Two new Type 903A replenishment ships (AOR) commissioned in Feb 2026

ZHANJIANG, July 15 (ChinaMil) — The South China Sea Fleet of the
Chinese PLA Navy held on July 15 a commissioning ceremony for two new
comprehensive supply ships Honghu (hull number 963) and Luomahu (hull
number 964) at a naval port in Zhanjiang, south China’s Guangdong
Province.

Shen Jinlong, commander of the South China Sea Fleet of the PLA Navy,
presented the navy ensigns and naming certificates for the new ships.

The comprehensive supply ships Honghu (hull number 963) and Luomahu
(hull number 964) belong to the same class of supply ships with a full
displacement of over 20, 000 tons and are new type of open-sea
comprehensive supply ships developed and built by China independently.

The two newly commissioned supply ships employ more advanced
replenishment-at-sea technologies and can provide alongside, astern and
vertical replenishment-at-sea for several different types of ships
simultaneously.
Besides stronger open-sea comprehensive supply capability, the two
ships also have certain anti-surface and anti-air defense combat
capabilities.

BEIJING, Dec. 28 (ChinaMil) — The South China Sea Fleet of the
PLA Navy has embraced three new vessels. A ceremony marking the
beginning of military service of the three vessels, the supply ship
Luguhu, the electronic reconnaissance ship Neptune and the pelagic
survey vessel Qian Xuesen was held at a naval port in the South China
Sea on Saturday.

These three vessels are all independently designed and built by China.

The
biggest differences between the Type 904B supply ship Luguhu (Hull No.
962) and its predecessor Type 904A supply ship Fuxianhu are that,
instead of the portal frame type platform, which is specific to the
comprehensive supply ship, on the supply ship Luguhu, there are two
davits mounted on each side in the middle section of the ship and a
hangar which enhances the vertical replenishment capacity.

The
ship is designed to provide material supply for the troops stationed in
the Nansha islands, and undertake such tasks as providing supply for a
ship formation and maritime medical aid at a certain degree.

The
Type 815G electronic reconnaissance ship Neptune (Hull No. 852) is able
to conduct continuous all-weather reconnaissance of various targets
within a certain range.

The Qian Xuesen (Hull No. 873) is the
third ship of the Type 636A pelagic survey vessel family. It mainly
conducts survey of oceans and reefs, marine meteorology observation and
layout of hydrometeorological buoys to provide basic data to guarantee
navigation safety and carry out marine scientific research.

The
sound attenuation is the most remarkable performance of the survey
vessel, which is even more excellent than that of the Russian Kilo-class
submarines known as the “ocean black hole” in the world.

Supply ship Luguhu

  Electronic reconnaissance ship Neptune.

  Type 636A pelagic survey vessel Qian Xuesen

Photos of the day: PLAN’s three new fleet replenishment ships got their pennant numbers

They are 960, 961 and 962