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Pictures and Video: Chinese Navy (PLAN) Mobile Landing Platform (MLP) Donghaidao

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Focus - PLAN's MLP Donghaidao (868)
 
 
 
Pictures and Video: Chinese Navy (PLAN) Mobile Landing Platform (MLP) Donghaidao
 
State television broadcaster in mainland China CCTV released a TV report on the latest addition to the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN or Chinese Navy): a new class of vessels with allegedly similar capabilities as the US Navy's new Mobile Landing Platform or MLP. The first vessel of the class is nammed Donghaido with hull number 868.
     

Chinese spotters took some high quality pictures of the PLAN's "MLP"
     
According to the CCTV report, 868 Donghaidao, semi-submersible ship, was officially commissioned on July 10th 2015 within the PLAN. Equipped with ballast system for buoyancy control, has strong RO/RO capability, can tow or transport heavy equipment and small ships, and also can be used as a temporally floating dock for repairing damaged ships at sea.

As Navy Recognition previously explained, while the Donghaidao has all the attributes of a US Navy's MLP, it is significantly smaller (with 175 meters in length and 32 meters width for around 15,000 tons). The vessel was delivered to the PLAN on June 26th by Huangpu Shipyard located in Guangzhou (member of CSSC China State Shipbuilding Corporation).

Its main mission will be transporting and projecting the Zubr class (Project 12322) recently acquired by the PLAN
     
CCTV video report on the Donghaidao (868)