Type 081 LHD

Thats just waste of recources. Basicly you have two enourmous ships doing the task which could be given to single hull (or more ideally several hulls doing all the tasks). US Tarawa class is essentially a huge landingship dock with that exact airsupport ability.

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Humm Ok..why did the USN opt to build the new LHA's with out a well deck?? Answer..So the USMC could have a "pocket CV". A ship cable of of having an airwing of about 18-24 JSF F-35B (or larger) with helos to suppourt combat Marines in land. Or on a beach head. Perhaps the PLAN will follow this model.

The Tarawa and Wasp class while a fine design can serve only a limited role as a "Pocket CV"...Something the USMC desires. 20 Sea Harriers is the Max load with limited ordanance delivery capablities....

Inmy opinion, which has not swayed, The PLAN should first have an LPH before they have an CV.....

Assuming the only realistic use-case for these ships at the moment is Taiwan, wouldn't it be easier for helicopters to just fly across the straight?

... Ami.

AmiGanguli said:

Assuming the only realistic use-case for these ships at the moment is Taiwan, wouldn't it be easier for helicopters to just fly across the straight?

... Ami.

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Your going to be fly at the end of your helicopter's range. And that maximum range can decrease depending on load.

AmiGanguli said:

Assuming the only realistic use-case for these ships at the moment is Taiwan, wouldn't it be easier for helicopters to just fly across the straight?

... Ami.

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I could list a thousand reasons why that would be a bad idea. There is the range limit of course, and even if the helos could fly that far, their payload would be severely restricted by then. They also would have to be launched in advance and seperately from the main landing force, furthing increasing coordination problems. Flying across the strait leaves them vulnerable to SAMs and Taiwanese fighter attacks (although the PLAAF gaining air-superiority might resolve this). If they were carried on a LHD protected by escorts, that would not be an issue. Furthermore, if a helo breaks down, it can be serviced by a LHD in the hanger. But if an engine failure occurs, say 50 km from land, the helo is screwed...

Get my point?

I get the point, but I'm not sure I buy it. You wouldn't attempt the landing until you had air superiority, so I don't see them getting shot down. At least not with more probability than that of the ships being sunk.

The helicopters can make the trip in less than an hour, so you wouldn't need to launch them well in advance.

Range is a reasonable argument, but the range of the Z-9, for example, is 1000km. Certainly having to cross the straight twice would severely limit this, but you can always stop on an LHD along the way to refuel. It doesn't need to carry you all the way in order to do that.

AmiGanguli said:

I get the point, but I'm not sure I buy it. You wouldn't attempt the landing until you had air superiority, so I don't see them getting shot down. At least not with more probability than that of the ships being sunk.

The helicopters can make the trip in less than an hour, so you wouldn't need to launch them well in advance.

Range is a reasonable argument, but the range of the Z-9, for example, is 1000km. Certainly having to cross the straight twice would severely limit this, but you can always stop on an LHD along the way to refuel. It doesn't need to carry you all the way in order to do that.

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Your helo will be weight-restricted and volume restricted on the way out. There is no way you can carry a decent load out that far even if you had a chance to refuel on the way back, as you will be carrying both an external fuel tank and a internal cabin mounted fuel bladder which cuts down on volume inside the cabin, and together, will reduce carrying weight. If you carried the helo closer towards where you need to be, you can carry much more weight than if you flew from further out. No need to fit fuel tanks or bladders. There is no point in beating an aircraft any more than the job requires.

Sounds like it might be a reaction to the Korean Dokdo and Japanese 16DDH classes.

This is interesting news, but again it's a shame details are thin on the ground.

FuManChu said:

Sounds like it might be a reaction to the Korean Dokdo and Japanese 16DDH classes.

This is interesting news, but again it's a shame details are thin on the ground.

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If it's a reaction, it's an Indian reaction This 081 LHD and x number of 071 thing was first brought up by an Indian military magazine last year.

There are zero similar news or rumors in China. Only one or two guys translated the Indian article and this article. And sadly, as far as I can see, no one believed in it and no furthur discussions either.

Maybe this is abit off topic. But i just cannot help but wonder. It seems that the PLAN has been quite opened about plans to develop the 081 LHD. I wonder if it was a reaction to calm China's critics who always complain about her lack of transparency in military spending.

Mr_C said:

Maybe this is abit off topic. But i just cannot help but wonder. It seems that the PLAN has been quite opened about plans to develop the 081 LHD. I wonder if it was a reaction to calm China's critics who always complain about her lack of transparency in military spending.

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This so called "lack of transparency" is not directed at China's physical assets, such as the numbers and configuration of her forces. The US has more than enough satellite for that, and as for the rest, there are more than enough politicians/military officers on foreign payroll. China's culture is structured so that the family is always placed on top, even if one has to suffer. And the folks who are in position in China's political/military positions are the most cynical, because they see corruption on all levels every day. Trust me, the United States has no trouble getting intelligence about China's physical forces.

There are people who are geniunely confused by China's intentions. They sees a big modernization effort going on China, so many American scholars and policymakers conclude that China is about to take some imminent action, since that's how a Western mind is trained to react. Everything now, today.

But most of those who preach this "lack of transparency" concept are anti-China/pro-Taiwan folks who are using this as a mean to meet their end. They want to create an image that China is unrealiable, untrustworthy, unstable, and even a downright cunning adversary. Again, the reason they chose to pursue this end is self explanatory: they don't like China, mostly because they see the world as a zero sum game.