The Type 071 amphibious transport dock, or landing platform dock (LPD) was built by Shanghai-based Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard for the PLA Navy (PLAN). The first hull Kunlunshan (998) was launched on 22 December 2006, and has been undergoing sea trial since then. The ship is expected to enter the service with the PLAN in late 2007 or early 2008. No follow-on hull has been reported so far.
The Type 071 LPD is the largest indigenously designed combat ship of the PLAN to date, with an estimated full displacement of 17,000~20,000 tonnes. The cargo capacity of the Type 071 is thought to be in the same range as the U.S. Navy Austin class LPD built in the 1960s. If this estimation was correct, the Type 071 LPD can carry a Marine Corps battalion, including 500~800 troops, 15~20 amphibious armoured vehicles, and their associated logistic supplies.
The LPD is only lightly armed. Its armaments include an indigenous single-barrel 76mm main gun (Russian AK-176 copy) on the bow deck, four Russian Type 630 close-in weapon systems (CIWS), and chafe/flare dispensers.
998 Kunlunshan in sea trial (Chinese Internet)
The docking system is located at the stern of the ship. A floodable bay can embark air-cushioned landing craft, conventional landing craft, and amphibious vehicles. Flooding of the docking area is achieved by ballasting the stern of the ship, allowing the landing craft to float. Preliminary models of the class suggest that the Type 071 was designed to embark 2~3 air cushion landing crafts (LCAC).
A large helicopter flight deck at the stern is enough to support the operation of two medium-size helicopters such as Z-8/AS 321Ja Super Frelon. The same helicopter has also been operating from the PLA Navy’s Type 072-II Yuting class tank landing ship, carrying 30 armed troops to the landing zone behind the enemy line on the beach. It is also worth noting that a full-scale mockup of a co-axial design helicopter was spotted on the ship’s flight deck while it was under construction, indicating a Russian design such as Kamov Ka-29 was also considered.
The Type 071 LPD offers much increased sea lifting capacity and operational flexibility not possessed by the conventional tank landing ships (LST) in the current PLA Navy service. In a possible offensive operation to seize Taiwan, the Type 071 could be used to launch an amphibious assault from the Pacific side of the island, where the island’s defence is relatively weak. However, the Type 071’s role is not limited only to the Taiwan scenario. With its strong self-contain capability the LPD could operate far from friendly shores, projecting amphibious assets over distance of several thousand nautical miles. The plenty space onboard also allows additional communications equipments to be added for the ship to act as a fleet command and control centre in an amphibious operation.
In addition to traditional amphibious assault role, the Type 071 LPD could also be deployed for a whole range of non-traditional missions, for example, providing a sea-based platform for helicopters to send humanitarian aids to a disaster area and evacuate casualties and refugees from the area; or evacuating citizens from conflict zones.
The large stern flight deck (Chinese Internet)
The stern ramp allows air cushion landing craft and amphibious vehicles to be quickly loaded or unloaded (Chinese Internet)
