 The landing helicopter dockHainan in Hong Kong in 2024. | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 China | |
| Name |
|
| Namesake | Hainan |
| Builder | Hudong Shipyard,Shanghai |
| Laid down | 2018 |
| Launched | 25 September 2019 |
| Commissioned | 23 April 2021 |
| Identification | Pennant number: 31 |
| Status | Active |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Type 075landing helicopter dock |
| Displacement | 36,000 tonnes (full load)[1] |
| Length | 232 m (761 ft)[2] |
| Beam | 36.8 m (120 ft 9 in)[2] |
| Capacity | 1,100 crew |
| Troops | 1,200 troops |
| Armament |
|
| Aircraft carried | 30attack helicopters per dock[4] |
| Aviation facilities | Hangar andflight deck |
Hainan (31) is thelead ship of theType 075landing helicopter dock of thePeople's Liberation Army Navy. She was commissioned on 23 April 2021.
The Type 075 is a large-scaleamphibious assault ship of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy. This ship is the largest amphibious warship of the People's Liberation Army Navy. It has a hangar and can carry nearly 30 helicopters of various types. It has a through deck and can take off and land multiple helicopters at the same time. There is a dock, which can be used as amother ship for amphibious vehicles,landing craft, andair-cushioned landing craft (LCAC), and can transport soldiers,infantry fighting vehicles,tanks, etc. for landing operations.
The Type 075 is China's all-through deck amphibious assault ship. The demonstration work was initiated in 2011. The comprehensive development project was established around 2013.
It was researched and designed by the 708 Research Institute of theChina Shipbuilding Industry Corporation; previously almost all amphibious warships of the Chinese Navy were built by the design of the institute, including theType 071 amphibious transport dock, theType 072,Type 073, andType 074 classes of landing ships, and theType 726 LCAC. After the Type 075 started its program demonstration in 2011, several revisions were made during the period. During this period, the headquarters and the navy had different opinions: In 2016, the General Armed Forces Department recommended that the Type 075 adopt a non-through deck superstructure, but the Chinese Navy insisted on connecting it. Offset deck superstructure (same as all-through decks and offset islands of foreign amphibious assault ships), and finally adopted the navy's opinion and put it into practice.
Hainan was the first ship of the class andlaid down in 2018 andlaunched on 25 September 2019 at theHudong Shipyard inShanghai.[5] She suffered a minor fire whilefitting out on 11 April 2020. Reportedly, the fire was quickly extinguished[6] and caused minimal damage; construction was apparently not slowed.[7] On 23 April 2021, the ship wascommissioned into theSouth Sea Fleet.[8]
In late January 2023, the PLAN far sea joint training formation, consisting of the amphibious assault shipHainan, theType 052D destroyerHohhot, the guided missile frigateLiuzhou and thefast combat support shipChaganhu, set sail from Zhanjiang, Guangdong to conduct an extended ("far sea") training cruise in the South China Sea, the Western Pacific and other waters. The cruise lasted a total of 30 days and covered more than 9,000 nautical miles. This was the first time thatHainan was reported publicly as conducting a "far sea" training cruise.[9][10]
On 21 November 2024, Hainan started a five-day visit in Hong Kong along with theChinese destroyer Changsha (173).[11] On the 25th, two men were arrested for flying drones near the navy ship.[12]
