The Chinese Navy has just received the 3ᵉ copy of the Type 075 helicopter carriers which now offer it a significant power projection capacity throughout the Indo-Pacific basin.
Since the entry into service of the Kunlun Shan, the first large Type 071 assault ship in 2007, the Chinese assault fleet has undergone very profound changes, going from an imposing fleet, but limited in projection force, to more than fifty tank transports or LST Type 072 and Type 073, ships of less than 5000 tons that do not have real long-range projection capabilities, to a fleet today lining up 6 large amphibious assault ships LPD Type 071 of 25.000 tons, and two Type 075 helicopter carriers of 40.000 tons.
Furthermore, the pace of deliveries of these vessels is not linear, with an obvious increase in power in recent years, as the delivery of the first 2 Type 075 in 2021, and that of the last 3 Type 071 which will be spread out between 2023 and 2024.
As to third Type 075 assault helicopter carrier named "Anhui" and sporting hull number 33, she entered service on October 1 with the Eastern Fleet.
237 meters long for a loaded tonnage of more than 36.000 tons, the Landing Helicopter Dock, or LHD Type 75, are the equivalent of the large helicopter carrier assault ships of the US Navy of the Wasp and America classes.
They can implement 28 to 30 helicopters for amphibious assault missions, including the Z-8/18 heavy transport helicopters capable of carrying up to 30 armed soldiers or 5 tons of cargo over more than 1000 kilometers, gunships like the Z-9 and Z-10 anti-tank, as well as the new Z-20 general-purpose helicopter, perfectly complementing the Type 071 landing craft transport capabilities.
Beyond its naval air assault capabilities, the Type 075 ships have 2 H/PJ-11 close self-protection systems armed with a 30 mm heptatube rotary cannon with radar guidance, as well as two missile launchers very short-range HQ-10 armed with 8 anti-aircraft missiles and infrared-guided anti-missiles with a range of 9 km.
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