Type 904 general stores issue ship with NATO reporting name Dayun (大运) class and its successors Type 904A and Type 904B are second generation general stores issue ships currently in service with the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). A total of five units have been built and as of mid 2015, two Type 904 ships, one Type 904A, and two Type 904B.
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Type 904
Built by Qiuxin (求新) Shipyard of Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai, Type 904 (and its successor Type 904A) are frequently but erroneously referred by many as underway replenishment ships. However, this is incorrect because these ships are designed as general stores issue ships, and they lack the gentries and transfer stations, and thus are not capable of performing any underway replenishment duties. Type 904 and Type 904A are equipped with four davits each housing a small boat, with two on each side, and these boats are the primary means of transfer supplies. Type 904 and Type 904A are intended to supply garrisons on offshore islands without any port facilities. Helicopter can be carried, but it platform only, without any hangars, and helicopter is the secondary mean of transferring supplies. Specification:
Type 904A
After two Type 904 were completed, production was transferred to an improved version designated as Type 904A that is more than 50% larger in terms of displacement (up to 15000 tons), but armament was reduced by half. Type 904A has been temporarily loaned to China Fishery Law Enforcement Agency as its largest patrol ship. Specification: Specification (for Type 904):
Type 904B
Only a single Type 904A was built before production is switched to Type 904B, two of which are currently under construction. The biggest difference between Type 904B and its predecessor Type 904A is the addition of hangar onboard Type 904B, where TYpe 904A only had a landing platform. Other improvements include the replacement of older twin gun mounts by new H/PJ15 single 30 mm gun mounts and more advanced electronics such as radars.