Amphibious Sustained Reach

Large ships can, by definition, support a number of tasks. Such flexibility inherent in both amphibious and logistics platforms is being exploited by a number of Asia-Pacific navies, as they seek to cover a range of operational requirements.

- Lee Willett

In December 2013, a US Navy (USN) Ticonderoga-class cruiser, USS Cowpens, was involved in an incident with a People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) amphibious ship in the South China Sea. Cowpens was reported to have deployed to observe the operations of China’s first aircraft carrier, Liaoning, and its associated task group; the PLAN’s amphibious platform moved to deter the USN cruiser from conducting this task.

In October 2014, another PLAN amphibious vessel, the Type 071 landing platform dock (LPD) Changbaishan, demonstrated the range of tasks large-deck platforms can undertake by deploying to the Indian Ocean to support China’s naval escort flotilla rotations (which generate Beijing’s contribution to the international counter-piracy campaign offSomalia). The ship also pulled into the Sultanate of Oman’s port of Salalah, demonstrating a diplomatic role in the process.