Type 072 landing ship

Class overview
Operators	People's Liberation Army Navy
Succeeded by	Type 072II landing ship
Built	c. 1980 - 1995[1][2]
In service	1979- ?
Completed	7[1][2]
Retired	3
General characteristics
Type	Tank landing ship
Displacement	4,237 tonnes (4,170 long tons; 4,670 short tons) (full)[1]
Length	120 metres (390 ft)[1]
Beam	15.3 metres (50 ft)[1]
Draught	2.9 metres (9 ft 6 in)[1]
Speed	18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)[1]
Range	3,000 nautical miles (5,600 km; 3,500 mi) at 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph)[1]
Boats & landing craft carried	2 LCVP[1]
Troops	200 troops[1] 10 tanks[1]
Crew	109[1]
Sensors and processing systems	2 x Type 753 navigation radar[1]
Armament	1 x twin 57 mm gun[1] 2, 3, or 4 x twin 23 mm guns[1] 2 or 4 x twin 25 mm guns[1]

The Type 072 (NATO reporting name: Yukan) is a class of tank landing ship in the People's Republic of China's People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). Seven were built and began entering service by the early-1980s.^[1][2] They replaced American-built LSTs from the Second World War.^[2]

Production may have occurred at the Wuhan Shipyard, with the first completed in 1980,^[1] or at the Zhonghua Shipyard, with ships entering service from 1978 to 1995.^[2]

The bow ramp handles a 50 ton load, and the rear ramp a 20 ton load. It carries two American LCVPs.^[1][2]

Supply ship

A class of supply or ammunition ship (NATO reporting name: Yantai) was developed from the Type 072. Changes include a shorter forecastle, a blunter bow without a door, and the addition of cranes fore and aft of the superstructure.^[3][4]

Three^[3][4] were built by Zhonghua and entered PLAN service in 1992.^[4]

Ships of the class

Name	Namesake	Hull No.	Builder	Launched	Commissioned	Decommissioned	Fleet	Status
Type 072
Yuntaishan (云台山)[5]	Yuntai Mountain	927[5]			1979[6]	July 7, 2020[7][8]	East Sea Fleet[1]	Retired[7][8]
Wufengshan (五峰山)[5]	Mount Wufeng	928[5]				July 30, 2020[9]	East Sea Fleet (prior to 2013) South Sea Fleet (post 2013)[9]	Retired[9]
Zijinshan (紫金山)[5]	Purple Mountain	929[5]			1982[6]	July 7, 2020[7][8]	East Sea Fleet[1]	Retired[7][8]
Lingyanshan (灵岩山)[5]	Lingyan Mountain	930[5]					East Sea Fleet[1]	Active[5]
Dongtingshan (洞庭山)[5]	Xiang Mountain [zh], formerly known as Dongting Mountain	931[5]					East Sea Fleet[1]	Active[5]
Helanshan (贺兰山)[5]	Helan Mountains	932[5]					East Sea Fleet[1]	Active[5]
Liupanshan (六盘山)[5]	Mount Liupan	933[5]					East Sea Fleet[1]	Active[5]
Supply ship variant
		745[3]					South Sea Fleet[3]	Active[3]
		757[3]					East Sea Fleet[3]	Active[3]
		938[3]					South Sea Fleet[3]	Active[3]

References

1. Saunders 2015, p. 155.
2. Wertheim 2013, p. 129.
3. Saunders 2015, p. 162.
4. Wertheim 2013, p. 131.
5. United States Navy Office of Naval Intelligence (19 February 2020). PLA Navy Identification Guide (Report). Archived from the original on 27 February 2020. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
6. Gao, Mengyang (30 August 2020). "海上"老战友"解甲归田-它们曾守卫这片深蓝几十年……" [Naval "Old Comrades" retired - They had served maritime territories for decades]. m.news.cctv.com. Retrieved 2025-02-28.
7. 两艘第一代国产登陆舰退役，云台山舰已服役41年 [Two of China's first generation landing ships are retired], retrieved 28 February 2025
8. "中國海軍鄱陽湖艦、雲台山艦、紫金山艦退役" [Chinese navy ships Poyanghu, Yuntaishan and Zijinshan are decommissioned]. hk.crnntt.com. 9 July 2020. Retrieved 28 February 2025.
9. "再见，五峰山舰！我们将永远铭记你的光辉历程" [Goodbye, Wufengshan! We will always remember your service]. news.qq.com (in Chinese (China)). People's Liberation Army Navy. 2020-08-07. Retrieved 2025-02-28.

Sources

• Saunders, Stephan, ed. (2015). Jane's Fighting Ships 2015-2016. Jane's Information Group. ISBN 978-0710631435.
• Wertheim, Eric (2013). The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World: Their Ships, Aircraft, and Systems (16 ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1591149545.