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At least two out of four Zubr-class air-cushioned landing craft which China purchased from Ukraine are ready to be commissioned by the People's Liberation Army Navy, according to a report by the state-run Global Times on Apr. 10.
China signed a contract worth US$315 million to purchase four Zubr-class landing craft from Ukraine back in 1999. While two of those vessels were built by Feodosiya Shipbuilding Company in Ukraine, the construction of the other two Zubr-class will be completed in China. After the arrival of the first Zubr-class landing craft in China from Ukraine in May 2013, the construction of the first domestic landing craft is almost complete as well.
Just as the second landing craft from Ukraine is set to be handed over to China, the newspaper said that the nation's first fleet of Zubr-class is almost ready to be commissioned. At least two of the vessels are ready for combat in the East or South China Sea in the event of a conflict. The Zubr-class landing craft is capable of carrying three battle tanks or ten armored vehicles with 140 troops. Without any vehicles, it is able to carry 500 troops on board according to Shenzhen Satellite TV, a current affairs and finance news station based in Guangdong.
The top speed of a Zubr-class landing craft is about 63 knots or 111 kilometers per hour. The Zubr-class landing craft were purchased to replace the East Sea Fleet's older Type 072 landing ships, according to the paper. The Type 072 ships have served the PLA Navy for more than 30 years. With these new Zubr-class landing craft, the power projection capability of the PLA Navy will be increased, and greater number of troops could be sent ashore in a potential conflict over Taiwan or the Diaoyutai (Diaoyu or Senkaku) islands.
Global Times suggested that the Zubr-class should be used in combination with the Type 056 corvette when deployed by the South Sea Fleet. The Type 056 corvette is capable of providing cover for the Zubr-class landing craft in shallow waters while the latter conducts landing missions on isolated islands or reefs, similar to the conditions on the disputed Spratly islands. The landing craft can also be used to supply PLA troops if they were to be stationed in the South China Sea.
The Spratlys, the largest group of islands in the resource-rich South China Sea, is also the archipelago with the greatest number of claimants. China, Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei claim the islands in whole or in part.
China signed a contract worth US$315 million to purchase four Zubr-class landing craft from Ukraine back in 1999. While two of those vessels were built by Feodosiya Shipbuilding Company in Ukraine, the construction of the other two Zubr-class will be completed in China. After the arrival of the first Zubr-class landing craft in China from Ukraine in May 2013, the construction of the first domestic landing craft is almost complete as well.
Just as the second landing craft from Ukraine is set to be handed over to China, the newspaper said that the nation's first fleet of Zubr-class is almost ready to be commissioned. At least two of the vessels are ready for combat in the East or South China Sea in the event of a conflict. The Zubr-class landing craft is capable of carrying three battle tanks or ten armored vehicles with 140 troops. Without any vehicles, it is able to carry 500 troops on board according to Shenzhen Satellite TV, a current affairs and finance news station based in Guangdong.
The top speed of a Zubr-class landing craft is about 63 knots or 111 kilometers per hour. The Zubr-class landing craft were purchased to replace the East Sea Fleet's older Type 072 landing ships, according to the paper. The Type 072 ships have served the PLA Navy for more than 30 years. With these new Zubr-class landing craft, the power projection capability of the PLA Navy will be increased, and greater number of troops could be sent ashore in a potential conflict over Taiwan or the Diaoyutai (Diaoyu or Senkaku) islands.
Global Times suggested that the Zubr-class should be used in combination with the Type 056 corvette when deployed by the South Sea Fleet. The Type 056 corvette is capable of providing cover for the Zubr-class landing craft in shallow waters while the latter conducts landing missions on isolated islands or reefs, similar to the conditions on the disputed Spratly islands. The landing craft can also be used to supply PLA troops if they were to be stationed in the South China Sea.
The Spratlys, the largest group of islands in the resource-rich South China Sea, is also the archipelago with the greatest number of claimants. China, Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei claim the islands in whole or in part.