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AndrewS

Brigadier
Registered Member
Couple of comments

12 knots would presumably be cruise speed with 1 diesel operating.
Then 16 knots would be with 2 diesels operating.

15000 tonnes displacement is roughly the same size as a Hyuga or Príncipe de Asturias
The Príncipe de Asturias carried 12 Harriers and 12 Helicopters, although it is listed as having a maximum capacity of 29 in total.
 

tphuang

Lieutenant General
Staff member
Super Moderator
VIP Professional
Registered Member
two possibilities in my mind
1) This is just a test platform to try out certain technologies they want to deploy on 076
2) Second one is actually a mass produced flat top ship that probably has lower protection, speed requirements, endurance, crew rest spacing and damage control system. It probably has very high degree of automation so that it wouldn't need a large crew.

2) is more interesting and fun to speculate about. It would give them an attritable flat top program that can be deployed all around first island chain. Significantly adds to the strike ability to those places. I see it as a more souped up version of this.
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lcloo

Captain
Not sure whether this has been posted here, but here goes.

First saw this on Deino's Twitter posting yesterday:

Interestingly, this (note the red underline) from one of the replies:

View attachment 97534

Rough translation:
View attachment 97540

To me, the document looks like a ship construction project tender for a drone carrier testbed ship for the PLAN. Dimension-wise similar to 071 LPD, although around 10k tons lighter.

Tender is open from 9am, September 9th to 4pm, September 19th (Beijing time).

The ship is to be delivered within 18 months after the contract of construction tender has been signed.

Here are several illustrations by 大包CG (Weibo) on what the purported drone carrier testbed ship could possibly look like when being positioned alongside a 071 LPD.
View attachment 97535
View attachment 97536
View attachment 97538
View attachment 97539
I can confidently say that China is dead serious in procuring UCAV carriers for future use in the PLAN.

Maybe this is one of the steps towards finalizing the 076 LHA design?

Any thoughts?
This particular clause/term make you think twice on if this is a military ship. Or is this real? Even for a civilian ship?
"The ship must be delivered within 18 months after signing of contract."
 

Squidward

New Member
Registered Member
18 months does seem really short for a ship, doubly so for one that's supposed to carry aircraft. Perhaps they are also trying to pioneer some new construction methods for even faster shipbuilding?

If that turns out to be the case and the PLAN becomes able to pump out carriers (or even something like 076) in a similar amount of time, it would be nothing short of astonshing.
 

luosifen

Senior Member
Registered Member
wuhuanqing1.jpgThe medical ship attached to a service ship group of the navy under the PLA Southern Theater Command steams forward in a maritime assessment on August 22, 2022. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Wu Huanqing)

wuhuanqing2.jpgA sailor assigned to a service ship group of the navy under the PLA Southern Theater Command, wearing the chemical defense gear, conducts toxic substance detection in a maritime assessment on August 22, 2022. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Wu Huanqing)

wuhuanqing3.jpgThe medical ship attached to a service ship group of the navy under the PLA Southern Theater Command slings a rigid-hull inflatable boat (RHIB) down in a maritime assessment on August 22, 2022. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Wu Huanqing)

wuhuanqing4.jpgSailors assigned to a service ship group of the navy under the PLA Southern Theater Command steer a rigid-hull inflatable boat (RHIB) to the designated sea area in a maritime assessment on August 22, 2022. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Wu Huanqing)
 

Andy1974

Senior Member
Registered Member
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