China’s second Type 075 amphibious assault ship starts first sea trial: reports

China held a launch ceremony for its first Type 075 amphibious assault ship in Shanghai on September 25, 2019.(Photo/81.cn)

China's second Type 075 amphibious assault ship reportedly embarked on its first sea trial on Tuesday, just eight months after its April launch.

With two Type 075s in sea trials and one more reportedly under construction, China will soon gain significant capabilities in amphibious landing, which are vital in regions like the Taiwan Straits and the South China Sea, analysts said.

The second Type 075 was photographed by local residents leaving the Hudong Zhonghua Shipyard by the Huangpu River in Shanghai, as it sailed toward the East China Sea for a test voyage for the first time, Shanghai-based news website eastday.com reported on Tuesday.

This coincides with a Monday navigation restriction notice released by Shanghai’s maritime safety administration, saying that a ship would leave the shipyard on Tuesday morning for a sea trial.

Analysts said that the outfitting of the second Type 075 must have progressed very smoothly, since the ship was launched on April 22.

By comparison, the first Type 075 set out for its maiden voyage on August 5, a little more than 10 months after its launch, which was also considered fast.

The first sea trial of the first ship lasted 19 days, reports said.

The second ship's maiden voyage could follow a similar process, as the propulsion system among other major systems including navigation and communication systems could be tested, a Beijing-based military expert who asked not to be named told the Global Times on Tuesday.

According to the usual pattern of shipbuilding, a ship could enter naval service in one to two years after its first test sail, the expert said.

Foreign media reported that the first Type 075 is currently conducting sea trials in the South China Sea, while a third Type 075 is being built in Shanghai.

China's fast development of the amphibious assault ships is a world record, the eastday.com report said.

The Type 075 amphibious assault ship, also often referred to as helicopter carrier, is comparable to the US' Wasp-class amphibious assault ship.

This type of Chinese warship is widely expected to play a major role around the Taiwan Straits and the South China Sea for its strong amphibious landing capabilities.

Amphibious assault ships mainly conduct vertical deployment and landing missions on islands and reefs like the island of Taiwan and those in the South China Sea.

These warships with large flat flight decks can transport troops via helicopters much faster than landing craft, experts told the Global Times.

They can also operate with aircraft carriers, letting the carriers seize air superiority as they transport troops, tanks, and armor vehicles to land, significantly improving the Chinese Navy's combat capability in a comprehensive system.

In military operations other than war, amphibious assault ships can be deployed in anti-terrorism, anti-piracy, sea lanes protection, disaster relief, and humanitarian aid missions, experts said.