Type 075 Landing Helicopter Dock

Type 075 : la Chine lance la construction de son premier porte-hélicoptères ? - https://t.co/8dfrBf7m6I pic.twitter.com/l6FgvN6uFh
— East Pendulum (@HenriKenhmann) March 28, 2017

By Henri Kenhmann - East Pendulum

It is thought that the Type 075 development project was officially launched in 2012
The published R & D documents show that the pre-studies have been carried out at least since 2008 by several research offices and research institutes, including the CSSC 708 Institute and the Chinese Naval Equipment Department
In July 2016, the technical proposal was submitted to the reviews of a committee comprised of industry, academic and naval experts
The first sheet cutting would have taken place at the Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard in Shanghai at the end of 2016
In its original configuration, the Chinese helicopter carrier had displacement of 48,000 tonnes and was capable of transporting up to 38 helicopters, that's close to the US Navy's Wasp class
But for unknown reasons - probably because of budget, propulsion, or changing operational requirements - the solution chosen is a 36,000-tonne vessel with a capacity of 28 helicopters
Note that the diesel engine 16PC2-6B of 9,000 kW will be part of the propulsion of the Type 075, according to an article published in June 2015, quoting the statement of the CEO of Hudong Heavy Machinery Co., Ltd, a CSSC subsidiary specializing in marine diesel engines. The same family of diesel engines is also used by the 40,000 tonne Type 901 tanker and the amphibious assault ship Type 071 of 20,000 tonnes
Details of the on-board equipment are missing at the moment, but the ship will be a priori equipped with two CIWS H / PJ-11 guns and two CIWS HQ-10 missiles for its self-protection
We should hopefully see the first modules of this Type 075 before the end of the year. Our sources told the first order consisted of three units, but the final number could vary depending on the geopolitical situation.