Plan 855 landing ship
 2-view image of a Plan 855 landing ship
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Plan 855 class |
| Builders: | Anchŏn Naval Yard |
| Operators: | Menghe |
| Preceded by: | Plan 832 |
| In service: | 1981-present |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Landing Ship, Medium |
| Displacement: |
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| Length: |
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| Beam: | 9.7 m |
| Draft: | 2.2 m |
| Propulsion: | 2-shaft marine diesel engine, 3200 shp total |
| Speed: | 17 knots |
| Range: | 1000 nautical miles at 12 knots |
| Complement: |
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| Armament: | |
Plan 855 is a class of medium landing ship built in Menghe from the early 1980s through the early 2000s. More than 24 were completed. They were initially designed to supplement the aging Plan 832 landing ships, but later developed into a replacement class with an expanded production run.
Development
While the Plan 832 landing ships offered improved protection from the elements compared to the open-air landing craft which preceded them, they also suffered from a low top speed (10 knots with a full load) and unreliable seaworthiness. The Plan 855 class, designed in the mid-1970s, were designed to correct these flaws, and as a result featured a more streamlined bow with clamshell doors and a ramp behind it. Engine power was also increased. Production began in the 1980s, only to decrease with the economic crisis under Ryŏ Ho-jun and the defense spending cuts of the 1990s.
Initial deliveries of Plan 855 landing ships prioritized the 2nd Marine Infantry Brigade, which was stationed in southwest Menghe and tasked with seizing the Renkaku Islands. Compared with the 1st Marine Infantry Brigade's task of supporting the taking of Altagracia, this mission would involve sailing over longer distances and heavier seas, in the face of a superior enemy force. After the resolution of the Renkaku issue in 2001, the 2nd Marine Infantry Brigade was redeployed to the southwest.
Characteristics
The troop compartment of the Plan 855 class measures 56 meters by 5 meters, and the ship has a cargo capacity of 240 tons at full load. This allows for the following typical transport loads:
- one reinforced infantry company (~130 men), or
- five JCh-2 amphibious light tanks, or
- seven BSCh-6 tracked APCs, or
- six BSCh-5 tracked IFVs, or
- 240 tons of cargo.
For self-defense, the Plan 855 is armed with two twin 23mm anti-aircraft guns in DGP-23/2 mounts, one forward and one aft. The class also carries two four-tube MANPADS launchers forward of the superstructure. These are usually YDG-34 types; a YDG-38 option exists but was not widely applied in refits.
To support beach assaults, the ships also carry two 12-tube launchers for H-11 107mm artillery rockets. The rockets have a range of 10 kilometers and on early variants their launchers must be manually aimed and fired remotely. On ships built after 1990 the launchers are remotely aimed and fired. In addition to high-explosive rockets, the launchers can also fire smoke projectiles to blind firing positions or provide cover for a landing force.