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 062 gunboat is a class of gunboat of the People's Liberation Army Navy first developed and constructed in the 1950s. This unsophisticated class is relatively well-armed for its size and is the most widely built and exported Chinese naval vessel in terms of numbers. A total of 30 were built, initial boats being known as the Shanghai I class and later slightly improved boats being known as the Shanghai II class. The Shanghai I class was slightly smaller than its successor, the Shanghai II class, displacing 125 tons instead of 135 tons, and had a twin Chinese Type 66 57 mm gun mount forward. All other specifications are identical to the Shanghai II class, which replaced the 57 mm with twin 37 mm gun mounts. Some boats remained in active service well into the early 1990s in the PLA navy and longer in the case of the Korean People's Navy.
The Type 025 torpedo boat, also known as the Huchuan or Hu Chwan class, was once the backbone of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) in its confrontations with its much larger opponents in the Republic of China Navy. Although no longer serving in that capacity, this class is still active. While relatively unsophisticated, the class has enjoyed a longevity in active service thanks to a philosophy within PLAN which has continued to favor its use. Powered by Soviet-era engines, the hydrofoil-equipped boats are capable of 50 knots and carry two torpedo tubes for torpedoes, with some known to be armed with naval mines.
The Type 037 corvette is a series 400–500 ton corvette type classes in service with the People's Liberation Army Navy. Unlike western navies, the People's Liberation Army Navy does not have dedicated patrol boats in its inventory. Instead, a large variety of corvette type classes, in the form of missile boats and submarine chasers fulfill the tasks of patrolling China's territorial waters. The Egyptian Navy operates eight vessels.
The Type 082 class minesweeper is a Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) ship class. It is also known as Wosao class in the west, but the Chinese media has translated the name as Wusao, short for armed mine sweeping boat. As with most mine countermeasure vessels in PLAN, all Type 082 ships are also equipped with mine laying rails and thus are also deployed as minelayers.
USS Ampere (PCE-919/AM-359/YDG-11/ADG-11) was originally planned as a PCE-905-class patrol craft for the United States Navy, PCE-919, and laid down as an Admirable-class minesweeper, named Drake, for the male duck. Before she was commissioned, her name was cancelled and she was reclassified as a District Degaussing Vessel. She was later renamed Ampere, after the ampere, a unit of electric current, which takes its name from the French physicist André-Marie Ampère.
Naval trawlers are vessels built along the lines of a fishing trawler but fitted out for naval purposes; they were widely used during the First and Second World Wars. Some—known in the Royal Navy as "Admiralty trawlers"— were purpose-built to naval specifications, others adapted from civilian use. Fishing trawlers were particularly suited for many naval requirements because they were robust vessels designed to work heavy trawls in all types of weather, and had large clear working decks. A minesweeper could be created by replacing the trawl with a mine sweep. Adding depth charge racks on the deck, ASDIC sonar below, and a 3-inch (76 mm) or 4-inch (102 mm) gun in the bow equipped the trawler for anti-submarine duties.
The Type 722 II class LCAC with NATO reporting name Jinsha II class LCAC is a medium size air-cushioned landing craft (hovercraft) operated by the People's Liberation Army Navy of China. It is frequently but erroneously referred by many as Dagu class, its predecessor, due to misspelling and lack of information in the 1970s, when these projects first appeared. There are also other names for this class, mostly resulting from different transliterations.
The T58 class were a group of minesweepers built for the Soviet Navy in the 1950s. The Soviet designation was Project 264.
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 645 oceanographic research ship is an oceanographic ship developed by China for the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) and other Chinese civilian establishments. Type 645 was an experimental program of the Fourth five-year plan of China and designed by the 2nd Directorate of 708th Institute of China State Shipbuilding Corporation, which is also more commonly known as China Shipbuilding and Oceanic Engineering Design Academy (中国船舶及海洋工程设计研究)Archived 2019-07-06 at the Wayback Machine nowadays. Construction begun in October 1977 and the ship was launched in October 1978, entering service with PLAN in December 1978. There are a total of twelve laboratories on board totaling 257 square meters. Deployment proved that the design was successful, and three more units were built for civilian use, named as Xiangyanghong 9, Xiangyanghong 14 and Xiangyanghong 16 respectively. However, on May 2, 1993, Xiangyanghong 16 was rammed and sunk by a Cypriot LNG carrier more than nine time of its size in the East China Sea near Jeju Island, with the loss of three crew members. The sister ships in civilian service are often tasked with military and paramilitary missions and thus frequently come under PLAN and Chinese Coast Guard control.
Type 922 rescue and salvage ship is a series of rescue and salvage ships developed by China for the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), and after decades of service they still remain active in other Chinese governmental establishments.
Type 057K minesweeper with NATO reporting name Lianyun (连云) class is a type of minesweeper of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) that is no longer in service after its retirement.
The Type 802 tug is a Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) version of the former-Soviet Gromovoy class tug. The difference between the Chinese version and the original Soviet version is minor, mainly in the modification of living quarters. For example, space used for milk storage is converted for vegetable storage, and the Russian-style oven and stove are replaced with Chinese types. Also, an air conditioning system has been added for operation in warmer climates. Out of a total of 17 ships built between 1958 through 1962 in Shanghai and Dalian, 15 still remain active as of the early 2010s, despite their age.
The Type 079 landing ship was a class of landing ship medium (LSM) of the People's Liberation Army Navy. There are two subclasses of this type; 079I and 079II.
Type 8105 naval trawler is a Chinese auxiliary ship of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). Type 8105 along with Type 792 and Type 8154 naval trawlers have all received NATO reporting name FT-14 AIT class, meaning Fishing Trawler - 14 Auxiliary Intelligence-gathering Trawler. After retiring from their original role of a spy ship, Type 8105 naval trawlers have been converted to auxiliary minesweepers and survey vessels, and kept in operational reserve of the Chinese navy.
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.
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