Type 637 tanker

Last updated
History
Naval ensign of China.svg PRC
StatusActive
General characteristics
TypeTanker
Displacement1,400 long tons (1,400 t)
Length54 m (177 ft 2 in)
Beam8 m (26 ft 3 in)
Draught3.5 m (11 ft 6 in)
Propulsion
  • 1 × marine diesel engines, 600 hp (447 kW)
  • 1 shaft
Speed12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Complement35
Sensors and
processing systems
Navigation radar
Electronic warfare
& decoys
None
Aircraft carriedNone
Aviation facilitiesNone

Type 637 tanker is a type of naval auxiliary ship currently in service with the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). [1] 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 (as of 2015). [1] Type 637 tanker has received NATO reporting name Fuxiao class. [2] [3] [4]

Type 637 tankers in PLAN service are designated by a combination of two Chinese characters followed by three-digit number. The second Chinese character is You (油), meaning oil in Chinese, because these ships are classified as oilers. The first Chinese character denotes which fleet the ship is service with, with East (Dong, 东) for East Sea Fleet, North (Bei, 北) for North Sea Fleet, and South (Nan, 南) for South Sea Fleet. However, the pennant numbers are subject to change due to changes of Chinese naval ships naming convention, or when units are transferred to different fleets. A unique visual cue that makes Type 637 readily identifiable and distinguished from other Chinese oilers is that its hull is strengthened with additional strips of metal that stretched along the freeboard. Type 637 oiler is capable of carrying three hundred tons of oil. [1]

Type NATO designation Pennant No. Name
(English)
Name
(Han 中文)
Commissioned DisplacementFleetStatus
Type 637 transport oil tanker (AOT)Fuxiao classBei-You 567North Oil 567北油 567 ?1400 t North Sea FleetActive
Dong-You 637East Oil 637东油 637 ?1400 t North Sea FleetActive
VariousVariousVarious ?1400 t  ?Under construction
Type 637 water tanker (AWT)VariousVarious? ?1400 t  ?Under construction

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "Type 637 AOT" . Retrieved April 3, 2013.
  2. "PLANS recognition guide 2018". July 16, 2018.
  3. "PLANS recognition guide 2019". February 19, 2020.
  4. "PLANS recognition guide 2020". February 19, 2020.