China’s Type 075 assault ship could be a decade from full operation
- Analysts are divided on how essential the PLA navy’s newest hardware will be in any operation against Taiwan
- Drones not expected to play major role in deployment of the amphibious helicopter landing craft in near future
An analysis in Chinese military magazine Modern Ships said the design of the Type 075, which will be capable of carrying troops for deployment from helicopters, could play an important role in any future military operation against Taiwan.
“With the LHD, [the PLA] can airdrop troops on the east coast [of Taiwan] instead of the west coast which faces the mainland,” the article said. “[In this way], the enemy’s defence can be shattered much faster.”
However, military commentator Zhou Chenming said he expected the Type 075 to play a supporting role in any operations against Taiwan, since the navy already had sufficient transport capacity – in the form of its earlier model Type 071 amphibious landing docks – to mount an attack across the Taiwan Strait.
The PLA navy has ordered at least five 25,000-tonne Type 071 vessels in the past four years, currently under construction at the Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard in Shanghai. Three Type 071s are already in commission and a second batch was delivered in April.
Zhou said it could take 10 years before the Type 075 reached full combat capability because of the lack of operational experience in the Chinese navy, which would further limit its role in any plans for Taiwan.