Type 071 amphibious transport dock

Not to be confused with Type 071 icebreaker.

The Type 071 (NATO reporting name: Yuzhao) is a class of Chinese amphibious transport dock ships in service with the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). The Type 071 provides the PLAN with capabilities and flexibility not found in its previous landing ships.^[4]

Type 071 amphibious transport dock ship Changbai Shan
Class overview
Builders	Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding[1]
Operators	People's Liberation Army Navy  Royal Thai Navy
Succeeded by	Type 075 landing helicopter dock
Built	2006–present
In service	2007–present
Completed	9
Active	8 (People's Liberation Army Navy) 1 (Royal Thai Navy)
General characteristics
Type	Amphibious transport dock
Displacement	25,000 tons full load.[2]
Length	210 m (689 ft 0 in)[2]
Beam	28 m (91 ft 10 in)[2]
Draft	7 m (23 ft 0 in)[2]
Speed	25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph)[2]
Range	10,000 nmi (19,000 km) at 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)[2]
Boats & landing craft carried	4 × Type 726 Yuyi class LCAC[1] Landing craft on port/starboard davits[1]
Capacity	60 armoured fighting vehicles[3]
Troops	800 troops[1]
Armament	1 × AK-176 76 mm (3.0 in) gun 4 × AK-630 30 mm (1.2 in) CIWS 4 × 18-tube Type 726-4 decoy/chaff launchers Possible installation of 2–4 heavy machine guns (Fitted for but not with)
Aircraft carried	4 Harbin Z-8[1]

Design

The amphibious warfare ship features a vehicle deck, well-deck, landing deck and a hangar. It can carry a combination of marines, vehicles, landing craft and helicopters. The ship may embark 600 to 800 troops. The stern helicopter deck has two landing spots, each supporting a Harbin Z-8 (SA 321 Super Frelon variant) transport helicopter. The twin-door cantilever hangar can house up to four Z-8 helicopters. The well deck houses up to four Type 726 air-cushioned landing craft,^[1] which can transfer vehicles or marines to the shore at high speed. The LCAC are launched by flooding of the docking area. The vessel can also carry landing craft on port / starboard davits. The vehicle deck can house amphibious assault vehicles including the ZBD05 amphibious IFV and the ZTD-05 amphibious light tank.^[5] The stern ramp, two side doors and ramps allow rapid loading of the vehicles and equipment.

The ship is armed with one 76 mm gun and four 30 mm close-in weapon systems.^[6] A Type 071 hull (986) was modified with a laser-based directed energy weapon added to the vessel's forward superstructure in 2024, reflecting the configuration of a similar weapon installed on the San Antonio-class ship USS Portland.^[7]

The Type 071 may operate as the flagship of a task force.^[6] The Type 071 may also conduct and support humanitarian, disaster relief, and counterpiracy missions, in addition to amphibious assaults.^[5]

Export

The China State Shipbuilding and Trading Corp. consortium offered to build a modified Type 071 for the Royal Malaysian Navy. The Malaysians had a requirement for a 13,000-ton LPD; the Type 071 would cost a third of the similar US-built San Antonio-class LPD.^[6]

The Royal Thai Navy ordered one export version, designated Type 071E, in 2019.^[8] On April 17, 2023, the ship was delivered to the Royal Thai Navy and arrived to Thailand on April 25, 2023.^[9]

Ships of the class

China

Pennant Number	Name	Namesake	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Commissioned	Fleet	Status
998[10]	昆仑山 / Kunlun Shan[10]	Kunlun Mountains	Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding[1]	2006 [11]	21 December 2006 [11]	13 November 2007 [11][12]	South Sea Fleet[13]	Active [13]
999[10]	井冈山 / Jinggang Shan[10]	Jinggang Mountains	Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding[1]	2009 [11]	16 November 2010 [11]	30 October 2011 [11][12]	South Sea Fleet [13]	Active [13]
989[10]	长白山 / Changbai Shan[10]	Changbai Mountains	Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding[1]	2010 [11]	26 September 2011 [11]	23 September 2012 [11][12]	South Sea Fleet [13]	Active [13]
988[10]	沂蒙山 / Yimeng Shan[10]	Yimeng Mountains [zh]	Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding[1]	2014 [11]	22 January 2015 [11]	1 February 2016 [11][1]	East Sea Fleet[13]	Active [13]
980[10]	龙虎山 / Longhu Shan [zh][10]	Longhu Mountains [zh]	Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding[1]	2016 [11]	15 June 2017 [11][1]	19 September 2018 [11]	East Sea Fleet [13]	Active [13]
987 [10]	五指山 / Wuzhi Shan [zh] [10]	Wuzhi Mountain	Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding [14]	2017 [11]	20 January 2018 [14]	12 January 2019 [11]	South Sea Fleet [13]	Active [13]
986 [10]	四明山/Siming Shan [zh][15]	Siming Mountains [zh]	Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding[16]	2017 [11]	28 December 2018 [16]	2020 [11]	East Sea Fleet [13]	Active [13]
985 [10]	祁连山/Qilian Shan [zh] [10]	Qilian Mountains	Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding [11]	2018 [11]	6 June 2019 [11][17]	November 2020 [11][18]	South Sea Fleet [13]	Active [13]

Thailand

Pennant Number	Name	Namesake	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Commissioned	Fleet	Status
792[19]	HTMS Chang (792) [zh; th]	Ko Chang district	Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding			18 April 2023		Active[20][21]

See also

• China portal

• People's Liberation Army Navy Surface Force