Vietnam launches third locally-made large landing craft

Launching of landing craft with hull number 528. Photo c/o Kien Thuc.net.

Vietnamese shipbuilder Song Thu Corporation has launched the third indigenous roll-on/roll-off large landing craft it built for the Vietnam People’s Navy (VPN). 

The ceremony was held on 22 June 2020 in the company’s shipyard in Da Nang. The landing craft is based on Dutch shipbuilder Damen’s RoRo 5612 amphibious ship design.

It was given the hull number 528, in line with the hull numbering of its sisterships, which were originally built for the Venezuelan Army, but was turned over to the VPN after they failed to pay for the ships.

The new landing crafts are expected to improve the amphibious transport, logistics and mobility capability of the Vietnamese Armed Forces, with emphasis on transporting trucks and light armored vehicles of the Vietnam People's Army (VPA), as well as shipping containers, goods and passengers including armed troops.

A fourth ship of the class is also under construction by Song Thu Corporation.

The ship has an overall length of 57.27 meters, a beam of 12 meters, a maximum draft of 2.75 meters. It displaces at around 600 tons, and has a maximum displacement of 1,480 full load. It is powered by 2 diesel engines and has a maximum speed of around 12 knots.


[1] Kien Thuc