Fushi-class tanker explained

Fushi class tanker is a class of naval auxiliary ship currently in service with the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN),^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]} and has received NATO reporting name Fushi class.^{[2] [3] [4] [5]} The exact type remains unknown, and a total of eight of this class have been confirmed in active service as of early 2020s.^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]} The hull is adopted for both transport oil tanker (AOT) and water tanker (AWT).^{[2] [3] [4] [5]}

Fushi class ships in PLAN service are designated by a combination of two Chinese characters followed by a three-digit number. The second Chinese character is Shui (水), meaning water in Chinese, because these ships are classified as water tankers. 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 between different fleets. Specification:^{[2] [3] [4] [5]}

• Length: 55 meter

Type	NATO designation	Pennant No.	Name (English)	Name (Han 中文)	Commissioned	Displacement	Fleet	Status
Fushi-class tanker	Fushi class transport oil tanker (AOT)	Fushi class	Bei-You 576	North Oil 576	北油 576	?		North Sea Fleet	Active
	Dong-You 633		East Oil 633	东油 633	?		East Sea Fleets	Active
	Nan-You 958		South Oil 958	南油 958	?		South Sea Fleet	Active
	Nan-You 963		South Oil 963	南油 963	?		South Sea Fleet	Active
	Nan-You 976		South Oil 976	南油 976	?		South Sea Fleet	Active
Fushi-class tanker	Fushi class water tanker (AWT)		Dong-Shui 649	East Water 649	东水 649	?		East Sea Fleet	Active
	Nan-Shui 964		South Water 964	南水 964	?		South Sea Fleet	Active
	Nan-Shui 965		South Water 965	南水 965	?		South Sea Fleet	Active

Notes and References

1. Web site: Dongshui 649 class water tanker . 3 August 2015 .
2. Web site: PLANS recognition guide 2018. July 16, 2018.
3. Web site: PLANS recognition guide 2019. February 19, 2020.
4. Web site: PLANS recognition guide 2020. February 19, 2020.
5. Web site: PLANS recognition guide 2015. August 7, 2015.