After 38 years of service, PLAN's first "Ocean Supply"/Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment (AOR) 881 Hongzehu decommissioned on August 14th, 2018.
Here
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PLA Navy ends era of "supply-ship troika" in its escort mission
http://eng.chinamil.com.cn/view/2018-08/09/content_9247256.htm
Source
China Military Online
Editor
Huang Panyue
Time
2018-08-09
By Bei Guo Fang Wu
The
30th Chinese naval escort taskforce set sail on August 6 from a naval
port in Qingdao of east China’s Shandong Province to the Gulf of Aden
and the waters off Somalia for an escort mission.
The escort
taskforce comprises the Type-054A guided-missile frigates Wuhu (Hull
539) and Handan (Hull 579) as well as the comprehensive supply ship
Dongpinghu (Hull 960).
More than a piece of news, this is a
regular report issued every four months and the 30th of its kind. In
2018, the 10th year of its escort mission, the Chinese navy is reviewing
its past hardship and current progress.
The comprehensive supply
ship Dongpinghu (Hull 960) sets sail from a naval port in Qingdao of
China's Shandong Province to the Gulf of Aden.
In the past 10
years, the 30 Chinese naval escort taskforces dispatched to the Gulf of
Aden were all composed of two battleships and one supply ship. The
Chinese PLA Navy sent so many new warships, especially frigates, to the
Gulf of Aden that even the most fervent military enthusiasts became
indifferent to the choice of warships.
People might still
remember that, in the first four and a half years of the escort mission
in the Gulf of Aden, the battleships were replaced one group after
another, while the supply ships were always chosen among Weishanhu (Hull
887), Qiandaohu (Hull 886), and Qinghaihu (Hull 885). Meaning that, the
battleships withdrew after only one term of mission, while the supply
ships had to sustain two terms of mission.
During the era of the
“supply-ship troika”, the supply ship Qinghaihu (Hull 885) is an old one
rebuilt after being introduced from abroad.
Therefore, in those
four and a half years, excluding regular maintenance, the three largest
supply ships of the Chinese Navy at that time were always conducting
escort missions. Although they provided much experience for the later
improvement of supply ships of the same types, they served too many
escort missions.
On August 8, 2013, the era of the “supply-ship
troika” was finally ended by the supply ship Taihu (Hull 889), the first
vessel of the Type-903A comprehensive supply ship series.
As
China’s ship-building industry has been making rapid progress in recent
years, the number of warship types has also increased, including combat
support ships that are essential among the ocean-going fleets.
Now
there are many supply ships available to take turns serving in the
escort missions. The comprehensive supply ship Dongpinghu (Hull 960)
serves only one term at a time, with its most recent trip in 2016.
The
Taihu (Hull 889), one of China’s most advanced Type 903A supply ships,
ends the era of the “supply-ship troika” for the Chinese Navy.
Both
Dongpinghu (Hull 960) and Taihu (Hull 889) are Type-903A comprehensive
supply ships, updated from the Type-903 series with only two of its kind
–Weishanhu (Hull 887) and Qiandaohu (Hull 886).
Supply ships of
the Type-903A series have had their displacement increased from 20,000
to 25,000 tons. What’s more, they are able to carry 10,500 tons of
vessel/aviation fuel, 250 tons of fresh water, and 680 tons of
ammunitions.
Supply ships of the Type-903A series have two sets
of liquid material replenishment systems, one set of solid material
replenishment system, large cranes on both sides at the mid-ship
section, four small boats, a Z-8 ship-borne helicopter, and four pieces
of 37mm twin-barreled ship-board artillery systems for self-defense.
The
Type-903 series supply ships have greatly improved their replenishment
efficiency and are able to conduct alongside, astern, vertical, and
skin-to-skin connected replenishment-at-sea at the same time. Therefore,
they can carry out underway replenishment missions under more
complicated conditions.
The Type-901 comprehensive supply ship Hulunhu (Hull 965) is known as the “nanny of aircraft carriers”.
According
to reports, China has completed ten Type-903 supply ships, with one
still under construction. Currently, ships of the Type-903 series are
not the Chinese Navy’s most advanced supply ships any more. They are no
match for the Type-901 series of large scale supply ships that came into
service on September 1, 2017.
As seen in previous reports, China
has been consistently improving its supply ship building technology. It
is believed that, as the Chinese supply ships continue to increase in
number and enhance in quality, the Chinese Navy’s combat capability will
be further improved.
Disclaimer: The author is a reporter with
the Bei Guo Fang Wu. The article is translated from Chinese into English
by the China Military online. The information, ideas or opinions
appearing in this article are those of the author from the Bei Guo Fang
Wu and do not reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn. Chinamil.com.cn
does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same. If the
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