Type 909 weapon trials ship

The Type 909 (NATO reporting name: Dahua) is a class of Chinese auxiliary ship. Four were built for the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) as weapon trial and oceanographic research ships.^[1][2]

Class overview
Builders	Zhongua Shipyard Hudong–Zhonghua Shipbuilding
Operators	People's Liberation Army Navy
Built	1997 - 2014
Completed	4
Active	4
General characteristics
Type	Oceanographic research ships Weapon trial ships
Displacement	6,096 tonnes (full)[1]
Length	130 m (426 ft 6 in)[1]
Beam	17.5 m (57 ft 5 in)[1]
Draught	7 m (23 ft 0 in)[1]
Propulsion	2 diesel engines[1] 2 shafts[1]
Speed	20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)[1]
Complement	80[1]
Aircraft carried	1 medium helicopter (891)[1]
Aviation facilities	Helicopter pad (891)[1]

History

The first ship, Bi Sheng, was completed as a weapons test range ship with Russian MR-90 "Front Dome" radar and electronic countermeasures. It operated as a electronic intelligence ship near Japan in February 2000 prior to PLAN exercises. Bi Sheng was converted into a weapon trial ship at the Wuhu shipyard, and received pennant number 891 in October 2002; while at the shipyard the hull was designated "Wuhu-B" by Western intelligence.^[3] Bi Sheng was equipped with "Top Plate" air search radar and "Front Dome" fire control radar^[1] and may have test fired the CJ-10 land-attack cruise missile in August 2012.^[4]

The design of the third ship, Zhan Tianyou, may have been a modified Type 636 hydrographic survey ship.^[1] It had a raised bow breakwater and an enclosed, instead of a lattice, foremast.^[3]

According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, by 2024 two were used as weapon trial ships and two were oceanographic research ships.^[2]

Designation

In 2015, Janes listed Zhan Tianyou and Li Siguang as Type 909s.^[1] By 2024, the United States Navy considered these ships to be Type 910 weapon trials ships.^[5]

Ships of class

Pennant number	Name	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Commissioned	Fleet	Status	Notes
851[5]	Bi Sheng[6]	Zhongua Shipyard[1]		March 9, 1997[1]		North Sea Fleet[1]	Active[2]	Launched with pennant number 909 and completed as 970.[6] Pennant changed to 891 in October 2002.[3]
852[5]	Hua Luogeng[6]	Hudong–Zhonghua Shipbuilding[1]		March 30, 2006[1]		North Sea Fleet[1]	Active[2]	Former pennant number 892.[5]
893[1]	Zhan Tianyou[1]			November 12, 2011[1]		North Sea Fleet[1]	Active[2]
894[4]	Li Siguang[4]		2012[4]	November 2013[4]	October 2014[4]	North Sea Fleet[1]	Active[2]