TSAMTO, August 17. According to reports published on Twitter, sea trials of the third universal landing ship (UDC) of the Type-075 class built by Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding, intended for the PLA Navy, have begun.
Currently, three ships of the Type-075 class are being built for the PLA Navy.
As reported by TSAMTO, the UDC of the new class ("Yushen according to the NATO classification) are designed for the transportation and landing of Marine Corps units (KMP), the deployment of KMP aviation combat elements, and the management of combat operations. In addition, the vessel can be used to support humanitarian and search and rescue operations.
At the initial stage of the project, the PLA Navy intends to build three Type-075-class UDC developed by Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding. The launch of the lead ship of the series took place at the Hudong-Zhonghua enterprise on September 25, 2019.
Construction of the second UDC began in the summer of 2019, it was launched in April 2020. The construction of the third ship, presumably, began in October 2019. The first UDC has been undergoing sea trials in the South China Sea since the end of 2020 and will probably soon be adopted by the PLA Navy. The first sea trials of the second ship took place in December 2020.
The launch of the third UDC took place in January 2021.
There is no data yet on how many ships of the Type-075 class the PLA Navy intends to purchase. It is reported that the UDC is needed by the PLA Navy to protect territorial integrity, as well as "restore sovereignty" over Taiwan.
The exact characteristics of the UDC have not yet been disclosed. It is assumed that the length of the ship is more than 235 m, width-36 m, draft-8.5 m, displacement-about 36,000 tons. The UDC can reach a speed of 23 knots, the cruising range at a speed of 15 knots is about 10 thousand nautical miles. The amphibious capacity of the vessel can be up to 1,500 marines, more than 70 units of equipment. It is assumed that the Type-075 will be able to carry from 20 to 30 transport and attack helicopters of several types (Z-8, Z-9, Z-18, Ka-28, Ka-31), and possibly a ship-based version of the new Z-20. As weapons, it is planned to use the HHQ-10 short-range air defense system, as well as the H/PJ-11 ZAK.
