Type 620 tanker is a type of naval auxiliary ship currently in service with the People's Republic of China Navy (PLAN).[1][2] Originally designed as a type that is capable of transport both water and oil, these ships entered service from 1981 onward for both military and civilian, but only the oiler version entered service with PLAN.[1] Type 620 tanker has received NATO reporting name as Shengli class,[2] meaning victory in Chinese.[3] After transferred into reserves, these ships finally begun to retire in the early 2010s.

History
PRC
NameShengli
NamesakeVictory
BuilderHudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding
Completed1980s
Acquired1980s
Commissioned1980s
Maiden voyage1981
In service1981 onward
FateBeing retired
StatusIn reserve
General characteristics
Displacement4,940 long tons (5,020 t)
Length101 m (331 ft 4 in)
Beam31.8 m (104 ft 4 in)
Draught5.7 m (18 ft 8 in)
Propulsion
  • 1 × Type 6 ESDZ 43 marine diesel engines, 2,600 hp (1,939 kW)
  • 1 shaft
Speed15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Range2,400 nmi (4,400 km; 2,800 mi) @ 14 kn
Sensors and
processing systems
Type 756 or Fine Curve radar
Armament
  • 1 twin 25 mm (0.98 in) and
  • 1 twin 37 mm (1.5 in) guns

Type 620 tankers in PLAN service are designated by a combination of two Chinese characters followed by three-digit number. The second Chinese character is You (油), meaning oil in Chinese, because these ships are classified as oilers. The first Chinese character denotes which fleet the ship is service with, with East (Dong, 东) for East Sea Fleet, North (Bei, 北) for North Sea Fleet, and South (Nan, 南) for South Sea Fleet. However, the pennant numbers are subject to change due to the change of Chinese naval ships naming convention, or when units are transferred to different fleets. As of early 2020s, one of the two units identified remains active.[2]

Type Pennant # Builder Commissioned Status Fleet
620 Dong-You 620 Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding Early 1980s Retired East Sea Fleet
620 Dong-You 621 Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding Early 1980s Active East Sea Fleet

References

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  1. ^ a b "Type 620 AOT". Retrieved April 3, 2013.
  2. ^ a b c "PLANS recognition guide 2015". August 7, 2015.
  3. ^ Wertheim, Eric (2007-01-01). The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World: Their Ships, Aircraft, and Systems. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 9781591149552.