Type 920 hospital ship
_ship_PLA(N)_Peace_Ark_(T-AH_866)_steams_in_close_formation_during_Rim_of_the_Pacific_(RIMPAC)_Exercise_2014.jpg?lang=en) Lead ship of the class, Daishan Dao (Peace Ark)
| |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Builders | Guangzhou Shipyard International |
| Operators |  People's Liberation Army Navy |
| In service | 2008–present |
| Building | 0 |
| Completed | 3 |
| Active | 3 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Hospital ship |
| Displacement | 25,760 tons (full)[1][2] |
| Length | 590.5 ft (180.0 m)(full)[1][2] |
| Speed | 19 kn (35 km/h; 22 mph)[1][2] |
| Range | 10,000 nmi (19,000 km; 12,000 mi)[1][2] |
| Complement | |
| Aviation facilities | |
The Type 920 hospital ship (NATO reporting name: Anwei) is a class of hospital ship operated by the People's Liberation Army Navy of China.[4]
History
[edit]Daishan Dao (or Peace Ark),[5] the lead ship, commissioned in 2008,[1] was the "center of China's maritime global health engagements"[6] and an " enduring feature of China’s naval diplomacy" from 2010.[7]
Silk Road Ark performed its first medical mission in 2024.[8]
Characteristics
[edit]_and_People%E2%80%99s_Liberation_Army_(Navy)_hospital_ship_Peace_Ark_(T-AH_866)_transit_the_Pacific_Ocean_during_Rim_of_the_Pacific_(RIMPAC)_Exercise_2014.jpg?lang=en){kind=spacer}
Up to 2024, Daishan Dao was reported to have 300 beds, 20 ICU beds, 8 operating theatres, and can perform 40 major surgeries a day, in addition to X-ray, ultrasound, computerized tomography, hypothermia, hemodialysis, traditional Chinese medicine, and dental facilities.[3][9] She was also equipped with a remote networking and communications system to allow teleconferencing with doctors and specialists on land.[3]
As a hospital ship, Daishan Dao is unarmed except for small arms for self defense.[3]
Ships of the class
[edit]| Name | Hull No. | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Fleet | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daishan Dao (Peace Ark)
(和平方舟) |
866[1] | Guangzhou Shipyard International[3] | December 2008[3] | East Sea Fleet[1] | Active[1] | ||
| Silk Road Ark (丝路方舟)[2] | 867[2] | Guangzhou Shipyard International | 2023[2] | South Sea Fleet[2] | Active[2] | ||
| Auspicious Ark (吉祥方舟)[10] | 868[10] | Guangzhou Shipyard International | 2024[11][better source needed] | since May 2025[10][12] | North Sea Fleet[12] | Active[10] |
Gallery
[edit]-
Peace Ark during Rim of the Pacific 2016. -
The computerized tomography (CT) scan aboard the Peace Ark
_departs_Joint_Base_Pearl_Harbor-Hickam_following_the_conclusion_of_Rim_of_the_Pacific_2016._160805-N-AI605-055.jpg?lang=en)
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i Robinson 2025, p. 16.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Robinson 2025, p. 18.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Mizokami, Kyle (July 23, 2014). "Peace Ark: Onboard China's Hospital Ship". United States Naval Institute.
- ^ International Institute for Strategic Studies (February 2024). The Military Balance 2024. Routledge. p. 258. ISBN 978-1-032-78004-7.
- ^ "China People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN): 2024 Recognition and Identification Guide". United States Navy Office of Naval Intelligence. April 2024. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
- ^ Robinson 2025, pp. 9–11.
- ^ Robinson 2025, p. 15.
- ^ 世界新聞網. "絲路方舟號」海軍醫院船起航 前往南海各島礁". 世界新聞網 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 2024-11-14.
- ^ "本网专访:"和平方舟"号首要任务是满足战争海上救治_新华军事_新华网". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 14 August 2016.
- ^ a b c d 中時新聞網 (2025-05-23). "影》陸最新醫療船「吉祥方舟」亮相！配8間手術房：海軍作戰部署到位 - 兩岸". 中時新聞網 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 2025-05-26.
- ^ Luck, Alex (7 January 2025). "Chinese Naval Developments 2024 In Review – Part 2: Submarines, Auxiliaries, Experimental Programs". Naval News.
- ^ a b "我国已拥有三艘万吨级远洋医院船-新华网". www.news.cn. Retrieved 2025-10-17.
Sources
[edit]- Robinson, Jonathan (10 February 2025). "The PLA Navy's Hospital Ship Fleet: Concerns, Developments, and Future Prospects". China Maritime Report (45). China Maritime Studies Institute.
