Name Xu Xiake Commissioned 2011 Length 196 m Endurance 30 days 0 hours | Namesake Xu Xiake Type Barracks ship Draft 8 m | |
Status in active service, as of 2014 Displacement 23,000 t (23,000 long tons; 25,000 short tons) standard
30,000 t (30,000 long tons; 33,000 short tons) full load Builder China State Shipbuilding Corporation | ||
Xu Xiake (88) (Chinese: 徐霞客) is a barracks ship of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). She was constructed by the 433rd Factory of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), also known as the Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI, 广州广船国际股份有限公司). Built as part of the Project 048 aircraft carrier program, the primary task of Xu Xiake is to provide accommodation for staff working on aircraft carrier trials so that staff can remain on station to continue trials the following day, instead of returning to port and going out for the next trial, thus greatly shortening the time required. The ship is designed to support 2,500 people for three weeks at sea before needing resupply.
When not operating as a barracks ship, Xu Xiake can also be deployed as a training ship, and when necessary, deployed as troopship to evacuate oversea Chinese from flashpoints. The ship can be armed with 25 mm or 37 mm small caliber guns.