Type 072 / 072A / 072B / 072II / 072III landing ship

The Type 072 family is a Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy tank landing ship line that evolved from the original Type 072 into later Type 072II, 072III, and 072A batches. The family was built in China by multiple shipyards over time, with later variants adding a helicopter deck, higher troop and vehicle capacity, and improved superstructure arrangements for amphibious lift.

Type 072 / 072A / 072B / 072II / 072III landing ship, Tank landing ship family, Naval Systems

Image source: Wikimedia Commons Category:Type 072A landing ship

Profile

Origin: China
Built by: Zhonghua ShipyardHudong-Zhonghua Shipbuildingother Chinese shipyards by batch
Type: Tank landing ship family
Variants: Type 072, Type 072II, Type 072III, Type 072A

Also Known As

Type 072 landing ship
Type 072II landing ship
Type 072III landing ship
Type 072A landing ship
Yukan-class landing ship
Yuting-class landing ship
Yuting I-class landing ship
Yuting II-class landing ship

naval maritime amphibious amphibious assault transport logistics

Specifications

Displacement: About 3,172 to 5,008 tons depending on variant and loadout
Length: About 120 m
Speed: About 18 to 20 knots
Troop capacity: Roughly 200 to 250 troops on the better-known family variants
Vehicle capacity: About 10 tanks on Type 072 and Type 072A variants
Aviation facilities: Later variants add a helicopter deck for medium helicopters

Service And Conflict Use

Service History

In service: Entered Chinese service from the late 1970s; later batches and derivatives remained in production and service through the 2010s.
Used by: People's Liberation Army Navy

Type 072 / 072A / 072B / 072II / 072III landing ship Images

Type 072 / 072A / 072B / 072II / 072III landing ship, Tank landing ship family, Naval Systems - view 1 — Source: Wikimedia Commons Category:Type 072A landing ship

Type 072 / 072A / 072B / 072II / 072III landing ship, Tank landing ship family, Naval Systems - view 2 — Source: Wikimedia Commons Category:Type 072A landing ship

Type 072 / 072A / 072B / 072II / 072III landing ship, Tank landing ship family, Naval Systems - view 3 — Source: Wikimedia Commons File:Type 072III landing ship.jpg

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Sources

GlobalSecurity Type 072 Yukan class landing shipPublisher: GlobalSecurity.org | Note: Supports the original Type 072 family background, Chinese service context, dimensions, speed, and early payload details. | Accessed: 2026-06-25 GlobalSecurity Yuting-class large landing shipPublisher: GlobalSecurity.org | Note: Supports the Type 072II, Type 072III, and Type 072A family context, including later-helicopter-deck development and improved amphibious lift capacity. | Accessed: 2026-06-25 Wikimedia Commons Category:Type 072A landing shipPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for publicly available Type 072A family photographs used in the gallery. | Accessed: 2026-06-25 Wikimedia Commons File:Type 072III landing ship.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for the Type 072III gallery image. | Accessed: 2026-06-25