Darong-class transport

Darong class transport (AP)/troopship (APT) is a class of auxiliary ship built in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) for the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN).^{[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]} Intended as a successor of Qiongsha-class cargo ship, the exact domestic Chinese type designation remains unknown, so this class is identified by its NATO reporting name Darong class.^[1][2][3][4] Specification:^{[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]}

History
PRC
Status	Active
Class overview
Operators	People's Liberation Army Navy
Preceded by	Qiongsha-class cargo ship
Built	After 2000
In service	After 2000
In commission	After 2000
Planned	2+
Completed	2
Active	2
General characteristics
Class and type	Darong
Type	transport (AP) / troopship (APT)
Displacement	5,000 long tons (5,100 t)
Length	68 m (223 ft 1 in)
Propulsion	Marine Diesel
Sensors and processing systems	Navigation radar
Electronic warfare & decoys	None
Armament	Unarmed
Armour	None
Aircraft carried	None
Aviation facilities	Helipad

Darong class in PLAN service is designated by a combination of two Chinese characters followed by a three-digit number. The second Chinese character is Yun (运), meaning transport in Chinese. 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 2022, a total of two ships have been identified:^{[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]}