In a brief ceremony held on September 25, 2019 the China State Shipbuilding Corp’s (CSSC) Shanghai-based Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard launched the first of three Type 075 landing helicopter docks (LHD) that are on order from the PLA Navy.
Displacing about 30,000 tonnes, the LHD has a length of 250 metres, 32-metre beamwidth, draught of 8.5 metres, a maximum cruising speed of 23 Knots, and the capacity to house up to eighteen 12-tonne helicopters both above- and below-deck.
Design work on the Type 075 LHD began in 2011 and the keel of the first vessel was laid two years ago.
The LHD is expected to carry Z-18F ASW/utility helicopters and Z-18K AEW helicopters.
CSSC has also been offering a smaller LPH variant of the Type 075 LHD for export.
