craft

Of course Type 071 would play a role in a Taiwan scenario, but it is not that which it is built for, it is of course power projection.

I was just kidding about invading the Middle East and Africa, naturally China is not planning to establish herself militarily in any of those places, but life teaches that unforeseen contingencies arise and it is nice to have good tools readily at hand.

 

[asif iqbal]

re: PLAN Type 071 LPD & its Landing Craft

LHD would be useful only when you've a large contingent of rotor-wing asset, and PLAN have yet fully exploit the merit that LPD brings yet...

I am not sure if that is really the case, I mean Russia is getting French LHD and they are using Ka50/52, Ka-27 and Ka-29K

China has Z9, AC313, Z8, Z15 and also Mi-17 and WZ10, pretty good mix of opitions they could use, I think simply China doesnt want a LHD at the moment

 

[MwRYum]

re: PLAN Type 071 LPD & its Landing Craft

I am not sure if that is really the case, I mean Russia is getting French LHD and they are using Ka50/52, Ka-27 and Ka-29K

China has Z9, AC313, Z8, Z15 and also Mi-17 and WZ10, pretty good mix of opitions they could use, I think simply China doesnt want a LHD at the moment

No there's a world of difference. PLA's entire fleet of rotor wing asset is small and under strength for its size. And the same for its naval aviation as well.

Also, in terms of helicopter ops from ships especially the likes of 071 LPD is transport, for PLAN what they've is Z-8 and they got not enough of that; Z-9 is too small for practical transport; WZ-10 is not yet officially inducted yet and still primary air force or army aviation. See, PLAN Marines might have their own armor assets but they rely on the navy to provide everything else.

 

[tphuang]

re: PLAN Type 071 LPD & its Landing Craft

The Z-8 production has ramped up a lot in the recent years. I think they should have less problem now filling the deck of a LHD. And if they did indeed build one, they can always import Ka-29 and Ka-28 from Russia. On top of that, you can account for Z-15s in the future.

 

[asif iqbal]

re: PLAN Type 071 LPD & its Landing Craft

No there's a world of difference. PLA's entire fleet of rotor wing asset is small and under strength for its size. And the same for its naval aviation as well.

Also, in terms of helicopter ops from ships especially the likes of 071 LPD is transport, for PLAN what they've is Z-8 and they got not enough of that; Z-9 is too small for practical transport; WZ-10 is not yet officially inducted yet and still primary air force or army aviation. See, PLAN Marines might have their own armor assets but they rely on the navy to provide everything else.

i dont know why Z9 is always put down for being inpractical and not suitable, its actually a pretty good utility helicopter, its in service with maybe 30 countrys, used by many navys for operations from ships at sea and was picked by PN over Western ones

there is no reason why Z9 cant be used from a Chinese LHD, also most LHD can be and have been fitted with ski jumps for use with F35, China can also do the same but again has shown very little interest in such a platform

in terms of technology and equipment theres nothing stopping China from making LHD, reason must be a political one, they probably want to concentrate on LPDs, Destroyers and Frigates

 

[delft]

re: PLAN Type 071 LPD & its Landing Craft

MwRYum wrote:

You forgot Taiwan...still remember back in the day everybody believed the advent of 071 LPD+LCAC will change the game rules in the "Taiwan scenario"?

Indeed when the decision was taken to build 071 it signaled that the time for a war over Taiwan had passed.
Are the Mountains put in the same fleet because they can more easily train together? In scenarios in which you use an LPD you might also want to use two or three of them so training them together makes sense.

 

[franco-russe]

re: PLAN Type 071 LPD & its Landing Craft

South Sea Fleet is the primary "blue water" fleet of the PLAN, so it is natural that the first 071's should join 6 Landing Ship Flotilla at Zhanjiang.

It appears that 998 has been training with the only PLAMC brigades, 1 and 164 Marine Brigades, both of which are stationed at Zhanjiang, making it even more natural that they should be based the same place.

But we still do not know where the second pair will be based. I still have a hunch that they will join 5 Landing Ship Flotilla at Shanghai-Wusong.