The Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF) is the military organisation responsible for the defence of Papua New Guinea. It originated from the Australian Army land forces of the territory of Papua New Guinea before independence, coming into being in January 1973 and having its antecedents in the Pacific Islands Regiment. The PNGDF is a small force, numbering around 3,600 personnel, and consists of a Land Element, an Air Element and a Maritime Element. It is a joint force tasked with defending Papua New Guinea and its territories against external attack, as well as having secondary functions including national-building and internal security tasks.
The People's Liberation Army Navy, also known as the People's Navy, PLA Navy or simply Chinese Navy, is the naval warfare branch of the People's Liberation Army, the standing armed force of the People's Republic of China. As of 2024, it is the second-largest navy in the world in terms of total displacement, and the largest navy per number of ships in active service.
The People's Liberation Army Navy Surface Force is the surface warfare branch of China's People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), consisting of all surface vessels in operational service with the PLAN. The PLAN Surface Force operates 661 ships organized into three fleets: the North Sea Fleet, the East Sea Fleet and the South Sea Fleet.
The Type 054A is a class of guided-missile frigate from the People's Republic of China. It is a development of the Type 054 frigate; compared to its predecessor, the Type 054A has medium-range air defense capability in the form of Type 382 radar and vertically launched (VLS) HHQ-16 surface-to-air missiles.
Daishan Dao is a Type 920 hospital ship of the People's Liberation Army Navy of the People's Republic of China. Daishan Dao is also known as Peace Ark during peacetime, and has received NATO reporting name Anwei class.
Beidiao 993 is an experimental ship chartered by the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), and operated by the 760th Research Institute of China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC), receiving NATO reporting name Kantan勘探 in Chinese, meaning Exploration.
Type 912 degaussing/deperming ship (ADG) is a type of little known auxiliary ships built in the People's Republic of China (PRC) for the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), and this class has several derivatives. As of 2022, Type 912 is the most numerous degaussing/deperming ship in PLAN, and the longest serving degaussing/deperming ships in PLAN, until its successor ype 911 finally begun to appear in early 2010s.
Type 911 degaussing/deperming ship is a type of very little known auxiliary ship currently in service with the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). Designed to replace earlier Type 912 degaussing/deperming ship, Type 911 has received NATO reporting name Dazar class, and as of early 2022, a total of two ships have been identified.
Type 946 submarine rescue ship with NATO reporting name Dazhou class is a type of coastal submarine rescue ship developed by China for the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). A development designated as Type 946A is also in service with PLAN.
Type 917 rescue ship (ARS) is a type of rescue and salvage ship developed by China for its People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). A total of two ships have entered service by mid-2014, and more units are planned. Type 917 is the first ship in PLAN to adopt a trimaran hull, and hence received NATO reporting name Dasan class, or 大三 in Chinese, which is short for Da-xing (大型) San-ti-chuan (三体船), meaning Large Trimaran.
Type 639 is a type of ocean surveillance ship is a type of oceanographic surveillance ship developed by China for its People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) to replace earlier Type 595. A single unit of Type 639 with pennant number Bei-diao 992 is currently in service as an oceanographic research ship and five more modified version serving as hydrographic survey ships are designated as Type 639A. Type 639 has received NATO reporting name Kanhai class, 勘海 in Chinese, meaning Surveying Sea.
The Dulaji class are a class of environmental research ships (AGER) currently in service with the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), and the design is also modified for cable layer (YRC) in PLAN service, with both versions have received the same NATO reporting name Dulaji class because they share the same hull. The exact type of this class remain unknown as of 2022, because no official information has been released, despite the ships have already been in service for more than a decade. In addition to the usual task of conducting regular environmental sampling, monitoring/surveillance and research missions, these ships are also tasked with additional task of sewer transfer and treatment from other ships to prevent sewer onboard other ships from overflowing into the sea and thus causing pollution, and thus these ships also act as sewer vessels for vessel sewage discharging.
Duchuan class dispatch boat (YFL) is a class of little known naval auxiliary ship currently in service with the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), With the exact type still remains unknown, it has received the NATO reporting name Duchuan class, or 渡船 in Chinese, meaning Ferry Boat. A total of three units of this class have been confirmed in active service as of 2022.
The Ducha-class large harbor tug (YTB) is a very little known naval auxiliary ship/tugboat currently in service with the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). The exact type still remains unknown, but it has received NATO reporting name Ducha class. More than a dozen of this type have been confirmed in active service as of early-2020s, making it one of the most numerous class of tugs in Chinese service. The Ducha class is a design of single deck with three levels of superstructures, with the top level retracted backward from the edge of the bottom two levels.
Dufei class dispatch boat is a class of little known dispatch boat (YFL) built in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) for the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). The exact domestic Chinese type designation remain unknown, and this class is identified by its NATO reporting name Dufei class, or 渡费 in Chinese, meaning Crossing Toll. Dufei in PLAN service is designated by a combination of two Chinese characters followed by a two-digit number. The second Chinese character is Jiao (交), short for Jiao-Tong-Ting (交通艇), meaning dispatch boat (ferry) in Chinese, because these ships are classified as dispatch boats. The first Chinese character denotes which fleet the ship is service with, with East for East Sea Fleet, North for North Sea Fleet, and South for South Sea Fleet. However, the pennant numbers are subject to change due to the change of Chinese naval ships naming convention, or when units are transferred to different fleets. As of 2022, only a single unit has been positively identified: Specification:
The Longma class is a class of little known diving support vessel (YDT) built in the People's Republic of China (PRC) for the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). The exact domestic Chinese type designation remain unknown, and this class is identified by its NATO reporting name Longma class, or 龙马 in Chinese, meaning "dragon horse". As of mid 2010s, a total of four ships have been identified, and one of them Nan-Jiu (南救) 509 has been retired at the end of 2018.
The Yanjiu class is a class of little known survey vessel (AGS) built in the People's Republic of China (PRC) for the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). The exact domestic Chinese type designation remain unknown, and this class is identified by its NATO reporting name Yanjiu class, or 研究 in Chinese, meaning research. The Yanjiu class in PLAN service is designated by a combination of two Chinese characters followed by a three-digit number. The second Chinese character is Ce (测), meaning Survey in Chinese. The first Chinese character denotes which fleet the ship is service with, with East for East Sea Fleet, North for North Sea Fleet, and South for South Sea Fleet. However, the pennant numbers are subject to change due to the change of Chinese naval ships naming convention, or when units are transferred to different fleets. As of mid 2010s, a total of two ships have been identified:
Type 917 torpedo retriever (TR/TWR) / range support vessel / target ship is a type of little known auxiliary ship built in the People's Republic of China (PRC) for the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). As a successor of earlier Type 803 torpedo retriever, Type 917 TR/TWR/AGT has received NATO reporting name Damen class, or 大门 in Chinese, meaning "big gate". As with its predecessors, once these have retired from their original torpedo retrieving duties, they are converted to range support vessels/target ships, until finally sunk as targets. Specification:
The Dachou class range support vessel/target ship (AGT)/torpedo retriever (TR/TRW) is a class of little known auxiliary ship built in the People's Republic of China (PRC) for the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). Designed as a successor of earlier Type 917 torpedo retriever (TR/TWR)/target ship (AGT), the exact domestic Chinese type designation remains unknown, and this class is identified by its NATO reporting name Dachou class, or 大筹 in Chinese, meaning "big plan". Specification:
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