Chinese PLA Navy Commissions First Fast Combat Supply Ship

China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy has commissioned its first comprehensive supply ship featuring a 4,800-ton displacement, into service last Friday.

A domestically-made vessel Type 901 combat support ship, the Hulunhu (965), will reportedly surpass the Japan Self-Defense Force's integrated supply ship as Asia's largest comprehensive supply ship, Global Times reports citing a report by Cankao Xiaoxi.

"The combat radius of China's aircraft carrier could at least be doubled with the Hulunhu, and would be capable of reaching Hawaii," Xu Guangyu, a retired rear admiral and senior adviser to the China Arms Control and Disarmament Association, told the Global Times.

Unlike the previous supply ships are smaller and slower, Xu said Hulunhu has a greater load capacity for oil, water and ammunition, and is also faster, to compensate for the shortcomings of the aircraft carrier.

Xu said China's future aircraft carrier fleets will sail to locations where Chinese interests and people are, including the Indian and Atlantic Oceans.