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.
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.
Dubei class target ship (AGT) and range supporting vessel is a very little known auxiliary ship of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), and has received the NATO reporting name Dubei class. Originally built as a SWATH test platform, it was subsequently converted to a target ship by adding radar reflectors and other electronic equipment to simulate various targets in support of anti-ship weaponry development, but is still capable of housing different scientific instruments to perform various research tasks, and thus also acts as general purpose research ship (AGE).
Type 991 cable layer is a family of Chinese cable layers first saw service in Chinese navy, and later on, additional units also entered service with Chinese civilian authorities.
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 904 dive tender is a class of Chinese dive tender designed the People’s Republic of China (PRC) for the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), and the late models Type 904I and Type 904II have received the NATO reporting name Yanqian,(研潜 in Chinese), meaning Research Diving. In addition to perform diving support missions, Type 904 I and II ships are also general purpose research vessels (AGE)frequently tasked to perform various scientific research works.
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 Type 631 tanker is a type of naval auxiliary ship currently in service with the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), and has received NATO reporting name Fuchang class. Originally designed as a type that is capable of transport both water and oil, but only the oil tanker version entered service with PLAN.
Type 637 tanker is a type of naval auxiliary ship currently in service with the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). Originally designed as a type that is capable of transport both water and oil, these ships entered civilian service from 1981 onward, followed by military service, with the oiler version entered service with PLAN first .Type 637 tanker has received NATO reporting name Fuxiao class.
Type 645 tanker is a type of naval auxiliary ship currently in service with the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), and this type has received NATO reporting name as Guangzhou class. Originally designed as a coastal oiler that is capable of transport both water and oil, around twenty-three entered service, with four as water tankers and sixteen as oilers. This class has begun to be retired from active military service in the mid-2010s.
Ankang class ambulance craft is a class of little known naval auxiliary ship currently in service with the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). The exact type still remains unknown, because the only official Chinese governmental information released on these crafts is that they are classified as fast ambulance craft, and has received NATO reporting name Ankang class, or 安康 in Chinese, meaning Well-Being. By Chinese classification, any naval vessel with displacement above a thousand ton is classified as ship / warship, and any naval vessel with displacement less than a thousand ton is classified as a boat / craft. Ankang class is the only boat / craft in the Chinese navy that is capable of hosting a helicopter, though it only has a landing pad, but not any hangar. A total of five units of this class have been confirmed in active service as of mid-2010s.
Fujian-class tanker is a class of naval auxiliary ship currently in service with the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), and has received NATO reporting name Fujian class. The exact type designation still remains unknown, and a total of twenty of this class have been confirmed in active service as of early-2020s, both in transport oil tanker and water tanker versions.
The Duhast class tug is a little known class of naval auxiliary currently in service with the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), and this 3200-horsepower tug has received NATO reporting name Duhast class. Built by Wuhu Xinlian Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. (芜湖新联造船有限公司), formerly Wuhu Shipyard, since 2004, the name of this class is taken from the installed power of the vessels, with the exact type designation still remaining unknown. After the first pair was built, as of the mid-2010s, a total of twelve of this class have been confirmed as being in active service.
Type 792 naval trawler is a Chinese auxiliary ship of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), deployed as intelligence gathering spy ship. Type 792 and its predecessor Type 8154, along with Type 8105 naval trawlers have all received NATO reporting name FT-14 AIT class, meaning Fishing Trawler - 14 Auxiliary Intelligence-gathering Trawler.
Youlan-class cable layer is a class of little known cable layer built in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) for the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), and it has received the NATO reporting name Youlan, meaning Postal Cable.
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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