Type 620 tanker explained

Type 620 tanker is a type of naval auxiliary ship currently in service with the People's Republic of China Navy (PLAN).[1] [2] Originally designed as a type that is capable of transport both water and oil, these ships entered service from 1981 onward for both military and civilian, but only the oiler version entered service with PLAN.[1] Type 620 tanker has received NATO reporting name as Shengli class,[2] meaning victory in Chinese.[3] After transferred into reserves, these ships finally begun to retire in the early 2010s.

Type 620 tankers in PLAN service are designated by a combination of two Chinese characters followed by three-digit number. The second Chinese character is You (油), meaning oil in Chinese, because these ships are classified as oilers. 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 to different fleets. As of early 2020s, one of the two units identified remains active.[2]

TypePennant #BuilderCommissionedStatusFleet
620Dong-You 620Hudong-Zhonghua ShipbuildingEarly 1980sRetiredEast Sea Fleet
620Dong-You 621Hudong-Zhonghua ShipbuildingEarly 1980sActiveEast Sea Fleet

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Type 620 AOT . April 3, 2013 .
  2. Web site: PLANS recognition guide 2015. August 7, 2015.
  3. Book: Wertheim, Eric. The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World: Their Ships, Aircraft, and Systems. 2007-01-01. Naval Institute Press. 9781591149552. en.

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