Type 072-III large landing ship (Chinese Internet)
Type 072-III featuring a redesigned upper structure (Chinese Internet)
Type 072-III opens its bow ramp to unload armoured vehicles in the water (Chinese Internet)
The stern view of the Type 072-III (Chinese Internet)
The Type 072-III (NATO reporting name: Yuting-II class) large landing ship was introduced in the 2000s as a successor to the Type 072-II (Yuting class). The vessel has been built by the Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard in Shanghai, and the Dalian Shipyard in Dalian, Liaoning Province, with a total of 9 hulls (911~913, 992~997) commissioned between 2003 and 2005. The Type 072-III is generally similar to the Type 072-II in size and arrangement, but with a redesigned upper structure and carrying less number of AAA gun.
Modifications on the Type 072-III include a redesigned upper structure featuring a tunnel underneath to allow troops being fast moved between the bow and stern decks. The vessel retains its trademark destroyer-style bow design with two side-hinged doors and a two-piece foldable ramp. The vehicle deck below is accessed via both the bow ramp and stern gate. The stern gate can be flooded to allow off-loading of amphibious vehicles or air cushioned landing craft directly into the water. Two small landing crafts are carried onboard for offloading troops.
Weapons
The Type 072-III carries only a single Type 76F dual-37mm AAA gun (manual or automatic, rate 180 rds/min; range 8.5km) on the bow deck, considerably less than previous Type 072 designs. This possibly suggests more reliance on the capture of air superiority before an amphibious assault is launched. Additional air defence can be provided by man-portable air defence missile systems (MANPADS).
