The Hainan, the first Type 075 amphibious assault ship of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy, sails in the South China Sea in 2021. Photo: Screenshot from China Central Television

The first Type 075 amphibious assault ship of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy recently passed an assessment focusing on multidimensional landing combat that features the integration of sea, land and air units, with experts saying on Tuesday that the vessel is rapidly reaching operational capability shortly after its commissioning a few months earlier, at a time when deterrence is needed against "Taiwan independence" forces.

A PLA Navy landing ship detachment recently organized a year-end assessment in an undisclosed area in the South China Sea, in which the Hainan, the PLA Navy's first Type 075 amphibious assault ship, focused on strengthening joint operations in addition to the training of the vessel, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Tuesday.

Since the commissioning of the Hainan in April, it now operates more helicopters of more types, and the procedure has become more sophisticated, the report said.

The CCTV report footage and a video clip posted on the social media account of the PLA Navy earlier this month show that the Hainan now has the Z-18J early warning helicopter and the Z-9 anti-submarine helicopter at its disposal besides the previously revealed Z-8C transport helicopter.

"As we practiced more over the past few months and adjusted our approach, we have now achieved a significantly higher [helicopter] sortie rate," Zhang Yupeng, commander of an aviation detachment on board the Hainan, was quoted by CCTV as saying.

The assessment also tested the integration of air-cushioned landing craft and amphibious armored vehicles, and the results show the loading and sortie time for these equipment has been greatly reduced, CCTV said.

Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times on Tuesday that the assessment shows the PLA Navy's first amphibious assault ship is reaching operational capability.

As new-type of equipment in the PLA Navy's fleet, the Hainan will help establish a comprehensive outline in training and using the Type 075 ships, Song said.

The PLA Navy has launched three Type 075s as of 2021. The first ship, the Hainan, was commissioned on April 23. The second is expected to join naval service soon, and the third recently held a sea trial, indicating its smooth construction, according to media reports.

Another major type of warship, the Type 071 amphibious landing ship, was also featured in the year-end assessment, as the Type 071 Kunlunshan operated together with air-cushioned landing craft in a nighttime landing combat test, CCTV reported.

The Type 075, with a focus in the air, and the Type 071, with a focus in the sea, are perfect partners in landing combat, as they complement each other in multidimensional landing, Song said.

A task force consisting of the Type 075, the Type 071 and an aircraft carrier will serve as a tremendous deterrent to "Taiwan independence" forces, and these warships will play a leading role in striking targets in the east side of the Taiwan island if the occasion comes to that, Song said, noting that they could also be used in the South China Sea.