Re: PLAN Pictures Thread 4
bd popeye said:
That last ships looks like some sort of container ship that has been modified with some sort of platfoirm.. looks weird.
I believe the 82 is the SHICHANG, a multi-role support and training vessel ship for the PLAN, that can be used as an aviation training ship used for helo training.
The aft deck can handle two 2 Zhi-9A helicos, and it spans two-thirds of ship's length which allows simultaneous operations of multiple helicopters. This facilitates training for shipboard helicopter operations, as well as amphibious assult training.
The aft deck can also house containers for equipment required for various training missions, allowing rapid reconfiguration. The overall layout is a lot like the Arapaho concept tested by the Royal Navy on RFA Reliant in the 1980s.
It displaces 10,000t and is one of the largerships in the PLAN. So, it kind of provides a training platform for large ship handling and flight deck operations.
A lot of people believe that the Shichang is the prelude to the construction of a helicopter carrier or amphibious assult vessel, and provides a basis for perfecting fixed-wing aircraft carrier operational concepts.