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Part 2 of 3
The China's Type 072A-class landing ships are assigned to the 6th Detachment of the People's Liberation Army Navy. "They received the NATO reporting name of Yuting II. … the Type 072A is designed to accommodate air-cushioned landing craft through the incorporation of a deck well. Like its predecessor the Type 072III, the Type 072A has a helipad but no hangar.[1] The Type 072A is designed to carry 10 tanks, 4 landing craft, a medium helicopter and air cushioned vehicles; a total of 250 fully armed troops can be carried." (https:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_072A_landing_ship)
To understand the ships' capabilities one has to understand what a Landing Ship is: "Landing Ship, Tank (LST), or tank landing ship, is the naval designation for ships built during World War II to support amphibious operations by carrying tanks, vehicles, cargo, and landing troops directly onto shore with no docks or piers. This provided amphibious assaults to almost any beach. The bow of the LST had a large door that would open with a ramp for unloading the vehicles. The LST had a special flat keel that allowed the ship to be beached and stay upright. The twin propellers and rudders had protection from grounding. The LSTs served across the globe during World War II including: Pacific War and European theatre." (https:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landing_Ship,_Tank)
There was an article published in Popular Science when Ship #916 was commissioned. This article further explains the ships' capabilities: "On January 12, 2016, the PLA's "916" Tianmushan, a 5,000 ton Type 072A LST (Landing Ship Tanks), was commissioned into the PLAN. The news is notable in two ways: the first is that it joins the East Sea Fleet, which has responsibility for operations around Taiwan. The second is that it adds further to what was already the world's largest fleet of tank landing ships. … A LST is essentially a cargo ship with a flat hull and a hull mounted door in its bow; the flat hull allows the LST to beach itself on unprepared shallow waters and unimproved shores (like beaches) and disembark infantry and vehicles from its bow, onto land and straight into combat." The article also shows a pic of ship #981 and refers to it as its sister ship. This article is a must read to really understand what is going on. (https:// www.popsci.com/china-rings-in-new-year-with-new-amphibious-landing-ship)
The new name for the East Fleet is the 'Eastern Theater Command Navy'. The fleet "has engaged in numerous other battles against the Taiwanese military. It has also operated in support of the South Sea Fleet against the People's Army of Vietnam, particularly in the 1980s. The fleet would have a key role in any invasion of Taiwan, and one of its principal missions is to effectively support a PLA amphibious operation against that island." (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Theater_Command_Navy)
The major naval bases of this fleet are: