China launches second Type 075 amphibious helicopter assault ship
- Celebrations marred by fire damage to sister ship two weeks earlier during fitting out at same shipyard in Shanghai
- It is unknown whether incident will delay scheduled sea trials and delivery to Chinese navy
China launched its second Type 075 amphibious assault ship, or helicopter carrier, on Wednesday in Shanghai, seven months after the first one.
The vessel, decorated with small coloured flags, was towed by tugboats to its new berth at the state-owned Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard in the afternoon. It will now be fitted out, with equipment and weapons systems as well as crew quarters, which is expected to take some months.
The fire, which broke out on April 11, was extinguished quickly, the report said, but gave no information about the cause of the incident or the extent of the damage. Photographs circulated on social media showed heavy black smoke covering the ship’s superstructure and emerging through the stern gate.
A video clip showed smoke extending a few hundred metres from the vessel. It is unknown what effect the fire will have on the scheduled sea trials and eventual delivery to the PLA Navy. The damaged ship, which appeared to have been repainted, could be seen in a video released on Wednesday of the new Type 075 as it was towed to the dock alongside it.