Chinese ship Shichang

History
People's Republic of China
Name	Shichang
Builder	Qiuxin Shipyard
Launched	April 1996
Commissioned	27 January 1997
Identification	Hull number: 82
Status	Active
General characteristics
Class and type	Training ship
Displacement	10,160 tonnes (full load)
Length	120 metres (390 ft)
Beam	18 metres (59 ft)
Draught	7 metres (23 ft)
Propulsion	2 x diesel engines; 2 shafts
Speed	17.5 knots (32.4 km/h; 20.1 mph)
Range	8,000 nautical miles (15,000 km; 9,200 mi) at 17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph)
Capacity	300 containers
Complement	170 crew; and 200 trainees
Aircraft carried	2 x Harbin Z-9A
Aviation facilities	Flight deck

Shichang is a training ship in the People's Republic of China's People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). The ship is formally designated as a "defence mobilization vessel" and may be used for helicopter or navigation training, as a container ship, or as a hospital ship. It is the PLAN's first aviation training ship. The NATO reporting name for the type is Daishi-class AXT.

Design

The original plan was to convert Shichang from the civilian roll-on/roll-off ship Huayuankou; a new ship was built instead.

Shichang has a bridge structure forward with the flight deck occupying most of the remaining area behind it; the funnel is toward the stern on the starboard side. The flight deck has two landing spots and may be reconfigured; options include a modular hangar and control space behind the forward structure, or 300 standard 20-foot containers.

See also

• RFA Argus (A135), a Royal Navy auxiliary with a similar configuration

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.