Yuch'in-class landing craft

The Type 068 and Type 069 (NATO reporting name: Yuch'in^[2] or Yuqin^[3]) are classes of landing craft mechanized (LCM) of the People's Republic of China's People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). They may be based on the Soviet T-4 landing craft,^[3] or smaller versions of the Type 067 landing craft with shorter tank and longer poop decks.^[2] The Type 068 and Type 069 were mainly designed to transport cargo and personnel respectively.^[3]

Class overview
Name	Type 068 and Type 069
Builders	Kailing Shipyard, Zhoushan[1] Shanghai[2]
Operators	People's Liberation Army Navy  Bangladesh Navy  Tanzania Naval Command
Built	1962[2] - c. 1995[1]
In commission	c. 1960 - present
General characteristics
Type	Landing craft mechanized
Displacement	86 tonnes (full load)[2]
Length	24.8 metres (81 ft)[2]
Beam	5.2 metres (17 ft)[2]
Draught	1.3 metres (4 ft 3 in)[2]
Propulsion	2 x Type 12V 150C diesel engines;[2] 2 shafts[2] Total output: 600 hp (450 kW)[2]
Speed	11.5 knots (21.3 km/h; 13.2 mph)[2]
Range	450 nautical miles (830 km; 520 mi) at 11.5 knots (21.3 km/h; 13.2 mph)[2]
Troops	150 troops[2]
Complement	12[2]
Armament	2 x twin 14.5 mm machine guns[2]

The landing craft were built at Shanghai from 1962 to 1972.^[2] A few modified Type 069s were built at Zhoushan for Tanzania in the 1990s.^[1]

Operators

 Bangladesh

Bangladesh bought six of the landing craft from China.^[2] Two Type 069s were fitted as inshore survey craft and entered service in 1983.^[4] Four Type 068s were delivered in 1986.^[5] The 1991 Bangladesh cyclone severely damaged two Type 068s, one of which was scrapped.^[6]

 China

 Tanzania

Tanzania bought two modified^[1] Type 069s^[2] for logistics support. They were launched from the Kailing Shipyard^[1] and delivered in 1995.^[2] They have greater molded depth for increased cargo capacity, air conditioning and improved steering.^[1]