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

 

The Chinese Navy's first Type 075 amphibious assault ship has successfully completed its first sea trial, China's Ministry of National Defense announced on Thursday.

The vessel is China's first independently developed amphibious assault ship, and has strong capabilities in amphibious combat and carrying out a diverse range of tasks, said Senior Colonel Wu Qian, a Defense Ministry spokesperson, at August's routine press conference.

According to online videos and pictures taken by local residents, the Type 075, outfitted in the Hudong Zhonghua Shipyard in Shanghai, left the shipyard along the Huangpu River for its maiden voyage on August 5. After 19 days out at sea, it reportedly returned to the shipyard on Sunday.

Military experts told the Global Times that the first sea trial likely tested its propulsion system among other major systems, including navigation and communication systems.

A 19-day sea trial is considered a lengthy one, and its success showed the ship's rapid outfitting progress, analysts said.

It usually takes a new warship a year or two to formally join military service after its first sea trial, military analysts said. This means the first Type 075 will likely be commissioned into the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy in 2021 or 2022, they said.

The first Type 075 was launched in September 2019. A second ship of its class was launched in April this year.

Global Times