Naval Systems

Type 074 / Type 074A landing ship

Also known as
  • Yuhai-class
  • Yubei-class

The Type 074 / Type 074A family is a Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy medium landing ship line. GlobalSecurity describes the Type 074 as a 1990s development intended to correct the Type 079's flat-bottom shortcomings, while the later Type 074A added a double-hull, catamaran-style arrangement with improved bow buoyancy and beaching behavior.

Type 074 / Type 074A landing ship, Medium landing ship / utility landing craft family, Naval Systems
Image source: Type 074A landing ship.jpg
Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
China
Type
Medium landing ship / utility landing craft family
Service note
1990s-present
Designed
1990s
Produced
1990s for Type 074; Type 074A later
Number built
Type 074: 15 total produced; Type 074A: more than ten in service by mid-2015

Specifications

Type
Landing ship medium / utility landing craft family
Type 074 displacement
486 tons
Type 074 lift capacity
Up to 2 tanks or about 350 troops; 56 crew
Type 074 speed
Up to 18 knots
Type 074A displacement
650 tons standard
Type 074A lift capacity
Up to 3 tanks or 6 amphibious tanks, with mixed cargo loads
Type 074A hull
Double-hull / catamaran-style layout with improved bow buoyancy and beaching arrangement
Design Split

GlobalSecurity treats the Type 074 family as a compact Chinese landing-ship line: the original Type 074 tightened up the earlier Type 079 concept, and the later Type 074A moved to a double-hull layout with more landing-room flexibility.

VariantLayoutLiftReader note
Type 074Conventional hullUp to 2 tanks or about 350 troopsDescribed as a 1990s development intended to correct the Type 079's flat-bottom shortcomings.
Type 074ADouble-hull, catamaran-style layoutUp to 3 tanks or 6 amphibious tanksLater update with improved bow buoyancy and a beaching arrangement that opens earlier on approach.

Source-backed comparison based on GlobalSecurity's landing-ship notes.

Variants
  • Type 074 Yuhai
  • Type 074A Yubei
Timeline

Type 074 / Type 074A landing ship Key Events

  1. Type 074 is developed

    GlobalSecurity describes the Type 074 as a 1990s Chinese landing-ship development intended to correct the Type 079's flat-bottom shortcomings.

    Sources: Amphibious Warfare Ships - People's Liberation Army Navy

  2. Type 074A refines the family

    The later Type 074A kept the family in Chinese amphibious transport use while adding a double-hull, catamaran-style arrangement and improved beaching behavior.

    Sources: Amphibious Warfare Ships - People's Liberation Army Navy

Media

Type 074 / Type 074A landing ship Videos

Type 074 / Type 074A landing ship Images

Type 074 / Type 074A landing ship, Medium landing ship / utility landing craft family, Naval Systems - view 1
Source: Bangladesh Army landing craft LCT BS Jahangir (23908033084).jpg
Type 074 / Type 074A landing ship, Medium landing ship / utility landing craft family, Naval Systems - view 2
Source: Bangladesh Army LCT BS Jahangir. (29551511996).jpg
Related Weapon Systems
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Type 022 / Houbei-class missile boat, Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy catamaran missile boat class, Naval SystemsNaval SystemsType 022 / Houbei-class missile boatChinese People's Liberation Army Navy catamaran missile boat classThe Type 022 or Houbei-class is a Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy catamaran missile boat built around fast littoral anti-ship attack. Public references describe a wave-piercing, radar-signature-reduced hull carrying eight YJ-83 anti-ship missiles, a 30 mm H/PJ-13 or AK-630-derived gun, waterjet propulsion, and enough sensors for local engagements while relying on wider PLAN targeting networks for longer-range missile employment.
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Type 075 / Yushen-class landing helicopter dock, Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy amphibious assault ship or landing helicopter dock class, Naval SystemsNaval SystemsType 075 / Yushen-class landing helicopter dockChinese People's Liberation Army Navy amphibious assault ship or landing helicopter dock classThe Type 075, also known as the Yushen-class, is a Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy landing helicopter dock class that gives China a large-deck amphibious aviation platform above the earlier Type 071 transport dock. Hudong-Zhonghua-built ships in the class combine helicopter spots, aircraft elevators, a hangar, vehicle space, and a well deck for landing craft, with source-backed dispute-context deployments and training in the South China Sea.
Type 071 / Yuzhao-class amphibious transport dock, Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy amphibious transport dock class, Naval SystemsNaval SystemsType 071 / Yuzhao-class amphibious transport dockChinese People's Liberation Army Navy amphibious transport dock classThe Type 071, known to NATO as the Yuzhao-class, is a Chinese amphibious transport dock class built by Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding for large-deck sealift, well-dock operations, and helicopter-supported marine deployments. It moved the PLAN beyond older tank-landing ships by combining Type 726 LCAC capacity, Z-8 helicopter facilities, vehicle decks, and expeditionary support space, and it became an export design through Thailand's Type 071E HTMS Chang.
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Sources

Amphibious Warfare Ships - People's Liberation Army NavyPublisher: GlobalSecurity.org | Note: Supports the Type 074 family's 1990s development context, the Type 074/Type 074A displacement and lift figures, and the later Type 074A double-hull description. | Accessed: 2026-06-27Type 074 Yuhai LSM / Type 074A Yubei LCUPublisher: GlobalSecurity.org | Note: Supports the family relationship, Chinese PLAN context, Wuhu Shipyard build note, and the Type 074 / Type 074A design distinction. | Accessed: 2026-06-25Yuhai-classPublisher: GlobalSecurity.org | Note: Supports the Type 074 and Type 074A class naming used for the family. | Accessed: 2026-06-25Strait Deterrence: Chinese Military Capabilities and Decision-Making in a Potential Conflict with TaiwanPublisher: U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission | Note: Supports the Type 074 and Type 074A troop and vehicle capacity figures used in the Chinese amphibious-capacity tables. | Accessed: 2026-06-25Type 074A landing ship.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for the Type 074A landing ship photograph. | Accessed: 2026-06-25Bangladesh Army landing craft LCT BS Jahangir (23908033084).jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for a Type 074-class landing craft example. | Accessed: 2026-06-25Bangladesh Army LCT BS Jahangir. (29551511996).jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for a second Type 074-class landing craft example. | Accessed: 2026-06-25