The People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) fourth Type 075 amphibious assault ship, Hubei, has made its debut. What key information deserves attention?
【People’s Navy’s Hubei Has Arrived】
“I am at my post! Strengthen the military with me! Rest assured, Party and people! The PLAN *Hubei* wishes all comrades a happy holiday!”
The PLAN Hubei, with hull number 34, is the fourth Type 075 amphibious assault ship of the People’s Navy.
CSSC（China State Shipbuilding Corporation）：
Source: LINK
Who doesn’t have a No.4 ship? Right? Hu～bei～people～ The fourth Type 075 amphibious assault ship is still a No.4 ship, and it’s practically an aircraft carrier! It’s guaranteed to deliver! The whole of China! The whole world! So many people envy it! So many people crave it but can’t have it! For any country’s shipbuilding industry, constructing a vessel over 30,000 tons, even reaching 40,000 tons, demands immense manpower, resources, and massive shipbuilding capacity—it’s an incredibly difficult task! You never see any nation dismiss a 40,000-ton ship! Hmph! Okay, done praising ourselves—now let’s talk about the product.
Based on experience, it takes foreign navies 2–3 years to commission one amphibious assault ship. Now look at us:
- April 23, 2021: Hainan (hull number “31”) entered service.
- April 21, 2022: CCTV’s National Defense and Military Channel released training footage of Guangxi (hull number “32”).
- November 10, 2022: The PLAN’s official Weibo released footage of Anhui (hull number “33”) in combat training.
The launch of the Type 075 amphibious assault ship’s lead vessel, Hainan, filled a gap in the PLAN’s equipment system. As more amphibious assault ships enter service, the Type 075 fleet is not only growing in numbers but also gradually building combat power. The first commissioned ships, Hainan and Guangxi, have already conducted multiple joint exercises.
Although the recent unveiling of the Type 076 amphibious assault ship inevitably invites quiet comparisons… Hmm, the Sichuan has a full displacement of over 40,000 tons. Hmm, its twin-island design enhances command efficiency, with the two “brains” dividing tasks and coordinating. Hmm, it’s the first amphibious assault ship to feature electromagnetic catapults and arresting gear—advantages in aircraft launch efficiency and energy utilization allow the Type 076 to deploy more sorties per unit time and support diverse aircraft types.
But this is an amphibious assault ship! Four Type 075s in five years! Displacing 40,000 tons, standing over 20 stories tall, stretching 200+ meters long, with a flight deck area equivalent to 20 basketball courts! It carries 20+ helicopters, has nearly 1,000 compartments, and includes a well deck for amphibious vehicles and landing craft!
Amphibious assault ships are the largest surface aviation vessels after aircraft carriers. Their continued deployment marks a milestone in enhancing the PLAN’s combat power and enables versatile force combinations:
- Paired with carriers → forms a carrier strike group.
- Paired with landing platform docks (LPDs) → forms an amphibious ready group.
- Paired with other non-amphibious warships → enables integrated air-sea joint operations.
They also play vital strategic and tactical roles in non-combat missions like disaster relief, humanitarian aid, and peacekeeping, thanks to their aviation and amphibious support capabilities.
In short, I love them all—they’re all built with our own hands!
Netizen:
According to earlier procurement leaks, there seem to be two more Type 075 orders—one each for Hudong and Huangpu shipyards. If true, that brings the total to six—perfect for three in the Eastern Theater Command and three in the Southern Theater Command. We might eventually see a setup with one Type 076, three Type 075s, and four Type 071 LPDs per theater. And these ships are built incredibly fast—one every 2–3 years.
By 2030 at the latest, we’ll have at least seven amphibious assault ships, rapidly closing the gap with the U.S. Navy in this category. While the Type 075 may not stand out like the larger Type 076 or U.S. “Lightning Carriers,” it excels in carrying helicopters and armored vehicles. Its 144×26-meter hangar can fit 18 Z-8/18-sized helicopters—only slightly smaller than the Liaoning and Shandong carriers’ hangars. Plus, the Z-20 helicopter series (Navy’s Z-20J, Air Force’s Z-20KS) is increasingly appearing on these ships. Ten-ton helicopters are a visual upgrade over four-ton ones, and mixed air wings are a delight. Footage from the Anhui (hull 33) shows 15 helicopters: 3 Z-9s, 2 Z-20s, and 10 Z-8s. Clearing maintenance space, the hangar could fit another 6–7, easily surpassing 20 helicopters. Now we just need STOVL fighters and tiltrotors!
Netizen:
I’m the clown here—I shouldn’t have laughed at the people of Sichuan. Continued congratulations to Jiangsu for (hopefully) getting a Type 075 next.
I believe the next Hubei will definitely be a Star Destroyer!!!
No—a Death Star!!!!!!!!!!
Netizen:
Heartbroken…
News about the fourth Type 075 being named Hubei leaked months ago. I told myself, “No official announcement—it might not be true.”
Sigh… People in Wuhan have had a rough week—first that disgraceful incident at Wuhan University, and now this.
At least give us a Type 076! What did we do to deserve this?
Is it because Hubei has fewer people? T-T
Netizen:
Couldn’t even get a Type 076? Shouldn’t Wuhan University do some soul-searching?
Netizen:
Shuiguihu [gov’t district in Wuhan] is so useless—letting down the people of Hubei.
The research institute is in Wuhan. The cement “training carrier” is in Wuhan.
And all we get is a Type 075?
I laughed too loudly at Sichuan last year—regrets.
Netizen:
Possible future carrier names:
- Tianjin (Battle of Taku Forts)
- Jiangsu (Battle of Jiangyin)
- Shanghai (Battle of Wusongkou)
- Zhejiang (Battle of Ningbo)
- Guangdong (Battle of Humen)
Hong Kong and Macau could also be added if possible.
Taiwan won’t be named before reunification. It might be named after 2049.
Netizen:
China’s shipbuilding capacity gives me the illusion that every province could get an aircraft carrier. But now even Hubei only got a Type 075. Doing the math, only Jiangsu, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Guangdong, and Taiwan (huge symbolism) might get carriers.
Why not Hebei? Economic status isn’t lofty enough.
Why not Tianjin? Political status isn’t lofty enough.
Why not Beijing? Political status is too lofty—who’d bear responsibility if something happened?
Netizen:
We are a peace-loving nation, so the purpose of amphibious assault ships is clear.
There’s a universal truth: To achieve your goals, you need big guns and giant ships. But once you’ve built them, you might not need to use them—your enemies kneel in surrender at the sight of your might. If you don’t build them, they’ll just bark wildly.
