China building first amphibious assault ship: think tank

China is building its first amphibious assault ship capable of carrying multiple hovercraft and many helicopters, according to a think tank that monitors Asian defense issues.

The full displacement of the assault ship, which may be put into commission as early as 2015 to strengthen China’s naval landing operations, is 35,000 tons, according to the Kanwa Information Center, a Canada-based private think tank.

Earlier this month, the IHS Jane’s Defense Weekly reported that China has apparently started building its first indigenous aircraft carrier in Shanghai, citing satellite photos. But Kanwa said it believes that the weekly is likely to have mistaken the assault ship for an aircraft carrier.

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