075 LHD thread

crash8pilot

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Since Type-075 will not be carrying a VTOL fighter/bomber, what is the purpose of such a ship that can only carry helicopters? As far I know, Helicopters are extremely vulnerable to ground based SAM systems. Even MANPADS can take down helicopters. This ship can carry helicopter gunships to be used on the beaches and shores to bombard defender positions from the air. But helicopter gunships will be very vulnerable over water without the ability to hide behind ground features such as trees or hills.

PLA might be better served with more Type-071 for troop transportation and Aircraft carrier for Air support during amphibious assault.
To launch off Z-10s and Z-19s that will provide air support to ground troops, while Z-18s bring in more troops and heavy equipment to the battleground.
 

tamsen_ikard

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To launch off Z-10s and Z-19s that will provide air support to ground troops, while Z-18s bring in more troops and heavy equipment to the battleground.

All of these can be taken out by MANPADS from shore based defenders. How will they survive the SAM onslaught?
 

crash8pilot

Junior Member
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All of these can be taken out by MANPADS from shore based defenders. How will they survive the SAM onslaught?
I'm not a military strategist of any sorts, but surely air dominance is secured and shore-based defenses are taken out by SEAD/DEAD fighters before ground troops are rolled in? Plus I'm sure the PLA's attack/reconaissance helicopters have chaf and flare countermeasures on the ready.
 

tamsen_ikard

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I'm not a military strategist of any sorts, but surely air dominance is secured and shore-based defenses are taken out by SEAD/DEAD fighters before ground troops are rolled in?

Infantry cannot be taken out by fighters and bombers. They can literally hide in holes and impossible to spot. They might hide large number of MANPADS in hidden underground locations and bring them before the amphibious assault.
 

crash8pilot

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Infantry cannot be taken out by fighters and bombers. They can literally hide in holes and impossible to spot. They might hide large number of MANPADS in hidden underground locations and bring them before the amphibious assault.
Nothing a Type 96 tank can't fix, stick your head out and see what happens. It takes five fingers to form a fist.
 
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gelgoog

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@tamsen_ikard you are basically stating that the helicopter carriers the French, Egyptians, South Koreans, Japanese, Spanish and Australians have are useless. Well they aren't. Plus attack helicopters are useful in a naval environment. Any missile which can destroy a tank can as easily destroy a naval vessel for one. Corvettes in particular are highly vulnerable. Even frigates or destroyers can go down with a couple of well placed hits. For another modern helicopters have several defensive suites against MANPADS. Ever since the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the Stinger threat helicopter defenses have improved significantly so they are more survivable against MANPADS than you think. MANPADS have also evolved to counter this with multiple sensor fusion but older types, which are the most prolific, are already taken into account in any modern attack helicopter. Some helicopters even have counter measures against missiles with multiple sensor fusion. Be it with chaff/flare dispensers or active laser pods to dazzle MANPADS or both. Most US helicopter losses in the war on Iraq for example were actually not to MANPADS but to high caliber anti-air cannons. Shells are much harder to counter with current defensive systems.
 
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daifo

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Hope Chinese commander understand the frontal human wave assault is outdated. Ideally, the offensive party would use deception to get the enemy to prepare in one area while going around, like in normandy, desert storm etc
 

gelgoog

Brigadier
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I think if it happens they will simply storm multiple beaches on the West after a massive aerial and missile bombardment.
Deception will be limited since it makes no sense to attack Taiwan from the East (you would need to cross the mountains and it would be more vulnerable to the US fleet because it would be outside the PLAN's AD/A2 bubble from the mainland). Also there are no decent strategic targets on Taiwan's Eastern regions.

The way the Type 075 LHD fits into this is that the platform allows for helicopter gunships and more helicopter sorties per day than the Type 071 LPD would ever be able to because of the larger deck and deck elevators.
 

crash8pilot

Junior Member
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The Type 075 LHD operating in sync with the Type 071 LPDs alongside a carrier strike group (or two) not only fits into the PLAN's A2AD strategy up to the Second Island Chain, I'd like to think it would form the ultimate projection of power. It'd sure make Taiwan think twice about Western powers coming to its aid if Governor Tsai were to ever declare independence, so in essence it buying China time to unify through diplomatic/peaceful means (in an ideal world of course).
 

tamsen_ikard

Junior Member
Registered Member
@tamsen_ikard you are basically stating that the helicopter carriers the French, Egyptians, South Koreans, Japanese, Spanish and Australians have are useless. Well they aren't. Plus attack helicopters are useful in a naval environment. Any missile which can destroy a tank can as easily destroy a naval vessel for one. Corvettes in particular are highly vulnerable. Even frigates or destroyers can go down with a couple of well placed hits. For another modern helicopters have several defensive suites against MANPADS. Ever since the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the Stinger threat helicopter defenses have improved significantly so they are more survivable against MANPADS than you think. MANPADS have also evolved to counter this with multiple sensor fusion but older types, which are the most prolific, are already taken into account in any modern attack helicopter. Some helicopters even have counter measures against missiles with multiple sensor fusion. Be it with chaff/flare dispensers or active laser pods to dazzle MANPADS or both. Most US helicopter losses in the war on Iraq for example were actually not to MANPADS but to high caliber anti-air cannons. Shells are much harder to counter with current defensive systems.


If we are looking at a Taiwan scenario then China will certainly not deal with older MANPADS. They will deal with the latest ones. Plus, Taiwan has a large reservist force which will be mobilized before the war. These reservists armed with MANPADS can do a missile barrage that no helicopter will be able to defeat. So, I don't think those Helicopters will be useful in an actively defended beach landing.

They might be useful if the landing is not on the beach but much more inside for a surprise transport of troops. Of course Air superiority is essential to defeat all high end SAM sites. But after that part is over. PLA might want to land behind enemy lines with helicopters instead of doing a beach landing that could be heavily defended. With high altitude, Helicopters can probably beat MANPADS.

I don't think Helicopters are useful against modern Ships with good radars. Their nap the earth Strategy will be ineffective when they get to around 20 miles of a ship. Then, they will be within the earth's curvature horizon and easily visible to the ship radar. Most helicopters have missiles with very low range. The moment they are visible by ships radar, they will be shot down with air defense missiles. Plus helicopters are too slow to avoid ship based SAM missiles.
 
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