''Qinghaihu'' is a
replenishment oiler
A replenishment oiler or replenishment tanker is a naval auxiliary ship with fuel tanks and dry cargo holds which can supply both fuel and dry stores during underway replenishment (UNREP) at sea. Many countries have used replenishment oilers.
...
of the
People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN).
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian invas ...
sold the incomplete ship in 1992 to the
People's Republic of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, sli ...
, where it was completed and commissioned in 1996.
In Chinese service, the ship was previously known as ''Nancang'' (953). The ship's class has the
NATO reporting name Fuso.
Design
The superstructure is modified with a deckhouse forward of the bridge and a working area built over the fuel cargo tanks. The stern is
sponson
Sponsons are projections extending from the sides of land vehicles, aircraft or watercraft to provide protection, stability, storage locations, mounting points for weapons or other devices, or equipment housing.
Watercraft
On watercraft, a spo ...
ed for the helicopter pad; a small hangar is also installed.
There are four fuel and two solid store transfer stations. Refueling may be conducted from the stern.
History
The ship was laid down in January 1989 by the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
at the
Kherson Shipyard as ''Vladimir Peregudov''. In 1992, China bought the incomplete ship from Ukraine for $10 million. According to Zhang Gang, chief designer of the replenishment oiler , the purchase was made after the Chinese effort to design a new replenishment ship - ultimately the
Type 903 replenishment ship
The Type 903 (NATO reporting name: ''Fuchi'') is a class of replenishment oiler (AOR) built for the People's Liberation Army Navy by the People's Republic of China. They resemble , an AOR built by China for Thailand and delivered in 1996.
Two Type ...
- was delayed due to cost; the PLAN requirement was for one large replenishment per fleet, and it only had two
Type 905 replenishment oilers.
The ship sailed nearly complete to
Dalian
Dalian () is a major sub-provincial port city in Liaoning province, People's Republic of China, and is Liaoning's second largest city (after the provincial capital Shenyang) and the third-most populous city of Northeast China. Located on ...
, China in 1993, and completed by the
Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Company. She was commissioned into the PLAN in 1996 and assigned to the
South Sea Fleet
The Southern Theater Command Navy (), or the South Sea Fleet (SSF; ) is one of the three fleets of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy, operating in the South China Sea under the Southern Theater Command. It is headquartered in Zhanjiang, G ...
.
See also
*, a ''Komandarm Fedko'' bought by
India
India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...
References
Sources
*
*
*
{{DISPLAYTITLE:Chinese ship ''Qinghaihu''
Fusu-class replenishment ships
Auxiliary replenishment ship classes