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The military celebration is occurring around the navy’s 76th anniversary on April 23 and features events across about 10 coastal cities – such as Qinhuangdao in northern China’s Hebei province, Shanghai in the east and Guangzhou in the southern Guangdong province – according to Xinhua.
More than 30 active-duty warships are open for public tours, making it the largest and most diverse event of its kind. Many of the vessels on display have taken part in international missions, including escort operations in the Gulf of Aden, overseas port visits and multinational joint exercises.
The vessel, also known as the Type 075 landing helicopter dock and crewed by around 1,100 sailors, is expected to play a key role in any military conflict involving Taiwan. The Hainan is mainland China’s first domestically designed large-scale amphibious warfare vessel and since its debut three more ships of the class have been constructed.
Its 230-metre by 36-metre (754 by 118-foot) flight deck includes six helicopter landing spots on the port side and a smaller seventh area on the starboard which is most likely designated for drones. A stern elevator enables two medium helicopters to move between the hangar and the flight deck.
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Twice the size of the earlier Type 071 transport dock, the Type 075 can carry up to 30 rotary-wing aircraft to support amphibious operations. These include Z-8, Z-18 and Z-20 transport helicopters, as well as unmanned aerial vehicles and, potentially, attack helicopters.
